What is cared for lasts. Please think of these policies less as rules and more as shared habits designed to keep the ranch in a good condition for those who are here now and those still to come.
Family members are asked to help guests understand the habits and expectations that keep the cabins welcoming and running well for everyone.
While you are here ….
There are open WiFi networks and secured. For those seeking a secure connection ...
Historic Cabins WiFi: LANSDOWNE_PW
Campus Password: L@nd$downe!!
New House WiFi: STAN_PW
NewHouse Password: L@nd$downe!!
Please recycle ...
All of the cabins are equipped with bins which are collected weekly. Please sort recycling into: clear plastic, opaque and colored plastic, tin, aluminum and all glass.
Main cabin recycling is by Pop’s bath.
Our septic system is sensitive ...
Only toilet paper in the toilet, please. No exceptions of any sort. Not even wet wipes. Especially not wet wipes. These old pipes (and the new ones) need your full support.
Let us know your vehicles are here
During your stay, please place a signed orange card in your windshield so ranch staff can easily identify vehicles and reach you if one is parked where it should not be. Guest vehicles should do the same. Orange windshield cards may be picked up in the dining room.
Keep it country ... (real cowboys keep it below 15 MPH)
Please observe the 20 mph speed limit throughout the ranch and 5 mph through ranch headquarters, where young children live and play. A slower pace keeps everyone safer and limits the amount of dust clouds that can negatively affect the grass we feed our cattle. Please help your guests understand and observe the reason for the speed limit.
Bike storage is easy
There is an easy to use bike storage rack in the New House garage. Feel free to use a bikes and helmets, but please put them back before you leave.
Sports Equipment
New House Garage is full of summer sports equipment. Enjoy it! Please put rafts, duckies, tubes, lifejackets etc back where you found them. If items are damaged please let the team know.
These things are made to be used and used hard, but cared for too. If something is damaged, please try to repair it. If something is broken beyond repair or lost, we ask that it be replaced so the next family finds the garage as well stocked as you did.
Fire Ring Locations
There are four established fire pits at Lansdowne:
North of the Parking Lot Cabin
Along the Snake River, south of the green bridge across the Millstream where it meets the Snake
Near the Wells Fargo bridge across Lake Creek
On the Snake River dike east of the corrals
The Lake Creek fire pit sits near the Aspen Grove, where weddings and ranch events are often held from June through October Please coordinate with Snake River Ranch in advance. The same may apply to the fire pit on the dike. Please check with the ranch before using both of these.
Fire Safety
Teton County fire bans must always be observed. Before lighting a fire, please confirm that there is not a ban in place. However, common sense is also important. Just because there is not a County fire ban, don’t assume there is no danger. Be on the look out for high winds, dry weather and large, out of control fires.
Before you leave your fire make sure all coals are fully extinguished. (A five gallon bucket is a useful tool for making sure no hot embers are left behind.) Finally, please practice Leave No Trace, taking all your trash with you, and leaving the ranch as you found it for the next family member.
Dogs at Lansdowne & Snake River Ranch
Dogs have long been part of ranch life, though life on a working ranch asks for care, awareness, and responsibility from owners. The privilege of bringing dogs to Lansdowne — and walking them across ranch property — depends on our collective ability to be thoughtful stewards of the land, livestock, wildlife, cabins, and one another.
Only family members may have dogs stay in cabins. Guests of non-family members may not bring dogs into the cabins.
A pet fee of $300 is charged at the time of reservation to help cover additional cleaning and ordinary wear. Should damage exceed that amount, owners will be responsible for repair or replacement costs.
Around the Cabins
Dogs are welcome, though a few habits help the cabins remain welcoming for everyone:
Dogs are not permitted on furniture.
Wet dogs should be dried before coming inside.
Please clean up after dogs, especially near cabins and shared areas.
Dogs that struggle when left alone and may bark excessively or damage doors, furnishings, or interiors should not be left unattended.
Dog Walking on Ranch Property
Walking dogs on the ranch is a privilege and depends on ensuring that dogs do not create stress for livestock, wildlife, ranch operations, or employees.
Please always carry a leash and waste bags when walking a dog on ranch property.
The following expectations apply:
Dogs may not chase, harass, or approach livestock. Please maintain at least 100 yards from cattle, horses, and other ranch animals.
Dogs may not chase or disturb wildlife. Please maintain at least 100 yards from wildlife.
Waste should always be removed near Lansdowne, event areas, ranch buildings, and traveled paths.
Dogs should remain under control at all times. If other people, dogs, ranch staff, livestock, or wildlife are nearby, owners should leash dogs or maintain immediate physical control. Please assume others may prefer not to interact.
Stewardship & Accountability
Good dog stewardship like good land stewardship preserves the optimal environment for everyone.
If these expectations are not followed, owners will first receive a warning by email or text. A second violation may result in suspension of dog-walking privileges on ranch property outside Lansdowne for the remainder of the season.
Snake River Ranch board members, or family members designated by them, help support and uphold these shared expectations. Families may request reinstatement of dog-walking privileges in a future season.
House Parties and Weddings
Full cabins, weddings, and large groups will always be welcome at Lansdowne. When many people gather in one place, a few extra considerations help keep things in good order.
Groups Occupying All Cabins
(Main Cabin, White Cabin, Parking Lot Cabin & New House)
When reserving all cabins, hosts are asked to consolidate guests thoughtfully. Lansdowne relies on per-bed occupancy to support the season, and spreading unnecessarily across cabins may prevent other family members from using available rooms.
