Chanslor Guest Ranch & Stables

I spent two nights at the ranch over Memorial Day weekend with my family. When we arrived on Friday we were pleased — the staff was friendly, we had a fairly private spot and there were plenty of clean bathrooms with showers. By Saturday night the owners had admitted so many walk-​in campers that there were long lines for the bathrooms, a crowd of cars, and tents jammed into every available space. The music from the large group of campers nearby went on until after midnight. I felt like I was at an all-​day, all-​night tailgating party rather than on a camping getaway.
I realize it was a holiday weekend but it seemed like an attempt to capitalize on the part of the owners that resulted in the discomfort of those guests who had paid $ 65 and up to have a comfortable quiet camping weekend. I think the ranch is under new ownership so hopefully this will serve as a lesson for future holidays… please don’t sacrifice the comfort of the campers who made reservations and paid top dollar to accommodate way. too. many. walk-​in campers.

My husband surprised me with a trip to this ranch for some relaxation and horse back riding. We stayed in one of the rooms at the ranch. The setting is gorgeous. We could see the ocean from the room. It’s far off but still visible. The room was perfect for us and there was even a fire pit outside our room. You need to bring your own wood or buy theirs at $ 1 a piece. It was fun to walk around and pet the horses. The day we arrived we got to see a one day old little black lamb. So cute. There are a few teepees you coild stay in and many camping sites and RV sites. It was a relaxing time and just what we needed. The only negative was poor Internet and cell service which just meant more quality time with eachother. You must check it out.

We had Kat as our guide this year and she was awesome! Horses were great! Love this place

My aunt & uncle were driving their 40ft RV across the country and we recommended this location to them because we love to camp at Wrights Beach, which is very close, but they don’t take 40 ft RV’s. After several attempts to contact them by leaving messages and emails they were able to make reservations for mid April. Imagine their surprise when they drove up to Chanslors «Guest» Ranch only to have the person there say «Sorry, but we no longer take large RV»!!! But, we have a reservation!!! Sorry, the large RV’s ruin our grass. Can you imagine? I have reservations and am turned away, when they knew the size of the RV when I made the reservation.
I would highly suggest NOT staying at this location. There are several other accommodating options in the area.

For our wedding anniversary my husband booked a room with an ocean view at Chanslor Ranch. The service was superb. The accommodations were comfortable, clean and perfectly appointed. This is not a glitz and glamor stay, it’s down home on a working ranch. Loved it!!!
We booked an ocean trail horse ride and it was better than expected. Safe, fun and invigorating. Knowledgable and friendly horse handlers. Best weekend ever!

Wonderful! We had our whole family go on a beach ride the day after Thanksgiving. Beautiful, well cared for horses and passionate staff.

We had a great time. Called last minute on a weekday not expecting to get a reservation. We got lucky. Angel was a great guide. We’ll definitely ask for her again.

Awesome place to camp. Dog friendly and the views and sound of the ocean was fantastic.

We stumbled across this place on a bike trip down the coast. When the state park across the street told us there was no room for 8 of us on bikes, we called Chanslor Ranch as we remembered just biking past it. Even though bicyclists are not their normal clientele, they were more than accommodating to all of us. The women at the office (sorry I can’t remember her name!) stayed later knowing we were on our way. She was so kind and did everything she could to make sure that we had what we needed. We ended up with a beautiful spot on top of a hill, and were all able to camp together, use picnic tables, and take advantage of their very nice and clean bathrooms and showers. It was one of the best nights of our trip, and we are still so thankful for their hospitality and kindness!

We stayed at this campground for the first time we used our trailer with electric and water hookups.
This is a very well equipped and beautiful spot to camp in the Bodega Bay if you want and oceanview but not necessarily right on the water.
Staff is friendly and it’s nice to have clean showers as well.
Horseback riding is a nice day excursion.
We will be back.

