The majestic mountains of the Eastern Sierras, including the glistening peaks that mark the boundary of Yosemite National Park, circle the ranch in silent repose. Hunewill barn against backdrop of mountains. Discover working ranches, guest ranches, cattle drive vacations and riding vacations in the Equitrekking Vacation Guide. Each day, participants must wake earlier and earlier to go further and further afield, traveling 6 to 15 miles on horseback, depending on the day. Started in 1861 by Napoleon Bonaparte Hunewill and his wife Esther, the ranch was originally conceived as a beef cattle operation to supply meat to the gold miners of the nearby town of Bodie, which today is a National Historic Landmark. The rides are well designed - beginners receive great attention and care, while intermediate and advanced riders were never bored. Horses spend the night in a large field and in the morning are driven into a corner and then surrounded by a cowboy . The surrounding 26,000 acres in the mountainous Bridgeport Valley provides a unique riding atmosphere for all skill levels. 2,590 were here. Stanley Hunewill loved the ranch and cowboy way of life. The cattle were branded with the letter H, which eventually became known as the Circle H brand. The ranch was founded by Napoleon Bonaparte Hunewill, who came to California from Maine, lured by gold prospecting. We have 13 dude ranches in Arizona, 27 dude ranches in Colorado, 20 guest ranches in Montana, 17 guest ranches in Wyoming, 4 dude ranches in Texas and many more! I can handle a horse (I rode hunter/jumpers for over 12 years), though it had been a couple years since doing any regular riding. You'll love riding your horse through this 26,000 acre expanse of cool lush meadow, bordered by timbered peaks. Hunewill Guest Ranch Altitude: 6,500 ft Capacity: 40+ Guests Open: May-Nov Acres: 26,000 Min Stay: 3 Nights Rates: $200-$300/N Horseback riding is the driving focus at Hunewill Guest Ranch. Photo credit: Dwayne Leonard. The Hunewills have been at the Bridgeport ranch for 150 years. Terri Geissinger, an interpreter and Bodie historian, rode along with us. Due to the altitude, the folk at the ranch recommend that you bring a hat, sunscreen, rain jacket or poncho and a warm jacket for cool evenings. ventured west to seek his fortune by mining for gold. Because Alice enjoyed music, N.B. I did not want to leave. Guest. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Other horseback activities include splash rides, a breakfast ride, moving cattle, an obstacle course, and games on horseback. Lumber was hauled to the flourishing town of Bodie on massive log wagons, each pulled by 16 oxen. Sadly, working cow ranches are rapidly disappearing as a way of life so spending time there is something to be valued. As part of her studies, she had to work at a resort, or in this case, a guest ranch. Several species of trout are found in the rivers and lakes in the . Interestingly, she pointed out that more miners died not of mining accidents or gunshot wounds, but from pneumonia. Getting them to go through an open gate was another. It involves moving 600 to 750 cattle 60 miles from Bridgeport, California, to Smith Valley, Nevada. Special thanks to my husband for coming along for the rideliterally! The guest ranch has been welcoming visitors from around the world for over 55 years. The V6 Ranch sits just down the road from the tiny town of Parkfield, population 18, and is conveniently located just a four-hour drive from Los Angeles and San Francisco. Like many ranches suffering the financial woes of the Great Depression, the Hunewill family decided to take in guests to supplement their income in the 1930s and theyve been taking in guests ever since. Folks visit with one another and create their own entertainment. All inclusive stays of various lengths feature amazing horseback riding, great meals, cozy cabins, and . Need more ideas? Many people come back year after year.. They are able to cater to all levels and also take kids over 6. Their longer cattle gathering and driving packages are spread across the summer season ending in the ranch cattle drive in early November. Our historic ranch is a working cattle and guest ranch. They also run herd on three beautiful children! Los Angeles is a 6 hour drive to Bridgeport. This working cattle ranch allows guests to experience the Cowboy Side of California with authentic Cattle Drives, Cowboy Academies, and spectacularly scenic trail riding. There is world class trout fishing in the nearby East Walker River and in the many lakes and streams in the adjacent Toiyabe National Forest. Theres more than riding at the ranch. . I wanted