Please keep the following in mind:
Guests should remain in assigned rooms throughout their stay rather than changing rooms, which creates significant additional work for housekeeping.
The dining rooms seat a maximum 20 guests. Larger groups should plan overflow meals or additional arrangements at the New House.
Meal counts should be finalized at least 48 hours in advance. Because food and staffing are planned around confirmed counts, last-minute reductions will still be charged according to the original number.
If the host is occupied during a wedding or large gathering, please appoint one person to coordinate directly with the kitchen on behalf of the group.
Additional staffing required for large events will be the responsibility of the host family, specifically large groups will be responsible for any additional cleaning costs. At the moment, those bills will be passed directly to the host family and will be expected to be paid 24 hours within receipt. (We may be moving towards a security deposit to cover additional costs but have not started this process)
Sundays are a quiet housekeeping day. Following large gatherings, Monday arrivals may experience later cabin readiness, with entry after 5:00 PM if additional turnover is required.
When all cabins require same-day turnover, a cleaning surcharge may apply.
Outside caterers and vendors do not have access to Lansdowne kitchens and should plan accordingly.
When reserving all cabins, it is assumed that most beds will be occupied. If plans change and rooms go unused, please let the ranch know as early as possible so space may be made available to others.
Leaving the Ranch Well
At the end of a gathering, hosts are responsible for leaving cabins and surrounding grounds in good order. This includes removing outdoor trash, leftover beverages, decorations, flowers, event materials, and unused food. Overflow recycling may be taken to the bins behind the kitchen.
To help protect the ranch and its buildings during larger events, a portion of maintenance staff time may be charged to oversee vendors, installations, and property care.
If the host departs before guests, please ask a family member to make one final walk-through — collecting anything left behind, clearing outdoor trash, and ensuring decorations and event materials are removed. These responsibilities belong to the host family rather than the housekeeping team.
House Parties Using Three Cabins
(Main Cabin, White Cabin & Parking Lot Cabin)
The same general guidelines apply, though additional staffing is typically unnecessary and dining arrangements are assumed to fit within existing capacity.
A Note of Thanks to the Staff
Large gatherings ask much of the people who help keep ranch life moving. Please consider showing appreciation by tipping the cook, housekeeper, wrangler, and others who support your stay.
Gratuities are always appreciated and may be guided by the size and length of the visit. Above all, acknowledgment of their care and effort goes a long way.
Recommendations start at $25-$50 per staff member per guest. Envelopes for tipping are available in the kitchen in the North cabinet as you enter door from outside.
Additional things to consider
Please leave gates as you found them.
Pool towels may be found in the basement dresser and are meant for days at the pool and on the river. When finished, please return used towels to the bin marked Used Pool Towels so they are ready to be washed and shared again.
(Bathroom towels are for the cabins and should remain there. Please do not bring them to the pool or tubing.)
Holidays, weddings, and celebrations are part of ranch life and warmly encouraged. If you decorate for Christmas, New Year’s, or another gathering — trees, lights, or otherwise — please return the cabin to the condition in which you found it and place decorations back where they belong before departing. (Christmas decorations are currently stored in the east storage room of the garage.)
The same care applies to weddings and larger gatherings. Decorations, flowers, and event materials should be removed and guest rooms returned to order before departure.
These moments are meant to be enjoyed, but restoring the cabin afterward belongs to the host family rather than the housekeeping team.
Ranch hats, bottles, and other branded items found at Lansdowne are meant to remain here. Only Snake River Ranch hats and water bottles are available for purchase through the ranch.
If you’re headed to the barn and discover you’ve forgotten your boots, don’t worry. Over the years, families have left behind a remarkable collection of cowboy boots in just about every size imaginable, and we’ve organized them downstairs in the Main Cabin basement for everyone to enjoy. Please feel free to borrow a pair during your stay.
When the dust settles and the riding day is over, we’d be grateful if the boots found their way back downstairs in their respective bin. This way, they are waiting there for the next rider, just as they’ve waited for generations before.
If family or guests borrow a pair during their stay, we’d appreciate your help returning them as well.
The Main Cabin is also home to a collection of board games, card games, puzzles, books, and assorted treasures gathered over many years of family summers. Whether you’re looking for an after-dinner card game, a rainy afternoon puzzle, or something to keep a group of kids entertained, we encourage you to dig in and make use of it all.
Many of these games have been played by generations of family members before you, and we hope they’ll continue to be enjoyed by generations yet to come. When you’re finished, we’d be grateful if you could return everything to the shelf or bin where you found it. It makes it easier for the next family to discover their own favorite rainy-day tradition. If anything is missing a piece, showing its age, or happens to break during your stay, please let Chuck know.
FAQs
Can I bring my dog?Yes, only family members may have dogs in the cabins. there is a non refundable pet deposit per dog. There are more rules about your pet in the guidelines section above.
What if I want to get married at the ranch?Landsdowne is a truly memorable place to celebrate your special day. Wedding parties do get priority. Please book at least one year ahead. Guests are welcome to stay those designated as “Family” members have access to a discounted rate. Other guests do not. These reservations are subject to a refundable damage deposit.
What defines a family rate?“Family” members are defined as direct descendants of Helen and Stanley Resor. Those members, their current spouses and their children get a designated “Family” rate all others do not.