If you like horseback riding, always dreamed of riding at the beach, and happened to be in the area, then you should book a Beach Ride at Chanslor Ranch. The ride is worth every penny. I just happened to be in town and had some time to kill. I called the day of to book my beach ride at 1pm. I highly recommend to book ahead of time. There weren’t any group rides available so I requested to book a private ride. They give you one guide on horseback to guide you during your ride. My guide was Angel and my horse was Sugar.
You have to show up at the ranch about half-​an-​hour before your ride. That way they can take care of your paperwork and your payment for your ride. After that they will load your horse into a large red trailer. You need to be able to provide your own transportation by driving and following the red trailer to the start of the trail rides. Make sure you also wear blue jeans, closed toe shoes such as sneakers, and layers! You don’t want to scratch your legs from twigs. You won’t know how windy the beach will be until you get there.
To be honest with you, I got lost at that point. There was a car in front of me and they were one car behind after the red trailer made a left turn. By the time it was my turn, a dozen cars showed up and I missed my turn. If you get lost, just turn around and drive back to the ranch. Don’t drive any further. Someone at the ranch will be able to drive their car for you and have you follow them.
The beach ride was a 90 minute ride, and I loved every moment of it. You get to see a lot of nature along the way by the time you get to the beach. By the way, they ride Western here. They’re really good with horse knowledge. They will teach you how to steer your horse. They will check to see if your stirrups are at the right length. I got to see some vultures along the way and they looked cool. Angel is really good at spotting animals and plants. She also pointed out a buck from a distance. Along the beach, she was able to point out to jellyfish that just recently washed up ashore.
Angel is also a pro at taking pictures while horseback riding. You can hand your camera or your smart phone to her. She’ll take great pictures and hold onto your camera the entire time. She’ll take pictures of you on your horse while you are on the beach. She’ll take different shots along the way. This is one real nice perk to have so you’ll capture wonderful memories for a lifetime.
I already had previous experience with horseback riding. I grew very comfortable riding on Sugar. Angel even allowed me to go trotting on my horse for awhile on the beach.
We were extremely lucky that it was such a nice day at the beach. The sun was out and the skies were clear. It wasn’t insanely windy at all. We had a cool breeze. The ocean waves were gorgeous.
I wish to thank the staff and horses at Chanslor Ranch for doing such an amazing job. I had such a fun time. If I’m ever in the area again, I would definitely book another ride!

Always the most friendly people and horseback riding barbecue camping and Hiking plus live bands and lots and lots of fun

We camped at Chanslor Ranch and did horseback rides a few weeks ago, so this is a review of both activities.
The camping check-​in was organized and well-​signed, contrary to some of the other reviews written here. The woman who checked us in was super friendly and professional. She even walked out with us to specifically point out our campsite. We were lucky that our campsite was secluded and *very* quiet on a Friday night, unlike the experience that some other folks had. The only other folks in the campground that night were a big family up the hill in RVs and they were responsible and quiet. We used the barn bathrooms and they were clean and well-​stocked. There are also bathrooms with showers in one of the buildings that we didn’t end up using. Showers are a little more expensive than some other places, ($ 5) but if you need them, you need them.
The horseback ride was a lot of fun, with beautiful weather on a fall weekend and *really* professionally run. Our guide (Angel) has an absolute passion for horses and was really interested in helping us learn to ride and learn about the horses themselves. We did a beach ride as well as a ranch ride, and I recommend both for great views and nice experience. I will note that it’s important to get there early for the beach ride, since you have to drive down a little ways to get to the beach. We were getting things situated in the car and they had to come track us down!
They’ve also got super friendly cats and dogs at the ranch, which is pretty cool. The ranch seems well run and friendly on both the camping side as well as the horseback riding side. We had a great weekend there. Highly recommended.

