: : : : Short stays : : : :
(See the Available dates page
for openings)

This is a popular option for first-time guests. It gives you the chance to enjoy the ranch without committing to a week-long stay. Many people who are hiking the John Muir/Pacific Crest Trail stay a night or two to recuperate and enjoy a real meal, soft bed, and hot spring bath before continuing their adventure. Go here for our current Short Stay rates.

Arrival and departure days – You arrive and depart on any day of the week during the Short Stay period. You have to get yourself and your gear to the ranch, and must buy a ticket if you want to ride the ferry across Florence Lake. Unless you want to backpack in, we suggest arriving and departing on Wednesdays and Saturdays, since we offer luggage transport on those days only.

Checkin/Checkout times – Your accommodations will be ready for you at 2 pm. You leave at 10 am on your departure day, unless you’re going out by horse, in which case you leave at 9 am.

Accommodations – Choose one of our eight log cabins by a stream or one of four tent cabins near the river. Most of our cabins have one double and one single bed, with bottom sheets, quilts and pillows. You will need your sleeping bag for warmth. Each log cabin has a bathroom with toilet and wash basin with cold running water. Our cabins have an electrical outlet for charging your devices, and we try to keep 24-hour power on with our vintage hydroelectric plant. Later in the season or on a dry year, we will run our backup generator from 5am to 10pm. Our log cabins have a two-night minimum stay. There is no minimum stay in the tent cabins.

Enjoy privacy and luxurious bathing in one of our two enclosed hot spring baths. Our fireplace lounge has books, board games, playing cards and comfy furniture. If you need to do some laundry if you've been on the trail a while, we have an old-fashioned washing machine and clothesline available at no charge. Detergent is provided.

Meals – Meals are included in the Short Stays rate. Full breakfast and dinner are served either in the dining room or on the barbecue terrace, and the fixings for a sack lunch are available during the morning meal. All you need to bring is your appetite.

During the Short Stay period, we cannot always accommodate special dietary requirements such as vegetarian, wheat-free, etc. Please contact us well in advance if you have special needs, since the week’s food arrives on Fridays only.

Horseback riding – Horses may be available but we cannot guarantee their availability during our Short Stay periods. Horse use is an extra-cost option, whether for packing or for riding. We offer full-day and half-day rides to some wonderful destinations. You can also arrange an overnight pack trip into nearby Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park. Our rates are similar to those charged by pack stations in our area. See the Rates page for details. All rides are guided. We remind you again – horses are not always available during the Short Stay periods.

Remember to bring – Your sleeping bag, insect repellent, poncho (it can rain anytime during our season ), a flashlight with fresh batteries, a hat (our high elevation makes the sun especially intense).

To make a reservation please go to our Available Dates page, see if the dates you want are open, and send us an email.