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Reviews
98% Recommend89 ratings · 65 reviews
Recommends
· August 2020
My partner and I had an incredible time staying at Sterling Creek Ranch! Jamie was an exceptional host.
We wanted a weekend retreat to try out some swimming holes. We had a fantastic afternoon at the South Yuba River, then drove to Sterling Creek Ranch. It was a little tricky getting in because Midway had closed and it was getting dark, but James helped us navigate inside.
We were given the option to camp in a few approved areas in the ranch. We chose to pitch our tent by the picnic table to sleep under the stars. The night was warm, but it was worth it! Also when we arrived (around 8-9pm) there were a TON of mosquitoes outside. Jamie lent us some repellant, but we got a ton of bites before we used it. Bring bug spray!
In the morning, Jamie fed the horses and let us interact with them. He also gave us pellets to feed the alpacas, which was our favorite part! The alpacas were curious and fun to observe and play with, not afraid of people at all. Jamie had a lot of interesting stories and told us a lot of great info about the ranch and the animals.
When we departed, Jamie gifted us with eggs from his chickens. We had a marvelous time and would recommend this Hipcamp to anyone for a unique experience!
Tabitha Y.
8 reviews
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Sterling Creek Ranch. We camped with our travel trailer next to the house (where there is electric and water hook up) and looked out over pastures in which horses and alpacas grazed tranquilly. Every now and then a chicken would come by and peck around for some food. We enjoyed some delicious free-range eggs generously gifted to us by our host. James regaled us with stories from many aspects of his life, including summers in Germany growing up and stories from his cutting-edge research and work. We thoroughly enjoyed being surrounded by acres and acres of almond trees and also exploring Chico. We highly recommend a stay at Sterling Creek Ranch.
Matthias S.
4 reviews
Recommends
· August 2020
It was a super fun trip. James was so awesome and welcoming. Make sure you bring bug spray / wipes during summer days!
Fernando W.
7 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· August 2020
Group trip ·
Sterling Creek Ranch
It's hard to describe how wonderful Sterling Creek is. James is a caring, kind, and welcoming host. He gave us eggs, allowed us to feed the chickens and the alpacas, and provided us with recommendations for places around the area. The communication with his was very fluid as well. Our site had lots of shade and a picnic table (I am not sure if all sited have a picnic table. The portable restroom was very clean and there is a sink to wash the dishes. We visited lowed Bidwell 20 minutes away from Sterling Creek and it was perfect for getting a refreshing swim and appropriate for young children.
The only two issues we faced were mosquitoes and three rusters who had time-zone confusions and woke us at 4am.
Maria R.
3 reviews
Recommends
· August 2020
Jamie is as nice as all the reviews mention — he makes the experience, and is a very generous person. Our little 2.5 yr old loved him and all the animals. We got fresh eggs every morning from the hens’ nests! It can get really really hot (end of July) so we spent a lot of the day away near water (Chico’s bidwell park was pretty great for kids, as is thermalito forebay). The mornings and evenings are nice in summer, but bring lots of bug spray! If you are a light sleeper, bring ear plugs.
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Saurabh A.
2 reviews
Recommends
· July 2020
Group trip ·
Sterling Creek Ranch
Worked out great!
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Matthew B.
5 reviews
We stayed there for a day and enjoyed living here. I will post all the DO's and DONT's so it will be helpful for planning your stay.
1. The ranch is beautiful and the atmosphere is blissful. James our host was very kind and he was a guide who told us about the ranch, animals and his life in general. He is a genius and yet down to earth. very informative.
2. The animals in the farm are very friendly. the chickens, roosters, horses and alpacas made our stay memorable. The host let us feed them and spend leisure time with them.
3. Just carry a mosquito repellant spray. There are a few mosquitos and you can expect that a little if you are coming and staying in a ranch.
4. The restrooms are clean and there is water available to use. so we didn't face any discomfort.
Ashwin P.
2 reviews
Fantastic! Be sure to bring mosquito
Repellent!
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Claire K.
5 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· July 2020
Group trip ·
Sterling Creek Ranch
What an amazing place. James was very welcoming and taught us about Arabian farms. He let our kids play and feed the alpacas. Our son befriended the hungriest of the bunch 😀 The local swimming holes are a great way to beat the heat. The icing on the cake was collecting eggs right out from under some hens on our last day there. Don't miss this spot!
Lisa B.
2 reviews
Recommends
· July 2020
Group trip ·
Sterling Creek Ranch
We fell in love with the baby alpacas! Thanks James for showing us around and making us feel welcome. It was quite hot and buggy, so come prepared and come late in the day, but was very rewarding to see some amazing stars at night (and a comet) and all of the friendly animals!
Alecia G.
