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Absaroka Mountain Lodge is an historic dude ranch located about 13 miles east of the east entrance into Yellowstone National Park along U.S. Highway 14-16-20 in Park County, Wyoming. The Lodge probably originated in August 1917 when Earl F. Crouch obtained a permit for the site from the Shoshone National Forest. The original site name was Gunbarrel Lodge from 1917 to 1925. The grand lodge was built over six decades beginning in 1917. In typical dude ranch style, the buildings and structures of Absaroka Mountain Lodge are laid out in a pattern dictated by the lay of the land and the location of creeks and rivers. The evolution of the Absaroka Mountain Lodge and the other historic dude ranches on the old ''Cody Road'' portion of the Yellowstone Highway coincides with growing American affluence and the availability of automobiles. Throughout its long history, the Lodge's activities have been typical of dude ranches for the state. During its period of significance between 1917 and 1950, it reflected the mobility and affluence of the American public, in its quest for new recreational opportunities and experiences.