Downer Ranch Animal Sanctuary

Matt's ranch is one of the most special places I've ever been. I only wish we'd had more time to explore the 72 acres, and to spend time with the wonderful horses and dogs. It was possible to hike down and hang out with Matt and the animals if we wanted to be social, and to trek up into the mountains and wooded paths if we wanted a little more seclusion. Spending a few hours reading in the shadow of a flowering tree, watching the sunlight shift in the valley, reading a book as a piebald horse came by for a pet, made for perhaps the best afternoon I've ever had. Not to mention that Matt was a lovely, generous host, who I feel lucky to have met. Highly recommended.

Our stay on the ranch was wonderful! Matt was a great host, very kind! We woke up to the horses surrounding our van, and all of the other curious animals that live on the property giving us a warm welcome! We drank our coffee with one of the chickens on board the van as well as one of the sweet ranch dogs. All in all, a beautiful spot to come and camp out for the night

Matt is a responsive host and the property is nice for camping. Great location nearby to Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks.

In my opinion, there were too many folks staying on the property during our visit. In normal times it would have been fine, but given the current COVID pandemic I thought the facilities (bathroom, fridge, etc.) were inadequate for the number of people staying.

Matt made our stay at Downer’s Ranch great. Even though it was really cold outside, he came out, welcomed us, chatted and gave us tips. What he’s doing to provide a home to 2 dogs, horses, chickens, (and maybe more?) is truly incredible. You just have to like animals to stay here! You might have to clear some horse poop for your tent or triple check that you’re not accidentally letting Cookies, the very energetic, outdoorsy dog ,into the road when you drive out. He likes to follow you!
The pickings for restaurants or markets are extremely slim nearby so be prepared food-wise. But the fire pit he’s made in the communal area is huge and there’s a great BBQ if you bring some charcoal.

About a 30 minute drive into the National Parks, so it’s a great launching place.

No service for us (we had ATT), but there’s complimentary WiFi!

All in all, this spot is very functional/convenient for Sequoia and King’s Canyon explorations, and Matt is super nice. It’s just the fact that you’re sharing space with many other animals that gives this place some unique characteristics that non-animal lovers would find challenging.

Matt has a nice piece of property and some exciting plans for it, he’s very friendly and will tell you all about it. The campsites are rough and the property is disheveled. Trash, random parts, bones and unconnected hoses and ropes lying around. There was just one tent bathroom and water was not marked. The mosquitos were vicious and lots of flys since you are on a horse property with droppings. Might be nice once the projects are complete.

This place is exactly what he advertises, an animal sanctuary. I was greeted by Matt with a super friendly smile and recommendations as to where we should go. The horses do roam free and it’s cool to see them hanging out around the property. If you have a 4WD capable vehicle with good clearance you can rip straight up the mountain. Overall it was a great time and I definitely intend to go back with my friends.

We had a group of girls go up and had a great time feeding the horses peppermint candy. We trucked up the mountain and picked a spot that was a bit farther away from the cleared areas so it was an adventure to find places that were level for the tent. We drove up into the park in the afternoon to kill some time at the lake. We had a great time!
Just a couple things to be aware of...... really no toilet so expect to water the trees and bring a shovel.
Trash service isn't great either so expect to "pack it out".
It would be a good thing to bring shade and if you want/need the fire pit you better stay in the cleared areas by the motor home.
Matt was friendly and helpful and loved sharing the animals.

Matt was very welcoming, accommodating and informative host. He allowed us to use already established tent, which was fantastic. However, it was hard to justify the price given the proximity to the road, basic amenities and cleanliness of the property. Would recommend to Matt to lower the price.

Matt was very friendly and easy to communicate with. I greatly enjoyed his property and learning about the land. So close to Kong’s Canyon and amazing views!