5 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· July 2020
The ranch was fantastic, mainly due to all the animals--chickens, alpaccas and horses--as well as the host, James. Jame was extremely friendly and helpful during our stay. We personally enjoyed harvesting eggs from James's 20 or so chickens upon waking up.
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Beau C.
5 reviews
James' property is awesome. We made a last minute reservation the day of and he was very responsive and easily made our stay work. The campsite is spotless. Very well kept with a lot of space, free of trash, and a nice picnic table. James greeted us when we showed up and as we were leaving, even sending us off with a full dozen of freshly laid chicken eggs! My only regret was that we did not get to spend more time at the property, because spending a day there would, on its own, be a great adventure! Thanks, James!
Angie C.
5 years on Hipcamp
The host wasn’t there at all during our stay, so we couldn’t enjoy him showing us and our daughter the animals, as other reviews had mentioned. The alpacas or llamas were super cute and there were babies. The few horses were visible and there were tons of chickens running all over. We parked by the barn so we could plug in for AC. We couldn’t eat outside because the chickens were too inquisitive about our dinner. We tracked chicken poop into our trailer. A rooster frightened my daughter and I got stung by a bee. There was an animal caretaker young woman who came in the evening and morning. The property was a bit rundown and the porta potty lid had been left open, so there were lots of dirty flies in there. Sorry for the less than enthusiastic review.
Shana B.
2 reviews
Mixed feelings
· July 2020
Group trip ·
Sterling Creek Ranch
Our host, James, quickly responded to our texts. I was able to chat with him for about twenty minutes on our way home, and he is a very warm, friendly, and caring person. I booked this site, after reading reviews, as I thought it would be a fun experience for our family to stay on a working ranch and to meet the animals. It's also a bonus that pets are invited. For several reasons, we ultimately decided not to stay. It was very hot. We were sweating in the shade. James was very sweet in suggesting several places we could go to cool off- Bidwell Park, etc. The camping area is in the shade along the property line, which is divided by a chain-link fence. On the other side of the fence, the neighbors dogs barked and growled at us for the first twenty minutes, and then, after that, barked and growled whenever we moved. It was very stressful for the family as well as for our dog. James is planning to build a wall to help with this problem, and I think that improvement will make a huge difference. Also, we were expecting James, or at least a surrogate, to be on the property during our stay, and surprised to learn that James was out of town for the evening, due back the next morning. Since no one was on the property, we were very uncomfortable setting up camp next to the barking dogs, or actually anywhere else on the property. We were really bummed it was not the adventure we were hoping for, after all the planning and packing, not to mention the camp fee. I think Sterling Ranch would be a very nice place to visit in the cooler months, once the wall is up, or when the owner is on the property to help with making the stay enjoyable. All of the reviews I read prior to booking were glowing! So, I am sure this was just a one-off experience, and hopefully a helpful critique.
Melissa D.
5 years on Hipcamp
I happened to stumble across sterling creek ranch by chance when my family and myself needed to find a last minute campsite on our long drive to LA, and I was not disappointed! James was wonderful from the moment we showed up, he and Grace were incredibly kind and extremely hospitable. James allowed my family to feed his horses and introduced us to all the animals on the ranch. We were thrilled to say the least. We ended up falling in love with this location and will 100% be back. This is the perfect location when you need a getaway to relax. The night sky was filled with stars and we were actually pleasantly surprised to be woken up by the roosters crowing. I definitely recommend it to everyone especially if you have a family. We already miss it and can’t wait to go back 💕
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Ana G.
5 years on Hipcamp
The ranch was such a wonderful place to stay! The alpaca were so sweet (lots of little babies when we stayed) and the horses were beautiful. Our hosts were gracious and generous. We will definitely be back!
Hillary A.
2 reviews
Recommends
· July 2020
Group trip ·
Sterling Creek Ranch
James and Grace were great hosts. We loved seeing his ranch and enjoyed watching the horses and alpacas.
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Alana A.
5 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· July 2020
Group trip ·
Sterling Creek Ranch
A great place, amazing host, the kids would love that with all the animals around!! great experience
Idan T.
2 reviews
What a great find! We picked this as a halfway-point stop-over for the night coming back to the Bay Area from Lassen on our RV trip. It was a great choice: James and Grace were very friendly, and really took a lot of time showing us the chickens, alpacas, and of course the horses. They really went out of their way to get snacks for the kids to feed the animals, and made what was supposed to be a "stop-over" into a highlight of the trip. Thank you, we'll be back!
Barak B.
5 years on Hipcamp
James is an extraordinary host and the horses (and alpacas!) are magical. My teen daughter and I didn't want to leave. It's a working ranch so don't expect a wilderness experience (though you'll see stars like never before). Instead, immerse yourself in a community of human and other animals. On the practical side, we were able to fill our water bottles and charge our phones for trips to the mountains (James has great tips) and the portapotty was one of the cleanest I've ever seen. We'll definitely be back.
