Main Boulder Ranger Station, Listed!

The Main Boulder Ranger Station, constructed in 1908, represents one of the oldest continually operated Forest Service facilities in the nation and exemplifies early CCC-era Forest Service Administration. The Ranger’s Residence/Office, woodshed, root cellar, and rock wall date from the 1908-1929, whereas the barn, machine shed, and two bunkhouses date from the 1930-1945 CCC-era of Forest Service Administration.

The station’s placement on the border of what is today the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness only enhances its allure. Long-serving Ranger Harry Kaufman constructed the ranger station and manned the property with his wife, Coral, for decades. The station oversaw the permitting of grazing, timber, mining claims, surveys, and boundary demarcation. The Ranger’s Residence/Office, now converted to a museum, preserves the legacy of the Kaufman family who resided at the Ranger Station for decades.

Park County, Listed July 1, 2024

Main Boulder Ranger Station

The Main Boulder Ranger Station, in the Gallatin National Forest, was built in 1908 on what is now the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness boarder. It is among the nation’s oldest continually operated Forest Service facilities. The rustic station exemplifies both early Forest Service land management activities and the agency’s Civilian Conservation Corps-era work.
Mary Horstman Williams, Cherie Peacock, and Alex Schwab prepared this nomination.