Meet Don S. – A Wilderness Retreat

Life-long friend and acclaimed cartoonist Mike Scovel's depiction of Don S.

Meet Don Schmalz

Your Host at A Wilderness Retreat – A True Western Getaway Near Yellowstone

Howdy and welcome to A Wilderness Retreat —  a peaceful, character-filled vacation house in Cody, Wyoming, just a short and scenic ride from the east gate of Yellowstone National Park.

Oil Painting of Don S. by James Bama

James Bama

Don Schmalz received this down jacket as a gift from his mentor, Bob Dohse. Bama liked the different shades of red offered by the breast collar on the saddle and the jacket. Buffalo Bill Center of the West PT.89.88.14528.001

Mike Scovel’s Portrait of Don S.

Mike Scovel

Don and a friend of his left North Dakota when they were eighteen. Don was looking for a place to live. They toured through Colorado and then up north. On the way down out of Yellowstone they came into the Wapiti Valley. “You can keep going if you want to,” Don told his buddy. “I’m staying here.”

Don lives close by and is always happy to wave you in, point you toward the best trails, or share a campfire story or two. His knowledge of the land runs as deep as the canyons nearby, and his heart’s just as big.

Your host, Don Schmalz, is the real deal— a lifelong cowboy who’s spent over five decades living, working, and guiding folks through the rugged backcountry of the Yellowstone region.

He first came to this land in the late ’60s with little more than a saddle, grit, and a love for the wild. Since then, Don has built a legendary life: breaking horses, leading pack trips through the mountains, and running both a full-scale dude ranch and the historic Absaroka Mountain Lodge.

Don S. with famous country singer Tanya Tucker.

Tanya's with Don here on one of many voyages & adventures!

Tanya Tucker

Later, when Don accepted the Wyoming Governor’s Arts Award for James Bama in 2021, he would tell this exact story.
“Fifty-five bucks,” Don thought. “That’s not too bad for a few hours [work].” Don Schmalz and the other cowboys Jim photographed and painted thought it was a pretty good deal, but for James Bama, it was the culmination of the work of a lifetime.

These days, Don’s swapped his saddle for a pair of well-worn boots and a shovel, tending to the grounds of  A Wilderness Retreat, his hand-crafted hideaway for guests looking to slow down and soak in the West. This ain’t no ordinary rental—it’s a home steeped in true Western heritage, where every room tells a story, and the spirit of the frontier still lingers in the air. 

Whether you’re fixin’ for a quiet getaway near Yellowstone, a basecamp for your national park adventures, or just a cozy house to stay in Cody, this spot offers the best of all worlds—peace, comfort, and good old-fashioned Wyoming hospitality.