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River Ridge Ranch & Institute-722ac

98%
·
· Springville, California
722 acres
9 sites
6 Lodging
2 Tent
Swimming in North Fork Tule River, miles of hiking trails on ranch. River Ridge goes from 1,000' elev. to 3,000' elevation. Hike right on the ranch. We are between Sequoia National Park (about an hour) and the Giant Sequoia National Monument (16 miles to groves up Hwy 190 and no entrance fee). Book the entire ranch, our 5-acre Compound or choose from secluded tent sites, group tent sites or cabins. There are 33 giant sequoia groves in our Southern Region of the Giant Sequoia National Monument, some easily driven to, and some remote. Our ranch is a nature preserve and an education demonstration site, teaching sustainable and regenerative land use practices. River Ridge Institute, our non-profit, hosts a variety of events for the public. Please note: you are expected to leave the ranch and kitchen area as you found it, i.e., dishes washed thoroughly and dried and put away, recycling separated from trash, food scraps in compost buckets, sticky marshmallow removed from forks and surfaces (ick!). Thank you. Enjoy: The Kitchen has a cooktop, large fridge, microwave, full dishes and utensils and pots and pans with a big washing area in the back. Propane bbq.. There's a River Barn to use as a remote space and Turtle Cove for swimming (delightful in Summer 2023). Saturday morning Farmer's Market in downtown at 9 AM - Noon. Homesteaded in 1859, owned by the Negus family from 1909-2000. Barbara and I bought it to save it from subdivision and it's now protected by a Conservation Easement and acts as a community center for the arts, music, poetry, gatherings and outdoor education. We're both biologists, so, just ask us. Please see the Rules and Safety section to review our Waiver of Liability.
Activities
Biking
Boating
Fishing
Hiking
Natural features
Beach
Cave
Forest
Hot spring
Available sites
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Location
Springville, California, United StatesTo respect the Host's privacy, the precise address of this land will be provided after booking
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Hosted by Gary A.Joined in May 2017
Response rate: 100%Response time: Within 4 hours
98%
447 ratings · 348 reviews
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Salvador L.recommends
May 30, 2023
Cottonwood Cabin
The best host
Excellent cabin. Gary’s ranch is beautiful and feel privilegrd that he’s willing to share it with the Hip Camp community. 100% recommend!
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Andrea F.recommends
May 29, 2023
Turtle Flat Tent Site
My family and I really enjoyed our camping experience here. We were not expecting to be so close to the river, and that experience was truly a game changer for my kids. The River is a stone’s toss away from where set up camp, which is really nice when you have little ones. Although we didn’t use it too much, it was nice that the kitchen provided everything we needed. We cooked our food over the campfire, but it was very convenient to wash our dishwater there. Further, the bathrooms were safe, clean and close by. We had no problems finding the place with Google maps. And appreciated the firewood that was provided! Thank you for a very family friendly camping experience!
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Jenny B.recommends
May 28, 2023
Sycamore Arch Tent Site
Relaxing river retreat.
Such a beautiful piece of California. So many unique and beautiful places to explore on the property. Kitchen is stocked. Clean up and cooking while camping was never easier. We camped with friends and made many more. Thank you for sharing this place on hip camp. I cannot wait to come back.
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Maddy H.recommends
May 16, 2023
Two Story Shack
Relaxing getaway in the shack
The shack was just what we were looking for - shelter, but still felt like camping. It was May when we were there and we didn’t end up using the loft because it was SO hot up there! Outdoor shower was amazing, absolutely loved it. Kitchen had everything you could possibly need for cooking and food storage. Swimming hole was inviting, ridiculously refreshing, and the perfect way to cool down (many times a day!) We saw lots of quail, turkeys and squirrels. There were lots of bugs, but that wasn’t a big surprise. Gary went above and beyond to make our stay top notch! He was kind, responsive, and caring.
