The mystery surrounding the buyer of one of America's largest private landholdings has been solved. The colossal Pathfinder Ranches in Wyoming, a property spanning an area greater than the state of Rhode Island, has been acquired by a local elected official.
A Colossal Transaction in the American West
Christopher Robinson, a member of the Summit County Council, has purchased the sprawling 916,000-acre Pathfinder Ranches through his family-owned company, The Ensign Group L.C. The deal, which was finalised on 14 January 2026, concludes months of speculation. The property was listed in the summer of 2025 for $79.5 million, though the final purchase price has not been publicly disclosed.
To grasp the sheer scale of this acquisition, the ranch stretches across four counties in Wyoming and encompasses roughly one percent of the state's total land mass. At 1,431 square miles, it is nearly the size of Delaware and significantly larger than New York City. It even eclipses the fictional Dutton Ranch from the popular television series Yellowstone.
Reuniting a Historic Landscape
This purchase is a strategic expansion for Robinson, who already controls approximately one million acres of land. Just four years prior, in 2022, he acquired the neighbouring 86,000-acre Stone Ranch. The Pathfinder Ranches, named for 19th-century explorer John C. Frémont, is composed of four main properties spread across the Rocky Mountain region.
Robinson explained that the acquisition effectively reunites a historic landscape. "The family from whom we bought the Stone Ranch used to own the heart of the Pathfinder, and they sold it in, say, 1975. And so we're kind of reuniting it," Robinson, CEO of The Ensign Group, stated. "It's now one big landscape." He confirmed that the Stone Ranch will act as a crucial connector, allowing the entire holding to be operated as a single, self-sustaining livestock range.
Stewardship and Long-Term Vision
Robinson, who has served on the Summit County Council since 2008 and announced in December 2025 that he would not seek re-election, framed the purchase as both a business decision and a commitment to conservation. He emphasised his company's hands-on approach as operators, not merely landlords, with plans to gradually run their own livestock across the unified property.
"We love land and water," Robinson added. "We think it's a good long-term investment, and we like the opportunities it affords us to be stewards over a piece of God's creation." This statement underscores a growing trend among major landowners in the American West who are blending agricultural business with environmental stewardship goals, aiming to preserve vast tracts for future generations.
