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The McDonald Ranch is located southwest of Chugwater on Chugwater Creek. The ranch complex contains seven buildings, six of which are considered to be contributing elements of the complex. These buildings include a large L-shaped ranch house dating from 1890 constructed of native stone covered with stucco. Two large wood frame barns with gambrel roofs were built in 1927 and another wood frame barn with gable roof was probably constructed at an earlier date. Other outlying buildings include the original hewn log homestead cabin built about 1881, an early 20th century frame garage, a frame bunkhouse covered with stucco, and the remains of two rock-lined root cellars dug into a hill near the ranch house. The McDonald Ranch is an important representative of the pioneer southeastern Wyoming cattle industry, not only because of its influence on the economic development of the Chugwater area, but also because it retains architectural features and spatial orientation which reflect late 19th-early 20th century ranching.