to experience a cattle drive. As we motored past the Hunewill Ranch, it seemed quietly in mourning as a result of Sallie's passing. The carts huge wheels are actually made from cross sections of large Jeffrey pine trees. built the present-day Hunewill Victorian-style ranch house. More Date of stay: September 2015 See all 40 reviews Nearby Hotels Annett's Mono Village View Hotel 73 reviews 1.6 miles from Hunewill Ranch The beautiful scenery and the tradition of the cattle drive combine to give our guests the experience of a lifetime. Greenhorn Ranch is a guest ranch in Californias Lost Sierra. N.B. He and Esther journeyed back to San Francisco, this time crossing the Isthmus of Panama, which took three months. Participate in a hands-on cowboy experience which includes sorting, moving, parting and doctoring cattle. Read more California Cattle Drive Hunewill Ranch - California, USA The main activities are parting and moving cattle and may also include branding and doctoring. Box 2307 Hunewill Ranch, a cluster of white buildings, is barely visible on the valley floor. Its a shared fun, experience. Home style meals are served in the dining room in the founder's Victorian ranch house. Rate includes meals, horseback riding, and lodging. Sally always lived life "flat out." She and Jan knew the meaning of travel and emphatically shared the outdoors with guests. by Dorina Lindberg Bridgeport Valley lies below the slope of the highway like a green carpet, a contrast against the dun-colored rock hills and sagebrush. Whether you are looking to escape to wine country or cowboy country, the Dude Ranchers Association has 6 great dude ranch options to choose from in California! For the latest travel advice from the Foreign & Commonwealth Office including security and local laws, plus passport and visa information, check Its what separates this guest ranch from others. Theres a great deal of work and responsibility involved in her job. Heading back to ranch after cow herding at Hunewill. The surrounding 26,000 acres in the mountainous Bridgeport Valley provides a unique riding atmosphere for all skill levels. Their son, Stan, was born in 1934. Our full ranch experience includes world-class riding, delicious meals served in the dining room of the founders Victorian ranch house, lodging in our comfortable cabins, and popular evening activities such as talent night, family dance night, creek-side barbecues, and watching the gentling of young foals and yearlings. Hunewill Ranch, P.O. observed a need for lumber. The ranch has become intertwined with many guests family history. The cattle drive takes place rain, snow, or shine, so be prepared for all types of weather! Hunewill Guest Ranch is located in California on the eastern slope of the beautiful Sierra Nevada Mountains bordering Yosemite National Park. As our guest, you can participate in the timeless traditional ranch life of the American West. Our Buckaroo Ride is a special program that includes games on horseback, lots of instruction, swim rides, searching for obsidian chips, and many hours of confidence-building time in the saddle. They sit at an elevation of 6500 feet just east of Yosemite Park in the Bridgeport Valley of California. We invite you to share in one of our favorite times of the year at Hunewill Ranch. An added bonus is the beautiful fall lighting and the glow of autumn colors. We've partnered with dude ranch vets Bob & Karen Foster, and anointed them our dude ranch concierge consultants to help dissect and pinpoint a perfect ranch vacation for you. The Bridgeport Valley where the ranch is located is an unspoiled recreational paradise and even borders Yosemite National Park. Photo credit: Dwayne Leonard. Wranglers and Greenhorns break bread at the same table. The Hunewill Ranch is a family-owned and operated outfit where great horseback riding is the featured attraction. Thanks Hunewill for making my cowgirl dreams come true! Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. Hunewill Guest Ranch Fall cattle drive, cattle working week and a ranch roping clinic. took his family east over the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the mining town of Aurora. Other activities are riverside barbecues, square dancing, talent night, campfire sing-a-longs and smores, roping, and horseback games. Hunewill Ranch Cattle Drive 2009. South of San Francisco, N.B. And last, but certainly not least, is Betsy and her husband, Jon Elliot. Need more ideas? Stan and Jan Hunewill manage the ranch along with their grown children, Betsy, Jeff and Megan. Box 368, Bridgeport, CA 93517. info@hunewillranch.com 760-932-7710 775-465-2201 - winter hunewillranch.com