Rankin Ranch

We spent 2 nights on the ranch during our three week trip on the west coast, I only wish we could've stayed longer. All the family and workers are very welcoming, very friendly and helpful. From listening to the stories from Bill or the 4 crazy ladies that were there at the same time, the great facilities, the well organised horse rides, animal feeding, the entertainment and the beautiful star filled sky at night our stay at the Rankin Ranch was perfect. Thank you!

Reviewed By: Lisa

It was our first trip to Rankin Ranch and on a farm. From the moment we arrived , we felt welcome and everybody knew our names. We come from Belgium but we were easily introduced and by the evening well acquainted with the Rankin family and other guests.
We liked the internet and IPhone detox and never missed any. The food was great, the company was superb. Horse riding in this surroundings is swell. The cabins date from the 60s ( the airco makes a lot of noise) but the surroundings make up for this and the cabin is clean and well kept. This is a farm and not a 5 star resort .Everything is comfortable and all you need is there.
The city girl I was , changed in a country girl overnight  .
The pool is great and was welcome in the summer heat. Our children loved the horse riding on Dundee and Pete and Rosy, the dog was their all-time favourite. We liked the BBQ on the meadow and we were very lucky with the horse shoe throwing competition. We also appreciated the adults gathering before diner and the conversations at diner.
We will treasure the memories of this summer all through our cold European winters and will keep in touch with the new friends we made .
Thank you Rankin family, we will mention this treasure back home and hope to return in the near future.

Reviewed By: mayadv2011

Yee-haw! We love Rankin Ranch!!! My family and I are city dwellers and have had little to do with life on the ranch so we weren't sure what to expect. I booked the trip to celebrate my husbands 60th birthday. There were 12 of us - 6 adults and 6 children. Everyone of us had a blast and all can't wait to go back. The Rankin Family and their staff are awesome! They took care of our every need and were so accommodating. They even baked a cake for my husband! We had so much fun! We rode the horses, fished (fishing in their small lake is great because you catch fish left and right and as long as you clean them, the cook at the ranch will cook them for you), enjoyed the petting zoo, loved feeding the animals, we swam, square danced, did archery, played shuffle board, pool, foos ball, bingo just to mention a few. We finished our trip with a hayride and lunch in the meadow. Their food was really good and their beef was fantastic! This is a trip that any family would benefit from. There is no cell phone service or internet so it really allows you to detach and focus on your family and on God's beautiful creation. Worth every penny and worth the drive. If you are considering Rankin Ranch book it! You will not be sorry.

Reviewed By: Cheryl A

I discovered Rankin Ranch twelve years ago on a fluke. I was flipping through the travel section of the Sunday LA Times and saw a story about a weekend trip to this ranch. I read it, thought, “Hey a nearby dude ranch, cool,” and called to book a weekend in September. I didn’t really know what to expect except I knew that the mountains above Bakersfield were beautiful, and I love to ride horses. I had some second thoughts when I got their brochure which details some of the things you won't find as well as what you will (more below) but I needed a break from a lot of things in my life at the time so I figured what the heck.

What I discovered on arrival was the perfect respite from my hectic life. Besides being in just beautiful country the main reason that it is so blissful is that it has basically no contact with society. This drives some folks crazy – for me it’s perfect! No cell phone service. No phones or TVs in the rooms, no internet (OK the office broke down and got wireless – shhh don’t tell my office), radio service is spotty (XM seems to work well though). I find myself immediately relaxing as my car climbs the Grapevine, leaving LA. And at the point in the hills where my cell phone beeps “no service,” it is like a weight is lifted off my shoulders. I can just relax and “be” with no demands on my time from anyone.

Then there are the people, a group who have become like family. I don’t just mean the owners and their family – they all treat everyone like family the first time you come up to the ranch. But the ranch gets so much repeat business, with guests returning year in and year out on the same weekends, folks like me, that by now there is a core group of friends that are always there for each of my trips. One year my friend Claudia and I decided to go in May for my birthday instead of in September when we both usually go. Two of our friends from our September weekend overheard us talking about changing our trip, and showed up in May to help celebrate my birthday.

And then there are the horses. Picture this. Its 6am – the sun is barely lighting the sky and you walk into the meadow and whistle. 30 horses respond – running through the ground fog, nipping each other’s butts, kicking and snorting as they run into the corral. A few of them walk over to the woman who whistled – who isn’t the person who usually calls them in – because they figure that she may have carrots. And they’re right. One, named Twiggy, slaps his heavy head over the woman’s shoulder like a puppy dog – sniffing at her hair, waiting for his carrot – or three or four. The rides are through beautiful country – the creek, the mountain behind the cabin or the meadows out where the cattle are grazing. The weather is usually beautiful and sunny – I can ride in a tee shirt in the morning and in a tank top in the afternoon. The days are peaceful and unhurried and perfect.

Yep, bliss can be found a short drive from L.A.

Reviewed By: Dianeinla

I have been coming to Rankin Ranch since I was very young with my family. My parents continued the tradition by bringing all of their grandchildren every summer. This summer, most of the grandchildren will be coming and taking time off work to be there. The oldest ones are 30. I think that is a testament to what a wonderful, family vacation spot this is.

My husband and I just took our 4 year old son for Memorial Day weekend. We had such a great time! He participated in the children's program (scavenger hunt, swimming, treasure hunt, arts and crafts, and hikes), while my husband and I enjoyed two horseback rides a day, beautiful walks in the basin, fishing, and time to relax. This guest ranch is run by the most marvelous family and they are quite possibly the nicest people you could ever meet. All of our needs were met and the food is delicious. You get three full meals a day, two horseback rides (ages 6 and up), and time to connect with other families and your own. This is a great place to unplug...no cell service!

This is the Rankin's 150th year as a working cattle ranch. It has a great rustic charm and is a wonderful place to take a deep breath and unwind. I can say, without a doubt, we will always include Rankin Ranch as a yearly destination.

Reviewed By: Katie W