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Laura L.recommends
May 12, 2023
Rustic Cabin and/or Tent Site
The whole property is great. Lovely creek, well appointed outdoor kitchen. Clean pit toilets and showers. We pitched a tent at the Rustic Cabin site because the cabin itself was kind of musty. I am sensitive to dust and mold, so it wasn’t right for me.
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Wendy B.recommends
May 12, 2023
Sycamore Arch Tent Site
Overnight Botany Field Trip
The location is perfect! We enjoyed listening to the Tule River and even took a very cold dip! The atmosphere is very low key and there are lots of plants and wildlife to observe. I highly recommend this location. I took a small group of students with little to no experience camping. It was a huge hit!
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Tali A.recommends
May 4, 2023
Rustic Cabin and/or Tent Site
Gorgeous property set next to a creek with rustic wedding venue vibes. The communal outdoor kitchen are is super set up, which made it fun to cook there. I had the whole place to myself.
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Jeni Y.recommends
April 11, 2023
Turtle Flat Tent Site
Wonderful space with amazing wildlife viewing. Clean and ample cooking spaces and bathroom. We had a wonderful visit throwing rocks in the river and camping in the flowers.
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Juniper B.recommends
April 9, 2023
Two Story Shack
What an incredible place and with so much character! Having an outdoor shower and kitchen is such a luxury when being on the road at different campgrounds for two weeks! We were lucky to have the place to ourselves, but we will definitely bring friends/family with us when we return in the future.
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Kathleen H.recommends
February 28, 2023
Two Story Shack
Super cool place. We had a wonderful time. The shack was cozy.
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David M.recommends
February 20, 2023
Turtle Flat Tent Site
Magic memories
A terrific place - as special as the photos make it seem. Gary has done a lot of work on the land (he’s lived there for 23 years, a “newcomer” to the neighborhood!). There is attention to detail everywhere and it really shows. We went without a plan or knowledge of the area, and couldn’t have been happier with the campsite, property, and region. A little slice of heaven in the Sierra foothills.
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Connie Z.recommends
February 5, 2023
Rustic Cabin and/or Tent Site
I loved it thank you
Wow so beautiful So quiet and safe If you want to get away this is perfect So many amazing amenities I will definitely come back again Will recommend to family and friends
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Sammie C.recommends
December 19, 2022
Two Story Shack
It was a very cute area! Lots of beauty. The shack was a cool experience too!
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Christie M.recommends
November 19, 2022
Sycamore Arch Tent Site
Wonderful site with great amenities
This site was fantastic! It was the perfect mix of camping and "glamping" the indoor/outdoor kitchen was very convenient and the large communal firepit was gorgeous. We really enjoyed our stay. Gary was very helpful and accommodating and we were so grateful for his hospitality and attentive hosting. Would definitely recommend.
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Shem R.doesn't recommend
October 11, 2022
Sycamore Arch Tent Site
Illegal credit card transaction
I never went here. My credit card was used illegally.
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Rory E.recommends
August 5, 2022
Cottonwood Cabin
Absolutely fantastic set up. We loved everything about the cabins and facilities available. Would loved to have stayed a couple more nights.
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Brett B.recommends
July 31, 2022
Turtle Flat Tent Site
A lot of amenities on the land with a full kitchen, shower, bathrooms etc. Kids really enjoyed it!
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Kirill K.recommends
July 26, 2022
Turtle Flat Tent Site
Lovely Campsite with amentities
This place obviously seen better times, but it is still a great place to be in. Quiet, peaceful, well located. Everything you might need is there and maintained good. The only thing is that the pond looked a bit like a messy puddle with a skinny oil layer on the water. Didn't take the risk of jumping in it. Very hot in the day in July so consider going to the sequoia national park as temperatures are much more friendly up there. p.s. neighbors from the other side of the road had a dog which started barking in the evening and was doing it whole night long. to 2 days in a row.
