Spirit Walk Retreat - Campsite

First I will say that the site is very beautiful. The accomodations were great, and we especially liked the outdoor kitchen and fire pit.
My only complaint is that the host does not seem to be taking the COVID precautions as seriously as expected. When we arrived, we were greeted by a person (not the owner/host) who was not wearing a face mask. She also did not maintain a 6-ft safe distance from us while showing us around.
We were given no instructions for maintaining safe distances, and I saw no signage or markers for doing so.
One family that was staying there the same time as us was not making any effort to keep a distance from us. In fact their kids got right up in our kids faces. It was friendly but their mother made no effort to correct them, and also got into our space without any caution.
We ultimately had to ask them directly to keep their distance, and after doing so the kids still didn't get any corrections from their mother. Of course none of them wore masks.
Another family that we talked to was also concerned with the lack of distance maintained by the previously mentioned family. What is worse though is that they told us that when the owner/host met them at arrival, he actually criticized them for wearing masks, saying something about how they "must be from the city". When the husband of the family said that since they were coming from the city that he should want them to wear a mask, he said "no, I don't."
Of course the host cannot be responsible for his guests respecting safe social distances, but I do think he should take more responsibility for establishing the right guidelines and setting an example. I also understand that risk of disease transmission outdoors is greatly reduced. So I wouldn't expect all guests to be wearing masks all the time. But the utter lack of caution there was disturbing. There should have at least been some written or spoken guidelines for sharing the kitchen space, as it was confined such that there was no way for 2 people to use it while maintaining a 6 ft distance from each other.
To be fair, the host definitely did seem to be limiting the capacity as it seemed less than half of the available sites were occupied. I imagine this results in a significant financial hit for him. So perhaps this is why he is jaded about the COVID guidelines.
There was plenty of open space on site, so if you are ready to be assertive about social distancing with other guests, I think you can have a nice safe stay here. But know what you are getting into, and be prepared to be the one to insist on others keeping their distance.

We truly had a great and peaceful stay at Brandyland. John was very kind and helpful. He met us at the site and showed us around. Since we were one of the first arriving for the weekend, we had free pick of our site. We chose the Oak Site since it was nestled away under a beautiful oak tree. The campsite as a whole is well-stocked but minimal in the sense that you still felt like you were still on a proper camping trip. The outdoor kitchen was super useful. John has constructed various distribution sources for potable spring water (major bonus for me). He also provided the camp with a gas fired stove and kitchen sink, which really simplified our food situation. The bathroom was fantastic with an indoor AND outdoor sink as well as a composting toilet and shower. The campsite is very communal, so all amenities are shared with folks from about 10 sites. On our first night we were one of 3 sites filled so it was really chill. The second night a group of 5 and group of 9 showed up (Labor Day weekend), so it was less private but the company was enjoyed. The other campers were friendly and we enjoyed sharing fire & food with new friends. The location is close to Kern River and like 100 hiking trails. We had to drive to visit everything but it was beyond worth it. There is so much to do in the valley! We spent a good amount of time at Brandyland, enjoying its other worldly sights and sounds. My friend and I agreed that we would love to come back. Thank you for sharing your space with us John!

Response from John, the Host, on September 4th, 2019

Thank you Zeima! It was a pleasure meeting you. Come back again soon!

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Great place!! The facilities were better than expected. Shower/bathroom area was very nice and private. Camping spots were clean. Everything you need to cook is provided for you. Host was friendly.

John was very great at communication when I booked and answered all my question to make sure my stay will be great. And he also reminded us when it close to the trip and gave a very detail direction. He waited and met us at arrival, showed us around. The campground is well developed, there bathroom with hot water, dinning area, kitchen etc. And everything is enviroment friendly. You should pack light and enjoy your stay. I will come back soon.

Spirit Walk is a very thoughtfully designed campground. Each campsite had plenty of personal space and the communal campfire and mess hall areas were very spacious. John keeps the mess hall very clean and well stocked with pots and pans. I especially was impressed with the cleanliness of the bathroom, it is by far the best camp toilet I have ever used... definitely made it “glamping”.
Beyond the necessities though, Spirit Walk offered a calm and contemplative atmosphere. I loved sitting on the large boulders or the benches around the campsite to listen to the creek and the variety of birds.
We loved our stay here and definitely recommend it to other campers.

John is a generous and gracious host. He has tons of knowledge of everything to do in the area to take advantage of what Mother Nature has to offer.
I can't wait to go back next month and then in the next Since L.A. is in quarantine till July.
Get away and find YOURSELF at Spirit Walk

Our Stay at Sprit Walk was excellent. We had a private campsite on the edge of the grounds with lots of shade. It was a comfortable and enjoyable stay. The other campers were excellent, kind, and we were happy to share the common space with them during breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This site is close to everything you would want to check out in the area. The creek does dry up in the summer, so we didn't get to experience its beauty right outside our campsite, but we did hang out and watch the sunset in the creek bed while reading, which made for a lovely evening activity.

Response from John, the Host, on July 14th, 2020

Thanks Sasha!

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Come here if you want to have a spiritual retreat and recharge yourself under some amazing oak trees. The atmosphere here was super relaxed, perfect for a weekend getaway from the city. There is a nice running river that is perfect for taking a dip in if you are up for it, you can even dry off and sunbathe on the sand beaches that run along side it! There was also a group fire pit that looked great for roasting some smores, unfortunately we didn't get a chance use it since the wind was blowing a little too hard. The warm shower was a nice touch to rinse off with before heading to the kitchen to grill up some burgers. Definitely try to get the campsite under the oak tree if you can, it's such a unique experience to sleep cocooned under the branches like we did.

Overall, John has created a magical place and I hope we get a chance to come back here some day!

Place is beautiful! Very clean...bathroom and shower super clean! John was a great host helpful and available if needed. Great kitchen...had everything we needed to cook and clean up after. Nice it’s close to a town so you can go shop before hand. Would definitely come back.