Solvang, California
Alisal Ranch
A 10,000-acre working ranch in Santa Barbara wine country
FamilySpa & wellnessWinter
California Guest Ranches & Dude Ranches
California's guest ranches run from a year-round ranch resort in Santa Barbara wine country to a working cattle ranch in the Eastern Sierra. Compare them by style, season and location.
- 3 ranches
- 2 all-inclusive
- 2 with kids' programs
- 1 open in winter
Where the California ranches are
Choosing a guest ranch in California
California's ranches are few but varied, and its mild climate means some can take guests all year, which most mountain ranches cannot.
California's ranches
- Alisal Ranch is a guest ranch and resort on a 10,000-acre working cattle ranch in the Santa Ynez Valley outside Solvang. It has welcomed guests since 1946, keeps around 100 horses and adds an 18-hole golf course, a spa and nearby wineries. It is open all year, about 35 miles from Santa Barbara Airport.
- Hunewill Guest Ranch in the Bridgeport Valley, on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada north of Yosemite, was founded in 1861 and has taken guests since the 1930s. It is a real working cattle ranch with cattle-work weeks, a fall cattle drive and children's programs from age 2.
- Rankin Ranch is a historic family ranch in the Walker Basin near Caliente, with riding, fishing and home-cooked meals.
When to go
Alisal is open year-round and is especially useful in fall, winter and spring, when mountain ranches are closed. Hunewill runs from late spring into the fall, at around 6,500 feet. Rankin Ranch runs from spring to fall.
Getting there
Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) is the closest airport for Alisal. For Hunewill, Mammoth Yosemite Airport (MMH) is about 60 miles away and Reno-Tahoe International (RNO) about 117 miles.
Questions about California dude ranches
How many dude ranches are there in California?
Frontier Stays lists 3 guest and dude ranches in California, each checked against the ranch's own information or its Dude Ranchers' Association listing.
Which California dude ranches are all-inclusive?
Hunewill Guest Ranch and Rankin Ranch describe their stays as all-inclusive. What that covers varies (drinks, gratuities and airport transfers are not always included), so check each ranch page.
Which California ranches have a kids' program?
Alisal Ranch and Rankin Ranch run children's programs. Minimum riding ages differ by ranch, usually between 5 and 8.
Are any California dude ranches open in winter?
Yes. Alisal Ranch take guests in winter. Most other ranches in the state are summer and fall only.