A Member of the Sourdough Ranch owns one share of the corporation (not a deed). This share grants the Member an exclusive lease right to one lot. The Member agrees to abide by all rules and recommendations designated by the elected Board members and makes sure it is kept in a wilderness condition. This Membership can only be held in one person's name.

Sourdough Ranch is a privately owned corporation. We take great strides in keeping the roads graded, the fish stocked, and the Ranch in general in top condition at all times. In order to do this, we must keep non members out of the Ranch for the safety of the members and the Ranch. Each member is given a key so they can enter and leave as they wish but it is stressed that they do not give this key to anyone else to use.

The safety of our members is the main priority while they are on the Ranch. Should there be a fire, earthquake or other major event we need to know who is on the Ranch at all times for evacuation. It is very important that every member and guest sign (blue sheet) in at the cabin so that they can be counted for in an emergency plus it also allows the caretakers to know if a member is on the Ranch should they need to contact you in an emergency. We need to be able to account for all adults on the Ranch if need arises. 

Each lot is allowed to have one shed, one screen house, one snow canopy and one deck built on their lot according to specifications stated in the Rules, Regulations and Policy manual.  Lot owners can also put in foot paths, horseshoe pits, fire pits, and other such areas but any and all improvements such as these need prior approval by the Board before any construction begins. Contact the office to set up an appointment.

Sourdough is under strict regulation to provide camping facilities for 719 units. Only one self contained RV trailer can be kept on a lot. Members can have a guest RV on their lot but the second trailer may only remain during that guest visit. Having two or more trailers on a lot longer than the visit puts us in violation and this can cause a shut down of the Ranch by the County.  Everyone needs to be in compliance with this and violators can lose their privileges.

Even though we have porta potties throughout the ranch, the County stipulates that trailers/RVs on the ranch MUST be self contained. Sourdough does have 2 waste dump stations (one near Lake East and one near the Cabin) for Member convenience.  Non self contained trailers/RVs along with tents are allowed to be used only during guest visits but must be taken down and removed after that time. Porta Potties are a convenience for Members and are dumped regularly.

A Sourdough membership is for one Member, their spouse & their children 17 years of age and under living at home. Everyone else is considered a guest and must pay a guest fee when they come to the Ranch.  Your other family members and guests are welcome to enjoy the ranch but the Member will need to be on the ranch with their guests. Members are asked NOT to give their keys to anyone else.

Sourdough Members pay an annual due to cover expenses of road repair, stocking the lakes with fish, and other such amenities that we enjoy. When a guest comes to the Ranch they also enjoy these amenities. Guests who fish must pay for a fishing pass to be able to enjoy fishing our stocked lakes. A guest who is just visiting on the ranch is using our roads, porta potties, and other services and are charged a $10.00 fee for their use in vehicles & a $25 fee is for any guest vehicle pulling a trailer (any type-utility, enclosed, camping, dump trailer etc.) 

The safety of the Members is our number one concern. Our roads are used by ATVs, UTVs, motorcycles, bicycles, pedestrians, full sized vehicles (some with large trailers in tow) and wildlife. These are mountain roads that have many twists and turns and steep grades that make it unsafe to drive any faster. Speed limits are set at 20 MPH on the main roads and 5 MPH in the campsite areas and the area around the cabin (where dust becomes a big issue) to keep our Members and our wildlife safe.   We ask that everyone drive carefully while on the Ranch.

Sourdough is for the enjoyment of all its Members and each Member has the responsibility to be respectful for the other Members on the Ranch. If you have a neighbor who being overly loud or impacting your time while on the Ranch, you need to contact the Board Member on duty by calling the Cabin phone number. You can also file a Complaint/Suggestion form located on this website (under Forms), or pick up a form at the Sourdough Office, the Sourdough Cabin, or on the bulletin boards located throughout the Ranch.

Since Sourdough is held to the County and Ogden Valley Trust Agreement regulations, we must maintain our wilderness and not damage it. Preserving our forest is our major concern so any cutting of live trees needs to have a Board Member approval BEFORE any live tree is cut down. Removing dead trees and fallen wood is allowed as long as it is done without damaging neighboring live trees. Dead wood can be taken to the staging area near Lake East where it will be burned or you can take it home. Currently the ranch has an abundance of fallen dead wood that needs to be removed so there is no limit on the amount of dead fallen wood you can remove from the ranch. A woodcutting permit is available at the Sourdough office or at the Cabin and is required for transporting any wood off the Ranch.

As with any civilization, order needs to be defined and maintained. Each season seems to bring up new issues that have not been encountered previously and therefore need to be added to the Rules, Regulations and Policy manual.  This allows everyone to be held to the same guidelines.