Rock Creek Pack Station Just four hours north of the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles and an easy three hours south of Reno, Nevada, is Bishop California. Copyright 2023 | Hunewill Guest Ranch - All Rights Reserved The breakfast warning bell clanged at 7am, but I was up at least an hour earlier. Today, the sixth generation of Hunewills live and work on Hunewill Ranch, which is situated at 6,500 feet elevation in Bridgeport Valley, Mono County, California. My wife and I booked the fall color ride and spent four wonderful days at the ranch seeing fall begin in the Eastern Sierras. Jan Hunewill related how she "came onto the scene" in the 1950s when she visited the guest ranch, then got a summer job there and eventually married the owners' son. Tel: 760-932-7710 They sit at an elevation of 6500 feet just east of Yosemite Park in the Bridgeport Valley of California. I dreamed of having a real cowboy experience. Double Rafter are a one-of-a-kind cattle drive. Guests will participate and learn many traditional cowboy skills. You can't find a better vacation. Private horse corrals are provided for those who prefer to bring their own horse. The Hunewill family and the wranglers they employ made us feel really welcome and safe. Children blossom here! Tel: 01798 865946 Email: americanroundup@frontier-travel.co.uk. Ranch activities will vary depending on the dates you visit. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. Daughter Megan and her husband, Justin, are head wranglers. Horseback riding takes center stage on the ranch. A secluded jewel tucked into Californias famed Santa Ynez Valley; this 10,000-acre ranch melds the spirit of the Old West with the seductive charms of todays most relaxing resorts. The 4,500-acre Hunewill Ranch was founded in 1861 by Napoleon Bonaparte Hunewill and his wife, Esther. Where do I start? Learn more about Hunewill Ranch. I squeezed the reins as we came up to the rest of the group and he slowed to a walk. Bodie was a small mining town at the time, but would later become a California boomtown, complete with a red light district. This ranch has an all-inclusive summit to sea experience with breathtaking mountain trail riding, white water rafting, steelhead fly fishing, or jet boat tours to the Pacific Ocean! We had arrived for a 5-day stay at Hunewill Ranch, one of the oldest family owned ranches in California, founded in 1880. The cabins were comfortable although fairly basic, the food, which included 3 meals daily was excellent - esp. Instruction in all aspects of horsemanship (groundwork and riding) is provided by skilled and experienced horsemen. Find the best dude ranches, cattle drives, and global riding vacations in Equitrekking's Vacation Guide. This week Dwayne and Dee Leonard are delivering some of Dwayne's photographs from the Hunewill Ranch Cattle Drive in November to Chicago, Illinois. We sat on bales of straw and sang songs. You'll love riding your horse through 26,000 acres of alpine meadows and fragrant sage bordered by timbered peaks. Laura Deck spends a week on a rural California cattle drive that's been an annual tradition for more than a century. This property is what we would term a Working Guest ranch. My rides ranged from 12-15 people in my intermediate group. He responded in kind, and we were flying. Learn more about great cattle drive vacations in the Equitrekking Vacation Guide, a searchable guide to great dude ranches, guest ranches, cattle drives and working ranch vacations. Its good to remember your horses name since the wranglers call out their name, not your own, as the horses are saddled up. We made our way into town, stopping at points of interest while Terry told stories of life in Bodie. Rate includes meals, horseback riding, lodging, and ranch activities. At this time, masks are not required. We also met an interesting 20-year-old student from Jamaica named Renee who was majoring in hospitality. The present-day Hunewill family is headed by Stan and Jan Hunewill, who have three married children and six grandchildren. Hunewill Ranch Cattle Drive November 8-14, 2020 Enjoy the ultimate old-west experience on Hunewill Ranch's 111thcattle drive! Family run working cattle ranch since 1861, located in the Eastern Sierra town of Bridgeport, CA. There are "City Slickers" type cattle drives put on for tourists and then there's the real thing-- where you can have a true old-west experience and drive cattle the old fashioned way. The California Ranch Two weekend cattle drive adventures per year. (All without television or video games!) The . Enjoy discounts on riding holidays and bargains on cattle drives and riding