Stanley, Idaho
Diamond D Ranch
About the ranch
The Diamond D Ranch is Idaho's premier all-inclusive guest ranch nestled in the Frank Church Wilderness and surrounded by the Salmon River Mountains. We offer several wonderful activities including horseback riding, fly-fishing, hiking, gold panning, swimming, and many evening festivities.
Affiliations
DRA
Also offers
Guest capacity
35
Best for
Kids - all ages
Months open
Jun-Nov
History & hosts
The Demorest family first stepped foot on Loon Creek in 1951, where they quickly bought into a parntership with the Boyle family. The ranch was bought outright by John P Demorest in 1960. John, also known as Big John, sadlypassed away in 1980, leaving his son Tom to run and build the ranch. Tom first stepped on the ranch in 1951 as a 13 year old boy. The ranch looked nothing like it does now. There were no fences, no grass, no fields, not many buildings, but there was lots and lots of rock!! Tom had an amazing vision of what the ranch could be. With many years, blood, sweat, and tears...the ranch is now a wonderful getaway for guests to enjoy. Of course, Tom couldn't do this all alone. He had a lot of help and guidance from his wife, Linda. Linda built up the guest season, while Tom built up the outfitting business and the ranch itself. When you visit the ranch, be sure to ask Linda about the chapel, which took her 11 years to build. And be sure to ask Tom to share some of the many stories of the old west and all the many characters that helped build the ranch. To this day the ranch is family owned and operated. Our goal it to have each and everyone of our wonderful guests feel like they are also a part of the family!!
Ranch founded
1960
Guest ranch since
1970
Owners
Kara and JR Williams & Dana Demorest
Managers
Kara Williams and Dana Demorest
Accommodation types
Western rustic chic
Gene Kilgore's notes
The setting
The Diamond D Ranch is off the Grid and runs completely off Hydroelectric power. The Hydro system was put into place in the early 1980s.
Community
The Diamond D Ranch makes several charitable donations yearly. Some local Idaho fundraiser and some Nationwide, such as Make a Wish, Big Brother/Big Sister, and Women and Childrens Alliance. Our donations are in the form of a several night stay for two, all-iclusive.
When to go
June 1 - Sept 15
Why we love it
- For nature and wilderness lovers, it is one of the most remote and private ranches you can find
- The setting is incredible, with beautiful mountain scenes and a private lake, with access to spectacular Idaho wilderness
- Excellent for families, family reunions and weddings, there’s a charming little chapel that took Linda 11 years to build!
- Even though it is so remote, communications are excellent as they use satellite-based phone and internet
- They are completely off-grid, supplying their own electricity through the use of a hydro-electric generator
What to consider
- The extremely remote location may not be for some peoples’ tastes, especially if you are looking to leave the ranch occasionally and sample the local town
