Contact NAU Hat Ranch

Northern Arizona University’s
Hat Ranch

Hands-on Research and Education Opportunities

With assistance from a generous philanthropic gift to the NAU Foundation, Northern Arizona University acquired the historic Hat Ranch near Williams in April 2021. Located 70 miles south of the Grand Canyon, the ranch will provide research, teaching, and outreach opportunities for faculty, students, and partners. The Hat Ranch was established in the early 1800s and includes roughly 300 scenic acres and a variety of well-preserved period buildings. It is partially surrounded by more than 1,500 acres in conservation easement held by the Grand Canyon Trust.

The ranch is encircled by Kaibab National Forest and is nestled between ponderosa pine forest and piñon-juniper woodland. The land’s rich history of human use dates back to pre-Columbian times, making it a unique site to examine human impact on the environment. The ranch is a social-ecological focal point that both exemplifies and reflects a powerful meld of the past and the future.

NAU Hat Ranch Rental Options and Rates

Students walking through a field on a triail behind one another at the NAU Hat Ranch.

A parked truck with a camper attached to it in a camping area of the NAU Hat Ranch.

A reddish colored horse walking through a field at the NAU Hat Ranch.

Interior living room of the Main House at the NAU Hat Ranch.

Aerial view of the Main House at the NAU Hat Ranch.

View down a dirt road and into the NAU Hat Ranch.

The Hat Ranch Offers Environmental and Historic Value

The historic Hat Ranch holds the potential to anchor interdisciplinary, collaborative research and education addressing critical sustainability questions in the region. The area is a living laboratory, a dynamic ecosystem where species are visibly shifting and responding to global environmental change.

At the same time, human history has left its mark across the Hat Ranch’s landscape as it has across the broader Colorado Plateau and American West. In recent history, the ranch served as a working cattle ranch, a horse farm, and a guest ranch. All of these uses have shaped it in different ways.

NAU’s Vision

NAU’s goal for the historic Hat Ranch is as a catalyst to foster a deep appreciation for the land and drive forward innovative, science-based solutions for climate change adaptation, restoration of degraded lands, and sustainable recreation through place-based teaching and learning, research, and collaborations with public, private, and tribal partners.

Thanks to its proximity to NAU, the site will facilitate place-based learning and research projects that are too challenging to implement at more remote locations. The Hat Ranch will provide NAU students and researchers opportunities to explore and understand a rural working property integrated with nature. Additionally, students will benefit from hands-on learning projects. The resources of ranch may be used for retreats, meetings, trainings, and small conferences.

Other NAU Land Management Projects

NAU currently manages 50,000 acres of forest and grassland through the Centennial Forest, as well as 10 gardens within the Southwest Experimental Garden Array, and Merriam-Powell Research Station in partnership with the Arboretum at Flagstaff.