We (two adults, four children) camped here a few weeks ago. We were super excited that we had a huge camping area all to ourselves. There was a campsite a bit up the road with some late 20-​somethings who were dressed up like Halloween came early this year and partied a lot (we didn’t see them, but could hear them — we especially took note of the unfortunate person who threw up a lot). But they weren’t too loud, kept to themselves, and had a great time. Part of me was jealous.
The second day a car pulled up with a middle-​aged woman and two teenage-​ish daughters. They pitched their tent in a close campsite to ours and we were super disappointed. At least there weren’t tons of them and they looked harmless enough. We were wrong.
Another car showed up around sundown with some little boys of about the same age. And then another. And another. And then even more kids. Before we knew it it was around 8:30pm on a Saturday night and about 35 kids partying. They were playing drinking games (always good times though, let’s be honest), blasting music from a car, fu*king swearing sh*t like fu*king every other fu*king word, yelling, puking, and sounding like they were having a great time, actually. My problem was with the fact that they had TOTAL disregard for us but, more importantly, our kids (8, 9, 10, and 15). They were exposed to words and behaviors that they should not have been at a «family campground.» We tried to tell them to shut it but only heard «Fu*k off!» and «Fu*k you!» We went to the campground manager. When she opened her door (at about 10pm) she stank of marijuana and alcohol. She explained that she could not talk to the kids because she couldn’t drive. I understand this person no longer works there, FYI.
The party continued until 3am and we barely slept at all that night. I was pissed. I talked to Sarah and Sarahbeth in the office the next day and they were extremely apologetic. They refunded one night of camping and gave us a credit for an evening for future camping — which we just redeemed. The kids also rode the 30 min horseback ride and Chanslor turned into an hour, on them.
This second time was much better. We were in a different, more secluded site, and it was great. Surprisingly they put a group of 28 guys who partied in a site above us, but they were not young boys and girls like before and were way more quiet and respectful. Sarah even drove up around 11pm to tell them to be quiet and they were. We heard them but it wasn’t much different than other campgrounds we have been to. We did a few more horse rides with them and the kids love it there.
I would have given this place, despite its convenience, beauty, fun, etc., a horrible rating given our first experience there. But the staff is very professional (after getting rid of the woman who couldn’t help us the first night because she was too messed up), caring, and courteous not to give it ⁴⁄₅ stars. It’s a great spot with great people and tons of horses, and the facilities are great. When making reservations in the future, however, I will make sure there aren’t any big «groups» on the schedule — like little teenagers who can’t handle booze and think it’s cool to puke and call each other «fu*king b*tches.»
We love it there, especially the kids — they really want to come back — and we will.

My sister and I went on the 1 ½ beach ride yesterday. We have ridden at rental stables for over 60 years. It was the best! Our horses, Rocky & Zipper, were easy to ride, loved to go through the sanddunes down to the ocean, along the coast. Couldn’t be better!

I had reservations elsewhere this busy holiday weekend. Upon arrival I was turned away due to my coach size — even though I gave that info on the phone while making my reservation. I was bummed!
I was determined to go camping still. A light bulb went off!
Chanslor Ranch came to mind. I looked for info on the web, with little luck. (I hear they are working on a web site, newer ownership) I decided to call, hoping to find a spot to camp. I got ahold of a very nice and helpful lady named Cathy, she told me to come on out they would make room for me. I asked if she was squeezing my in like a sardine and she promised me I would have plenty of room and a view. Yay!
We arrived at Chanslor Ranch and was greeted by Donnie. What a terrific guy! He helped my husband get situated. Now that’s service! I even ended up staying an extra night. Rest rooms were pretty clean and always had TP and PT.
I can’t speak for the horse rides or the little rooms they rent. From observation, it was all run very well.
I look forward to camping here again soon. Thanks Donnie and Kathy for a great weekend.

Its was a fabulous, exciting experiences for all our kids. Aged 9, 15, &16. Our guides Angel and Allie were very kind and VERY knowledgeable of their jobs as trail leaders. thank you so much
We definitely will be back.

The boyfriend and I were planning on going to Doran Beach for our Valentine’s Day weekend trip and reservations got cancelled due to their lack of skills somehow and we ended up here. We were in a big pickle if they didn’t have a site open because all the others around there were full plus it was already getting dark, not only did they give us a killer spot on a gorgeous hill for our lovely weekend but the couple were so adorably nice!:) It’s the perfect spot for a little get away with your special someone and the dog (s) Animals are welcome on leash of course plus they have a lot of acres with rescued horses that people will ride and stroll past your campsite. You can walk along the trail that goes all around it and at the top of the hill you can see EVERYTHING for milessssss. ITS BEAUTIFUL! I loved it and they saved us from driving a million miles everywhere. Thanks guys!:)

