Our History
Teton Valley Ranch Camp was founded by Wendell (‘Weenie’) Wilson in 1939. Weenie was the Director of Athletics at the University of Illinois and had the freedom to spend his summers working for Rocky Mountain Boys Camp in Estes Park, Colorado. Once, when traveling to Yellowstone National Park via Jackson Hole with a group of campers, he saw this beautiful area and decided it was where he wanted to start a camp of his own. In 1938, Weenie returned to Jackson Hole to find the right location for his camp in the small town of Kelly. What initially began as an all boys’ summer camp quickly extended to girls as well. Teton Valley Ranch Camp has been dedicated to providing western outdoor adventures for boys and girls through generations, and because of their time at the Ranch, many alumni still call Teton Valley their home.
When the Wilsons decided to retire, TVRC continued with new leadership. Rawhide Ranch Camp leased the camp and adopted the TVRC program from 1971-1977. Then Western Mountain Adventures leased the camp from 1978 to 2001. The Camp operated in Kelly for over six decades. Western traditions were the foundation of TVRC in 1939, and they still today act as guideposts to lead campers towards stronger values, such as persistent dedication, an abiding sense of gratitude, and a deep love and respect for the natural world.
The TVRC Education Foundation
During the fall of 2000, the founding family decided to hang up their hats and turn TVRC over to the next generation of Directors and families to carry on the mission. They worked with the newly formed TVRC Education Foundation Board to transfer over permits and help this group continue the legacy of TVRC.
A dedicated group of alumni and families formed The TVRC Education Foundation as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. The TVRC Education Foundation began operation in 2002 in Dubois, Wyoming at the Double Bar J Ranch and quickly realized the camp’s spirit continued on regardless of the location. In 2004, TVRC obtained the 2,300-acre Crooked Creek Ranch near Dubois and continued our long-established summer programs. At the time of this property’s purchase, the land was completely undeveloped; however, the Board and the Leadership Team set out to build cabins, bathhouses, staff housing, the barn, and the rodeo arena and corral system. TVRC opened in its current location in the summer of 2005 and a new chapter in the story of Teton Valley Ranch Camp began.
Today we strongly believe in the camp’s founding philosophy that began in 1939. Teton Valley Ranch Camp continues to provide a journey of discovery for every camper, allowing a space for traditions, growth, and a chance to be connected to yourself and the wilderness where we adventure. Here at TVRC, we believe in the importance of disconnecting from technology and enabling campers to be fully immersed in the community way of living that happens here at Camp. Our time is spent around campfires telling stories, practicing and learning the skills necessary to be stewards of the wilderness as we explore and discover in the backcountry. TVRC helps each and every camper strive towards their best selves and be ready to return to their world with perseverance and determination, though the trail may be steep and rocky on their way. TVRC was founded on the premise that venturing out into wild places gives us the opportunity, not necessarily to find ourselves, but to create ourselves.
Come join us at TVRC, where the spirit of the American West holds treasure waiting to be discovered!