Utah Resident Builds Private Snowboarding Ranch at Home
A tech entrepreneur spent six years clearing trails and building custom terrain for his family on a private mountain ranch.
Updated on Oct. 29, 2026 in Landscaping
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Tech entrepreneur Richard Oldham has spent six years transforming a private Utah property into a personal snowboarding ranch. The project, located in the Wasatch Mountains, features a 1,100-foot vertical drop designed to replicate the terrain of his childhood.
Why it matters
This project highlights a unique approach to private mountain recreation, showing how property owners can leverage local geography to create custom family logistics and outdoor lifestyle spaces.
The ranch offers a 1,100-foot vertical drop developed over a six-year period. Oldham draws on 15 years of tech industry experience and has documented the process for an audience of 38,000 followers.
The players
Richard Oldham
A tech industry professional and co-developer of the software platform Grove Menus who spent six years building a private mountain ranch.
The details
Oldham and his crew build custom snowboarding routes by clearing specific mountain vegetation and navigating around natural rock formations. The process involves cutting new access roads into the landscape and shaping terrain features, such as man-made jumps and gaps, to create a rideable, mountain-style experience on private land.
Timeline
2020-2026: Richard Oldham spent six years developing the Moose Springs Ranch property.
The Home Front
Private recreational developments like this ranch sit at the extreme end of the trend toward custom, land-intensive residential upgrades. Such projects often require navigating complex land-use regulations that differ significantly from standard suburban landscaping and home improvement norms.
If you are considering major terrain modifications, consult a licensed professional to ensure your plans comply with local environmental and safety codes. Before altering steep slopes or mountain property, verify all site-specific zoning ordinances for your county.
The takeaway
Creating large-scale terrain features requires careful navigation of the natural landscape, including vegetation management and rock navigation. Consider starting with professional land surveys if you are planning significant topography changes on your own property.
Further reading
For more on optimizing your outdoor space, explore our Landscaping guides.
Source note: This article includes information reported by TownLift, Park City News.
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