10 private ranches larger than some national parks—and who owns them

Some ranches in the U.S. are so massive, they outsize national parks—and even make many counties seem small. These aren’t hobby farms—they’re vast landscapes owned by families or individuals who manage ecosystems, cattle, wildlife, and in some cases, guests. I’ve rounded up ten truly massive ranches—with sources at the ready—so you can get how mind-bending land ownership can be here.

King Ranch (Texas)

King Ranch covers about 825,000 acres—larger than Luxembourg—and holds terrain ranging from coastal marsh to prairie and brush country.

Founded in the mid‑1800s by Richard King, it became a giant in cattle and horse operations. It’s still owned by the King family’s descendants and holds federal recognition as a National Historic Landmark.

Singleton Ranches (California & New Mexico)

Singleton Ranches spans roughly 1,000,000 acres across California and New Mexico, assembled by Dr. Henry Singleton in the 1980s.

Today, his children manage it with a strong focus on ranching—raising cattle and horses—and supporting local youth through FFA and 4‑H outreach.

Diamond A Ranch (Arizona)

Diamond A Ranch covers around 750,000 acres in Arizona and remains firmly in the cowboy tradition since its founding in 1982.

It runs full-time camp cowboys, maintains a remuda of horses, and stays true to its roots in cattle and horse operations.

Babbitt Ranches (Arizona)

Babbitt Ranches is about 700,000 acres in Arizona and has roots that go back to 1886.

They graze roughly 8,000 grass-fed Hereford cattle on open range—and partner with wildlife authorities to protect species like golden eagles.

Vermejo Park Ranch (New Mexico & Colorado)

Vermejo Park Ranch is around 558,000 acres, stretching from New Mexico into southern Colorado—a mix of plains, mountains, lakes, and rivers

Owned by Ted Turner, it operates as a reserve with lodge‑style guest access, conservation efforts, ecosystem restoration, and natural gas production.

Waggoner Ranch (Texas)

Waggoner Ranch spans approximately 520,527 acres—making it the largest fenced-in ranch in the U.S., and about half the size of Rhode Island

Founded in 1849 and now owned by Stan Kroenke, it supports cattle, horses, crops, oil wells, and even a sizable wind farm.

Great Western Ranch (New Mexico)

Great Western Ranch covers roughly 500,000 acres near Quemado, New Mexico—about the size of Houston.

Owned by the Horton family (of D.R. Horton), it includes cow-calf operations, archaeological sites, homes, and is known for trophy hunting opportunities.

Bell Ranch (New Mexico)

Bell Ranch sits at about 290,100 acres in northeastern New Mexico—over 450 square miles with its own ZIP code.

Once part of a Mexican land grant, it’s now owned by John Malone and supports cattle grazing, features its own airport, and stretches along the Canadian River.

Tejon Ranch (California)

Tejon Ranch owns over 270,000 acres in California’s Southern Central Valley, Tehachapi Mountains, and Antelope Valley—making it the largest contiguous private property in the state.

It supports diversified operations: almonds, pistachios, wine grapes, cattle leases, development, and even film location rentals.

UU Bar Ranch (New Mexico)

Express UU Bar Ranch, currently around 160,000 acres, was originally over 300,000 acres. It’s now owned by Express Ranches, led by Bob Funk

Its operations include cattle, hunting, fishing, and even managing the historic St. James Hotel nearby.

*This article was developed with AI-powered tools and has been carefully reviewed by our editors.