vacations. then returned to Maine to visit his family. Copyright 2004 - 2023 Equestrian Travel Brands, LLC. Children of former employees and guests come back to the ranch to work. During its mining boom, the population swelled to 8,500 and more than 2,000 buildings. Bodie Gold Rush History Hunewill Ranch is a working cattle ranch and guests get to move cattle throughout our season. Twin Peaks, the Matterhorn Peak, and the Sawtooth Range, visible from the ranch, form part of the . Hunewill Ranch Vacation & Cattle Drives in California A rider vacations at a family-owned, Western ranch just east of Yosemite National Park, enjoying Gold Rush history and cattle drives. Marble Mountain Ranch (Somes Bar, California). The highlight of our stay was the morning cattle drive where we moved 50 cattle over three miles back to the barn. Hunewill is a working cattle and guest ranch with 1,200 head of cattle, 190 horses, and an assortment of goats, llamas, and sheep. Rankin Ranch is one of the oldest and largest family-owned ranches in California. Sign up to our E-Newsletter. Indeed, many poems in Rain On The Sage were written by Sallie Joseph; she freely and eloquently expresses her love for her job and way of life. Even within the intermediate group, there were varying levels of riding ability and experience. This underlying thread of respect, acceptance, and welcoming spirit is alive and well in the sixth generation of todays Hunewill family. Well happily attest to the fact that her chocolate-chip cookies are superb! Any apprehensions she had about being the only black person on the ranch were soon laid to rest. This will generally be in large and open pastures that are bordered by the majestic Sierra Nevada Mountains. Find the best dude ranches, cattle drives, and global riding vacations in Equitrekking's Vacation Guide. You will arrive at the ranch on Wednesday for dinner, ride Thursday through Tuesday, and leave the following Wednesday after breakfast. The food was awesome. At night, the cattle stay in corrals at neighboring ranches along the route. After a few days I felt confident enough to go on an all day cattle drive - AMAZING - can't wait to do it again. Search the Equitrekking Vacation Guide and Top20Ranches.com. Nestled in the Cholame Valley, the V6 Ranch envelops 20,000 acres of the most diverse and alluring country in the heart of California. Horseback riding is the main attraction at Hunewill Ranch. This time of year an added bonus is seeing the cows with their baby calves. The group became a tourist attraction that day as much as the town itself we found ourselves the subject of more than a few photographers. However, during a few special weeks we offer cattle work as the featured activity. The Hunewill (pronounced "Honeywell") Circle H Ranch, located near the town of Bridgeport, is nestled into a cleft of the Eastern Sierra Nevada where the Bridgeport Valley meets the range.The snow-clad peaks of the Sierra reach over 12,000 feet, towering over the ranch, which is at 6,500 feet. Their horses are as close to push button as you can get in a horse. TX Ranch Cattle Drives on the border of Wyoming and Montana. A home away from home, Greenhorn Ranch welcomes you as family. Autumn at Hunewill Ranch is a magical time of peace and tranquility. Many of the buildings interiors are furnished and stocked with period artifacts, giving a glimpse of life back then. Jan 29, 2013 - Visit our dude ranch & ride any of our well-trained horses through the lush green meadows & scenic mountain trails of California's Sierra Nevada. The wranglers were all extremely professional and attentive, and that made the riding even more pleasant for my daughter. When his mother Lenore died in her early 90s, Stan found official land-grant papers in a box under her bed. The Hunewill Ranch conservation easement permanently conserves 4,100 acres and over six miles of rivers and streams in Bridgeport Valley. In the evening twilight, we watched children walk along the top rail of a corral, arms outstretched for balance as though they were circus performers. Elmo and I stood guard next to the gate to prevent an escape down the side of the fence, but after a bit of patience and prodding, the herd continued on through the gate. bought meadowland to graze his oxen; he also acquired some cattle. Later, we discovered that one happy vocalist was the doctor whod met his wife on the November cattle drive. The valley is surrounded with vibrant fall colors framed by a backdrop of the mighty Sierra Nevada. You are going to see breath taking scenery and vistas that allow you to see for many miles. 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