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Emily D.recommends
July 26, 2022
RR Hidden Tent Site
Peaceful, private, & great for dogs
What a wonderful experience we had at River Ridge! The hidden campsite was so peaceful, private and perfect for our yellow lab to be able to wander about - just what we were hoping for. Loved the pavilion/community areas, outdoor shower and very well maintained "outhouses". Turtle cove was a little low when we went but still provided a great dunking spot to cool off. We ventured to Hidden Falls in the Sequoia National Forest (highly recommend) and found some amazing swimming holes just about an hour away. I would love to return to River Ridge with my family or a group of friends and camp again! Thank you José and Gary for everything!
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Jenny H.recommends
July 25, 2022
Sycamore Arch Tent Site
Super sweet spot!
Such a sweet spot! The kitchen was amazing, super easy to use, clean and fully stocked. It was so nice having a fridge and freezer while camping. The location is great too! The manager told us to check out Hidden falls and that was place was a perfect escape from the heat. There was no swimming hole at the campground this time of year which was a bummer but that's nature. The outdoor shower was amazing and super sweet. But only one shower that we saw on the property. It was hot and clean. It doesn't have normal bathrooms. Very rustic. Enjoyed it very much. The water was fresh and yummy.
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John K.recommends
July 24, 2022
Starry Night Tent & Group Site
Inspirational
Amazing stars last night. We had flocks of turkeys and quail come through. Amazing place to walk with nature. Truly an inspirational experience.
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Anna K.recommends
July 22, 2022
Cottonwood Cabin
Lovely place!!
Great stay. Simple yet comfortable. We were impressed with the communal, commercial-style kitchen. Outdoor shower was perfect - strong water pressure and perfect temperature. The property was very nice - a bit dry and hot at the end of July - looking forward to returning during other parts of the year. Air conditioner was used throughout the day (and appreciated!) All driving directions provided were flawless - made our trip easy! Certain charm to the cabin, beautiful trees all around, lovely experience. Many thanks!
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Tim J.recommends
July 22, 2022
Cottonwood Cabin
had a wondeful stay at the cabin, wish we would have stayed one more night. the cooking facilities and dining area were excellent, very easy to make a good meal.
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Tawny M.recommends
July 19, 2022
Sycamore Arch Tent Site
This property was very unique! It had many great amenities like clean bathrooms, a nice hot shower, a fully stocked awesome communal kitchen (so helpful to have a fridge/freezer since it was 108 degrees), and a lush and relaxing swimming hole to cool off. We also likes that the camping spots were simply that, a nice place to camp. We got to have the rustic camping experience that my husband likes with a fee creature comforts that I like (and he actually liked too). We felt nice and spread our from other campers. Lake Success is 6 miles away so we went there for the day to cool off which was nice. We had a great time and will be back!
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Christie V.recommends
July 16, 2022
Cottonwood Cabin
Beautiful place! Easy to find and the room was clean with everything we needed!
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John K.recommends
July 11, 2022
Starry Night Tent & Group Site
Unforgettable!
This is one of the most beautiful places I have been. As a hip camp goes it is absolutely unbeatable. The stars at night will blow your mind. The open spaces and the mountain views combined with deer and turkeys walking by make this an unforgettable camping experience. I personally admire the thought and effort put in to restore these lands to its original plants and animals. I would never leave this place if I didn't have to. Thank you, River Ridge!
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Cari B.recommends
July 10, 2022
Cottonwood Cabin
Beautiful venue
The land was beautiful and peaceful. The cabin perfect for our needs. The outdoor kitchen and community area was set up and organized very well. It was an amazing and relaxing weekend.
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Shyam Sundar R.recommends
July 10, 2022
Sycamore Arch Tent Site
Awesome ranch
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Philippe L.recommends
July 8, 2022
Starry Night Tent & Group Site
Great for large groups. Access to water was good. Waterhole was not swimmable at this time of year (July).
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Michelle B.recommends
July 6, 2022
Sycamore Arch Tent Site
Great location and communication.
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