“I find people very difficult” Georgia O’Keefe

The creative and spiritual nature of Georgia O’Keefe is omnipresent in the desolate surroundings and scenery so reminiscence of many of her paintings. O’Keefe first came to the ranch in 1934, fell in love with the stunning, arid landscape, eventually buying the ranch house and eight acres and later purchasing a run-down adobe home in nearby Abiquiu.

Ghost Ranch has not changed much in many years. It is rustic and a bit worn. Now owned by the Presbyterian church and open to the public, it was once a famous and pricy dude ranch for east coast visitors. 

The ranch has a checkered and colorful history. Native American hunters and gathers originally camped in the area and along the Chama River. In the 1730s the first Spanish settlements were established. Pack trains and the Ute and Navajo tribes crisscrossed the area. In 1876 the Archuleta brothers homesteaded here, actually they did more cattle rustling than homesteading.

In 1927 the ranch was won in a poker game by a local cowboy, whose wife smartly and expediently registered the deed in her name only and established the dude ranch era of Ghost Ranch. Arthur Pack, an early environmentalist, eventually acquired the ranch and surrounding property and continued to develop the guest ranch, bequeathing it to the Presbyterian Church in 1955. 

There is much more history here, but you will need a visit to take it all in. The Ranch deserves a 1-2 night stay to savor the landscape, hike the trails, enjoy the ranch tour, ride horses, visit the library and museums or just sit on the veranda of the welcome center and take in the expansive views. Casitas, food service and camping are available on the property.