Edit ⁸⁄₂₀₁₅: I have been notified that the person I was dealing with no longer works at this business. I will write an updated review after I try this ranch out again (i was 16 last time I rode with them and it was magical)! I thought I was dealing with the owner originally… that is NOT the case. My apologies. Changed to 2 stars since someone addressed the issue. This shows me responsibility and care. Thank you for caring Chanslor Ranch. :)
Another edit ¹⁰⁄₂₀₁₅: I emailed the person who reached out and seemed very friendly and helpful in the message. But, I have received no response about scheduling a ride in the past month. My hopes were up once again… oh well, my bad for allowing these hopes. I’ll call again, even though my experiences have been upsetting and update if I talk to anyone and successfully schedule a ride.
Original review: If you can get past the unbelievably poor customer service at the stables, maybe you will have a nice ride? 15 years ago, this was an experience of a lifetime. 2015 true colors of people who are miserable and take it put on others is showing. I refuse to give my hard earned money to any unethical, rude, antagonizing, belittling and beyond poor customer service establishment. I support local and buy local… This is one I will not be supporting.
My experience: A very grumpy Dan answered the phone and literally made me feel like garbage. I’m honestly shocked. Do these people want business? Because when attempting to book (I was interested in the eagle and the beach ride, both 90 minutes) he told me the times (same as the website 10am, 1pm etc) and then when I said 10 is great or what do you think would be the best time for the experience… He replied (the whole time in an angry and belittling tone) that he needs to feed the horses, he needs to do this and that (not my concern), so he couldn’t take me until 1130. I still agreed. Lol! Silly me. I run this show, as this is my choice, my life and my money. Then after agreeing I was then told I would have to pay extra only because I chose the beach ride and that is more work for him. If I chose a ride on the ranch, then he would let me have the advertised rate. What? Is this ethical? I don’t believe so. If the advertised rate is not the rate and it is in fact more, this is what I call false advertisement.
I do have to say that Alicia, from Sonoma concierge, was extremely helpful when she doesn’t even work for the horse stable part of this establishment. This review is solely on my experience with the horse stables. I am looking forward to this beautiful day and will not allow some miserable person ruin my day. It is not my fault or concern about their business and how they have none today. They almost did! ;)

Had an incredible weekend camping at Chanslor Ranch. I have lived in Sonoma County for over 40 years, passed by this place a million times but never stopped here. I’m a single, middle-​aged, woman and I recently bought a small trailer and wanted to take it somewhere close to home for the maiden voyage. Was pleasantly surprised with Chanclor Ranch!
Reservations were super simple, the staff is amazing and so accommodating! When we arrived, the camp Host (Donnie) came out to greet us and help us set up. I was there with my trailer and my adult son, daughter in law, and their 2 boys with theirs. The sites were huge and with full hookups. Donnie spent a fair amount of time helping set up both campers for maximum views of the coastline. Turns out Donnie is a total gem! His help and wit were extremely valuable and made our stay so much fun! He even teased us with 3 scorpions he had in a bucket. The boys loved it!
We pretty much had the campground to ourselves on Friday night but the place filled up like crazy on Saturday. Apparently when the state park fills up, people are desperate for a campsite and many look to this place for the night. Donnie and his wife were so awesome to get the tired families off the road and next to a roaring campfire in no time at all.
The restrooms were very clean with plenty of hot water for showers. There is an overflow restroom in the barn. My only suggestion would be to add another restroom or two that does not include a shower in it because that seemed to keep the lines long for people that were waiting for the toilet only. The facilities are obviously new and well tended.
Seems like there’s a camping spot for everyone’s needs, plenty of tent areas and of course the trailer sites with hook ups. The horse riding is run by a separate company and I took my oldest grandson for the hour ride around the property. Excellent time for us too!
Can’t say enough how helpful Donnie and his wife were… He even came by and helped me hookup my trailer making it super easy for me… He’s an asset to the ranch that’s for sure!
I will definitely be staying there again, the price is right, the distance is super easy, and I know if I run into any trouble, the best camp host is there to help!