Come Visit Us in the Canyons!

Located only 8 miles southwest of Quitaque, Texas and approximately 100 miles from Amarillo, Pole Canyon Ranch is accessible yet remote from the busy outside world. The ranch is managed by Phil and Lynnette Barefield, who is the granddaughter of Jim Taylor, who established the ranch in 1911. He and his brother John rode their horses into this area in December of 1910 in search of land.

The ranch now encompasses about 6,000 acres of beautiful canyonlands with running water in several of the spring-fed creeks. Abundant game and beautiful scenery make each excursion a memorable adventure. Opening to the public in 2004, the ranch is now a destination attraction for folks all over the United States.

Ranch History

It is well known that the Comanche traded with the Comancheros out of New Mexico along Los Lingos Creek (along the northern boundary of the current ranch). As ranchers brought in cattle, Charles Goodnight purchased land in 1882 to form the 140,000-acre Quitaque Ranch, also known as the Lazy F Ranch. (See the Handbook of Texas for more information about the Quitaque Ranch.)

After the Quitaque Ranch broke up, brothers Jim and John Taylor purchased a portion of that ranch in 1911 to establish the Taylor Ranch. These brothers traveled by horseback from Knox County, Texas, in December of 1910 to scout the area for grazing land. You can read part of Jim Taylor's diary of the trip. Finding suitable grass and good water, the brothers purchased the ranch land and added to it over the years.

After dividing the operations with his brother in 1929, Jim Taylor retained the "home place" which now makes up Pole Canyon Ranch. Jim and Fay Taylor raised five hearty boys that continued the ranch operation until 1959. At that time the 13,500-acre ranch was divided among the four brothers that were still actively engaged in ranching. The youngest of the five brothers, Walter Taylor, and his wife Coleen became sole owners of the home place. While the ranch is still operating as an actively leased cattle operation, today other activities have been added: horseback riding and hiking.

As the ranch operations began to expand, it became necessary to give the ranch a name. Since two branches of Pole Canyon dominate the ranch landscape, it made sense to acknowledge its presence. Thus, the ranch became Pole Canyon Ranch with Walter and Coleen's daughter, Lynnette, and her husband, Phil, now managing the ranch operations.