One of the last remaining original ranches in the state of Colorado, the Douglas Homestead became the historic Flying W Ranch in Colorado Springs, CO. The Flying W Ranch has been owned and worked by the same family since 1947. Hard work, integrity, and perseverance have been the deep-rooted values of the family for four generations. The Ranch is credited with introducing the quarter horse to the state of Colorado, raising champion Herford bulls, and rebounding from a devastating fire. The natural beauty of the Ranch is unmatched in the state of Colorado.

At age fifty-five, Don Wilson packed up his family and his three Kansas ranches and, in 1947, moved to the 1867 Colorado State Senator Robert Douglas homestead. The thousands of bucolic acres surrounding the homestead were nestled in the foothills of Pikes Peak on the northwest side of Colorado Springs. The land was originally owned by William Palmer, the founder of Colorado Springs, and is adjacent to Palmer’s Glen Erie home.

Don’s daughter and son-in-law, Russ and Marian Wolfe, moved to Colorado to help in the ranching operations. Black Angus cows were bred with Hereford bulls. The resulting Black Baldy calves were sold in the Fall. In addition, champion Quarter horses were raised and sold. Don and his older brother Harry were responsible for introducing the athletic Quarter horse to the state of Kansas (the Quarter horses were purchased from the King Ranch in Texas) and to Colorado.

During the summer, people would come out from town to ride horses over the extensive ranch lands with Russ Wolfe ramrodding the outings. Some evenings, the group would be small enough for Marian to invite the riders to share in a “potluck.” Russ and Marian decided to make the affair a regular event – a scenic horseback ride followed by a home-cooked meal under the stars around an open camp fire. An so, in 1953, with 11 paying guests at $3.00 each, the Chuckwagon dream was born.

On the second night, Russ and Marian served 7 people. Russ would bring water to the ranch in a 1937 Dodge pickup truck. There was one picnic table under a lean-to in the event of rain. All the food preparation was done in Russ and Marian’s modest home, and the pots were washed at the hydrant in their backyard.

During the first summer, Russ and Marian fed 1,650 people. They were open two nights a week. By the end of 1963, they were open seven nights a week serving over 125,000 people annually. Russ told the story that, “In time, there were still twenty horses but four hundred people for dinner. Then there were twenty horses and eight hundred people for dinner, and then twenty horses and one thousand people. We finally just got rid of the horses.”

Life on the Ranch wasn’t easy in the early days, Russ and Marian had their share of raccoons and skunks in the kitchen, and rattlesnakes on the trails. There were run-away buses, keys locked in cars, bears in trash cans, cows in teepees, torrential rains, and washed out roads.

Visitors and local residents started coming out early to attend Russ and Marian’s Flying W Chuckwagon Suppers and Original Western Stage Show. Over time, Russ and Marian built a Western Village to further bring the Old West to life. The Flying W’s first building was the Trading Post. The logs used to build the Trading Post were recycled from the flag poles used at the National Girl Scout Jamboree that was held in Colorado Springs, on the Ranch, that same year. Russ obtained his Class A Contractors license so he could continue to build the Western Village. He gathered old siding, windows, show cases and a host of items from various places. He knew, in time, they would become part of a building that would tell a story of the Old West in design and style.

Over time, brick by brick, Russ and Marian built the unique and diverse Western Village. Eventually, 29 structures, including the Church, Jail, School House, Taos Pueblo, Printing Press, Kiva, Library, Drug Store, Homestead, Ute Theater, Train Depot, and more, were built or transferred to the Red Rock enclave. Navajo rug weavers, rodeos, silversmiths, ranch animals, Dutch-oven biscuits, and other forms of Old West demonstrations made the venue peerless.

The main highlight of Russ and Marian’s achievements at the Ranch was the introduction of the Flying W Wranglers. Western music was included in their initial vision, following the ride through the Ranch and the Chuckwagon meal. From 1953 to 1957, the performers ranged from college students and folk singers to the Sons of the Pioneers until 1957 when the Flying W Wranglers were officially unveiled. Since then, more than 70 musicians have carried on the tradition of the Flying W Wranglers, passing the mantle from one generation to the next (with a few of them performing at the Ranch for well over 30 years).

Now the second-oldest Western band in the world, their stunning three-, four-, and even five-part harmonies—paired with remarkable skill on every instrument and time honored tunes of the open range—have delighted millions around the world. Their legacy includes dozens of recorded albums including the newly released live album “An Evening At The Ranch” and a new studio album to be released in 2026.

On June, 26, 2012, tragedy struck as the flames of the devastating Waldo Canyon Fire consumed the Flying W Ranch. Twenty-nine buildings, Old West artifacts collected over several lifetimes, and 346 homes within the neighboring community of Mountain Shadows were lost. Nearly every major media outlet, including the New York Times, NPR, the Wall Street Journal, the Denver Post, Fox News, CNN, and the LA Times, carried the story of the loss of the beloved Ranch. Local newscasters wept as they told the story. The Ranch had touched the hearts and lives of seven million people since its inception in 1953 and the entire community grieved its loss.

But the legacy of the Flying W Ranch did not end in tragedy. Refusing to let Russ and Marian’s Chuckwagon dream die, their family set out on a task some believed to be impossible – to rebuild her family’s ranch and restore it to its former glory.

The family formed the Flying W Ranch Foundation – a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization with a mission to restore and mitigate the Waldo Canyon burn area, preserve the history of the Old West, and to be a blessing to the Colorado Springs community. 

Through their tireless efforts, the charred landscape slowly began to heal and one, by one, new buildings for the Flying W Ranch began to take shape. Finally, after eight long years of hard work, on a gorgeous summer day in July of 2020, the Flying W Ranch officially reopened its gates to the public with a stunning new dining hall and amphitheater and the Western Grounds where friendly ranch animals and Western activities continue to delight guests of all ages. In addition, the Ranch now features a variety of incredible spaces for private events including the Wilson Rodeo Arena, the Oxen Barn Hollow Terrace, and the Red Mountain Valley with more facilities and features are being added each year.

Miraculously, the fire passed over one small building within the Western Village – Marian’s Cooking Library – a building which housed all of Marian’s precious recipes and cookbooks. Before the fire swept over the ridge, some of the ranch hands were able to move the Russ M. Wolfe Narrow Gauge Train into the Christmas Rock Tunnel, sparing the little train from the flames. In the aftermath and the cleanup efforts, one other piece of the Western Village was found charred, but still intact – the cross from the church which now stands watch over the beautiful Red Mountain Valley.

Today, the Flying W Ranch continues as a living symbol of Western Heritage and the indomitable spirit of the Pioneers who triumphed over trials and hardships to lay the foundations on which the American West still stands.

Russ and Marian’s Chuckwagon dream lives on every Summer and Christmas season as the now legendary Flying W Wranglers take the stage each night for our Famous Chuckwagon Dinner Show and our Cowboy Christmas Jubilee. Come join us for one of our dinner shows and find out why the Flying W Ranch is so beloved by all.