Monika B.
2 reviews
Recommends
· June 2020
My wife and I stayed here on our way back home from Oregon. Jamie was a very gracious host and helped us pick out a good spot for our camper in the shade that was private despite having a few other campers on the property - it's a popular spot for a reason! The horses, alpacas and free-roaming chickens were lovely to watch in the evening, and Durham is a super cute little town to check out if you have the time.
Patrick C.
19 reviews
The camp was amazing! It was very kid friendly, and felt very safe and comfortable. There was great running water, and a lot of space to run around. The animals were all beautiful, and the horses were so friendly. Would love to come back soon!!
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Michael A.
5 years on Hipcamp
We had a great experience staying at Sterling Creek Ranch! James was a very friendly and hospitable host, greeting our group at the gate and giving us a tour of the ranch so we could feed the alpacas and horses. And the sunsets over his land were stunning :)
We absolutely LOVED interacting with the animals, and enjoyed the local swimming holes in Chico just 25 minutes away. We hope to be back again, thanks James!
Jen S.
2 reviews
James was incredibly hospitable and he runs an incredibly beautiful and open space. The chickens, alpacas, and arabian horses were all amazing to interact with. The energy and aura of the farm is really great. The only possible thing I could think to criticize is the Foghorn Leghorn character that went a little wild one morning quite early. Other than that, this is a great experience that I can highly recommend.
Todd F.
5 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· May 2020
We had a wonderful time at the ranch. Our host, James, was very hospitable. He greeted us with mojitos and gave us a tour of the property. He let us pick cherries on the property and eat fresh eggs!! We spent time with the horses, chickens and even witnessed an Alpaca giving birth. James checked in with us throughout our stay to make sure we had everything we needed. He was very friendly and ate dinner with us under the stars. The property is beautiful, with lots of camping options. Our favorite spot was a shady area near the garden. We were close to lots of swimming holes and the Sacramento River. Our host gave us directions to lots of local swimming holes and other hidden gems. The view of the stars at night was breathtaking. We had access to a BBQ to cook our dinners and a port-o-potty for bathroom, as well as a portable shower if needed. I highly recommend this location. It is such a unique experience with the animals, fresh produce, camping experience and location.
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Kristina B.
2 reviews
We had an awesome Memorial Day 2-night stay at James's place. Easier to do a bulleted highlight =)
- James is wonderful; loved chatting with him and learning about what he does on (and off) the farm. He's friendly, generous (thanks for the eggs and plum hooch, and letting us take a shower in your home!), gregarious in a non-over-staying-your-welcome-kind-of-way.
- The farm is really well kept, clean, and organized.
- We've gained a new appreciation for farm animals. We've had plenty of interactions with horses and chickens in the past, but James's animals are different - they're so friendly. I've become an Arabian horse fan after our stay.
Our girls (8 and 5) absolutely loved the experience. They didn't want to leave, said that they wanted to live at the farm and help James's around the farm, and have asked about when we're going back several times already... honestly I'm a little jealous and feeling a bit inadequate as a parent...
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Tony O.
6 years on Hipcamp
We had a great stay at the ranch! The host James is what makes the whole experience special, he introduced us to his gentle horses, chickens, alpacas, and cat. We learnt so much, especially our girls, they had so much fun interacting with the animals, especially the horses.
The site is pretty big with some shaded areas, and located in the middle of farm country. It’s a short drive to Chico where you can get all supplies you need. It’s not a very remote or private site, but interacting with the host and animals is what makes the stay special.
The site is also well maintained, and James is trying to install more amenities like outdoor shower to make it more convenient for the stay.
Fei O.
4 reviews
Our family had a wonderful time camping at Sterling Creek Ranch. Our kids loved the chickens, bees, horses and alpacas. It isn't often you get to camp among such beautiful animals. And James was great - made us feel right at home even with social distancing in order. I recommend this site for anyone, especially families.
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Tylee P.
5 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· May 2020
Group trip ·
Sterling Creek Ranch
We had a wonderful camping experience at Sterling Creek Ranch. The Ranch offers a beautiful sunset and plenty of animals to observe. My daughter said 10 ⭐️.
Shawn F.
5 years on Hipcamp
Four stars! Great place to stay, the animals were great and Jimmy is incredibly friendly. He went above and beyond to make sure we were well taken care of and having fun. The horses are very curious but unfortunately did some damage to our tents.
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Eoin O.
5 years on Hipcamp
Location
Durham , Butte, California, United StatesTo respect the Host's privacy, the precise address of this land will be provided after booking
Hosted by James C.
Joined in June 2017Things to do nearby
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