Heartwood in Crescent H Ranch

The Heart(wood) of Jackson Hole
Set on a ridge several hundred feet above the valley floor with its western boundary adjacent to the Bridger-Teton National Forest, Heartwood gets its name from the primacy of redwood heartwood in the materials palette of the main home. Heartwood is the wood found at the center of a redwood and, as a result, is stronger and more vibrant in color than the sapwood found near the edges of a trunk. Let Heartwood be the center of your vibrant life in Jackson Hole.

Welcome to the Neighborhood
Heartwood is one of only 22 35+ acre estate properties in Crescent H Ranch. A former dude ranch and Orvis-endorsed fishing lodge—it operated from 1927–1933 and again from 1964–2009—Crescent H Ranch is nestled between the Snake River and Bridger-Teton National Forest four miles south of Wilson, Wyoming. Its 1,300 acres include miles of private blue-ribbon spring creeks home to native Snake River fine-spotted cutthroat trout; hiking, horseback, and cross-country ski trails (these connect to the hundreds of miles of trails in the adjacent national forest); and seasonal residents like elk, moose, black bears, and eagles.

While Crescent H feels a world apart, the amenities of Wilson—the historic Hungry Jack’s General store, a post office, a coffee shop, a bike/ski shop, and the locally beloved Nora’s Fish Creek Inn restaurant, which was featured on the Food Network’s show “Diners, Drive-In, and Dives”—are a short drive away.

Crescent H is unique in Jackson Hole. Crescent H homeowners don’t just want to live in Jackson Hole, but in Crescent H. “After looking at different areas in the valley, we knew it was Crescent H or nothing,” say residents who bought in 2020. “Many areas here have views and wildlife; Crescent H has these and a distinctly different feel—like you’re truly part of the landscape and history of the valley.” At the time there was only one Crescent H property for sale. “It wasn’t our style, but houses can be changed; neighborhoods can’t,” the couple says.

The first Crescent H property owners—in the early 1990s—were long-time guests of the ranch. While that’s no longer the case, today’s homeowners still share an appreciation for their little slice of heaven. “We came here for the natural beauty, the fishing, and the wildlife and have had many great experiences with our family and friends on our property and on the creeks and trails,” wrote a long-time president of the Crescent H Homeowner’s Association in a 2022 history of the community that its residents collaborated on. (How many neighborhoods in Jackson care about their history, much less have written a book about it?)

A Sanctuary for Family and Friends
At any given time, there are likely more wild animals on Heartwood’s 49 acres than there are humans, but the estate has plenty of room for people, and it has room to grow. A 4-bedroom/5-bathroom, 8,075-square foot Craftsman-style main house (with a traditional mother-in-law suite above the garage) and a 2-bedroom/3-bathroom, 2,167-square foot guest house can accommodate extended families and large groups of friends. There is also the potential to build a third house up to 10,000-square feet on the property (perhaps next to the 1.2-acre spring-fed trout pond?).

The main home was sited on a ridge to both accentuate its views down over the valley and also in response to the land. “The form sits on and follows a ridge, with the primary wing being an element that reaches out toward the valley,” Heartwood architect Kevin Burke, a principal at CLB Architects, says. The guest home, northwest of the main home, is tucked into the forest. Thanks to its reverse-living design, the kitchen/dining room and primary bedroom suite here feel like a luxurious treehouse. The property is big enough that any new home built could be sited to be hidden from (and to) the existing main and guest homes.

Architecture as Fine Art
The design and execution of Heartwood was inspired by the ethos and style of the brothers Charles Sumner and Henry Mather Greene, who, at the turn of 20th century, using the Arts and Crafts style as a starting point, produced some of the most beautifully crafted architecture in America. Using wood as their primary medium, the brothers dedicated themselves to refined beauty, exquisite workmanship, and bringing the best of nature into homes.

“We did this deep dive into the Greene and Greene style and its beautiful details,” says Heartwood architect Burke about the design process. “Every single detail was considered as it related to design. We were intentional with every little thing. I’ve never before or since worked on a project that focused on the level of detail that [Heartwood] does. This home is unique in Jackson Hole.” Walking through Heartwood, look for the bespoke joinery, cabinetry, and trim. Charles Greene once wrote, “An architect is a builder employing the process of art.”

Heartwood is every bit as much a work of fine art as the paintings by artists Frederic Remington, Alexander Pope, Albert Bierstadt, Thomas Moran, George Catlin, and Winslow Homer (all of whom are represented in the permanent collection of the National Museum of Wildlife Art) that once hung in its foyer gallery.

Outdoorsman’s Paradise
Crescent H has been a destination for outdoor enthusiasts for more than a century. Opened as a dude ranch in 1927, dudes and dudines traveled on the Union Pacific railroad to the Crescent H in train cars reserved for ranch guests to ride horses, fly-fish, and hunt, all of which were possible to do without leaving the ranch. While hunting is no longer allowed on the ranch, horseback riding and fly-fishing (and hiking and cross-country skiing) are still right out your door here, as are milder adventures like wildlife watching.

In 1985, Crescent H Ranch became the very first Orvis-endorsed fishing lodge in the world (it was a favorite fishing spot of that company’s owner, Leigh Perkins). Understanding the uniqueness of the ranch’s fishery, it was Crescent H guides who ushered in the ethos of catch-and-release fly-fishing in Jackson Hole. Because the ranch is no longer open to the public, it is only homeowners who can fish the ranch’s 7 miles of spring creeks. (And yes, there are Crescent H homeowners who bought here specifically for the blue-ribbon fishing access.) The ranch’s creeks are home to Native Snake River fine-spotted cutthroat trout, a species known for their voracity and willingness to take a dry fly from the water’s surface.

The ranch has a developed trail system that winds through 1,300 acres and multiple ecosystems—from riparian areas down by the Snake River and Fish Creek to groves of cottonwoods and aspens and pine forest. In summer and fall these trails are wonderful for hiking and horseback riding; in the winter they are groomed for cross-country skiing. The Crescent H trail system connects to the trails of the Bridger-Teton National Forest. These in turn connect to trails in Grand Teton National Park. If you had a week and were up for a serious backpacking adventure, you could walk out your front door in Crescent H,hike on trails to Teton Pass, connect to a trail to Phillips Pass, and then continue on to the famous Teton Crest Trail, generally held to be one of the most scenic backpacks in the country.

Backcountry skiers travel from across the country to ski power on Teton Pass. At Heartwood, you can hike several hundred feet up to the top of the ridge west of the property—you’re now in the Bridger-Teton National Forest—and ski back down. For those willing to “earn their turns” Heartwood is ski-in/ski-out.

Wildlife and Protected Lands
Heartwood isn’t only special to its owners; it is also important wildlife habitat. Recognizing this, Heartwood’s original owners placed 24.5 acres—about half of its total acreage—under an open space easement with the Teton County Scenic Preserve Trust. Located on the forested slopes of the eastern front of the Snake River Mountain Range, and in close proximity to the Snake River and Fish Creek aquatic and riparian corridors, this protected parcel features highly elevated biodiversity in composition, structure, and function. This area is winter-long habitat for moose, and seasonal habitat for elk, and mule deer. Heartwood isn’t looking only for a new owner, but its next steward.