Wyoming Politician Revealed as Buyer of Massive 916,000-Acre Ranch
For months, a major land transaction in the American West remained shrouded in mystery. A huge Wyoming ranch, covering about one percent of the state, had quietly changed ownership. The buyer's identity stayed hidden from public view.
Now, that secret is out. The person behind the purchase is a well-known figure in local politics and land ownership circles.
The Buyer and the Deal
Christopher Robinson, an elected official in Summit County, acquired the 916,000-acre Pathfinder Ranches. He made the purchase through his family-owned company, The Ensign Group LC. Reports from KPCW confirm this information.
The deal officially closed on January 14. The property had been listed for sale last summer with an asking price of $79.5 million. However, the final purchase amount remains undisclosed.
Massive Scale of the Property
Pathfinder Ranches stretches across four counties in Wyoming. It covers approximately 1,431 square miles. That makes it nearly the size of the entire state of Delaware.
To put this in perspective, New York City spans about 300 square miles. Rhode Island measures just over 1,000 square miles. Even the fictional Dutton Ranch from the Yellowstone television series appears smaller. That ranch was depicted as between 775,000 and 825,000 acres.
Robinson's Growing Land Empire
Robinson already controls roughly one million acres of land. He serves as a Summit County Council member. He has held this position since his election in 2008. In December, he announced he would not seek reelection.
This new acquisition comes just four years after Robinson purchased the neighboring 86,000-acre Stone Ranch. The Ensign Group, co-owned by Robinson and his siblings Alexander and Victoria Robinson, has quietly built a vast land portfolio across the American West.
Under the Ensign Ranches name, the family controls more than one million acres of private and public land. These holdings spread across Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming.
Reuniting the Land
The ranch is named after 19th-century explorer John C. Frémont. It consists of four main properties spread across the Rocky Mountain region. Robinson describes the deal as a reunion of sorts.
"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 told KPCW. "It's now one big landscape."
According to Cowboy State Daily, Robinson said the Stone Ranch will serve as a key connector. It will link the eastern and western sections of Pathfinder. This allows Ensign to operate the land as a single, self-sustaining livestock range.
"So, we're kind of reuniting that, and we intend to, we're operators," Robinson explained. "We're not generally landlords. We're going to, over time, grow into it, where we're mostly running our own livestock on it."
Impact on Landowner Rankings
Before the Pathfinder deal, the combined Robinson and Freed holdings ranked 31st on Land Report Magazine's Top 100 Landowner List. That standing is now expected to change significantly.
Adding Pathfinder Ranches could push the group's portfolio past 470,000 acres. This might lift them roughly ten spots on the list. It could even put them ahead of billionaire Jeff Bezos, who owns an estimated 462,000 acres.
Long-Term Vision
Robinson emphasizes that this expansion is about more than just scale or rankings.
"We love land and water. 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," Robinson said.
His approach focuses on active operation and stewardship rather than passive ownership. The family aims to integrate the new acquisition into their existing ranching operations over time.
