The Ranch at Bandy Canyon

I drive 90 minutes to come here because it’s SO worth it! Went for another beautiful trail ride!!! It was so great at 9am! The weather was perfect and the rain had filled the creeks and the wild flowers were in bloom. Amber took me on a new trail today which was stunning! She’s awesome! Loved seeing all the horses again and the amazing staff! The koi fish were out with the clearer water and the two new sheep and baby ducks are precious!!! I love coming to my second home!

My wife and I came to the Ranch at Bandy Canyon for a weekend getaway and were blown away. We were hoping for and expecting a quiet serene and relaxing property and it was every bit that. What we weren’t expecting was the visual and simple beauty of the structures, the grounds and the surrounding area. What impressed us most was how the ownership, following the property re-​model, retained the historical look and feel of several adobe structures while at the same time keeping them both attractive and quaint. Each of the cottages is properly appointed with basic essentials to make your visit as relaxing as possible including a welcome basket containing a nice bottle of wine, fruit and some snacks foods. Also, Shanyn Zier the Operations Manager and her staff did an awesome job in making us feel warm and welcome to their secret hideaway. While walking the property my wife was so impressed that she brain stormed about returning to the Ranch with other family so they too could experience the magic. In short, this was an amazing experience and we will be back for sure. So if you’re looking for a relaxing, quiet, visually impactful and simple getaway, give The Ranch at Bandy Canyon a shot. Because if you do, you’ll cross that item off your Bucket List with a corresponding promise to return!

A beautiful Ranch tucked away in RB. We attended a little girl’s birthday party & it was lovely. The horses were well groomed & trained. The handlers were very friendly & helpful. The weather was perfect & all the little girls had a blast. They especially loved the giant swing. Beautiful facility.

We reserved a one bedroom cabin last minute and they called and upgraded is for same price to a two bedroom. Beautiful place to stay, a lot of horses and hiking. Very comfortable bed, very clean and nicely decorated. Definitely on our list to come back with family and friends.

Worst customer service!!! The lady in the office does not have a clue of what good customer service is. And we did not get the service we paid for.

If you are planning on having your wedding/​event here PLEASE READ!
We had our wedding at the Bandy Canyon Property and there were too many issues to complain about due to issues the facility has given us and the complete lack of any management on the property what so ever. For starters, when sending in our payments we were threatened with late fees do wire transfer delays from THEIR bank even though we sent in the money prior to the deadlines.
Their event manager informed us a day before the event that she was no longer going to be working for BandyCanyon and a new event Coordinator would be onsite (this is a breach of contract). Considering that we have been working with this event manager for close to a year, it was too late to make any changes to our wedding plans. The new coordinator introduced herself on Saturday upon arrival briefly and was gone and never to be seen until the following day for only a brief second again. Our whole event was on its own from this point on…
During the rehearsal, we had dinner and the power shut off at approximately 8:30pm. At that point, people were still finishing eating and we thought it would be a quick fix. The security guard on the property came up at that point and stated he would do his best to reset the breakers and endlessly apologized about the issue and told us it always happens (this should have been told to us prior to booking). He informed us that the electrician for the property couldn’t help out because he was at home drunk and he would do his best. Being that I work in the electrical industry and was eager to fix this issue immediately and didn’t have anyone on property to help, I began trying to find the tripped breaker. Looking at the electrical throughout the facility was the WORST I have ever seen in my 11 years working in the industry and at that point, I knew this wouldn’t be a quick fix and the facility was completely out of code and was extremely unsafe (this is a huge fire/​safety issue for any guest on the property that is entirely being neglected). It wasn’t until much later after 90 percent of our guests have already left because of the outage that someone came to the property and got some of the lights back on for us. Our rehearsal was over and completely ruined. We were unable to receive any reimbursement. The Ranch claimed that this was a «force of nature» due to the age of the property however it is solely because the NEW electrical infrastructure wasn’t permitted/​inspected/​installed property and is not due to force majeure.
The day of our wedding was Sunday and I prayed the night before that everything would go smooth. Unfortunately it was far from that. I woke up and walked into the adobe hut for the continental breakfast, I was informed of several of the cabins having issues by our guest due to no hot water and sinks and showers backing up. We had guest walking to other cabins to take a warm shower and to use what was working on the property (which was very minimal). I am shocked that the Ranch wouldn’t give us any compensation for the non-​use of the cabin facilities that are entirely overpriced.

It was now close to 10am and the bridesmaids hair and makeup artist were now arriving. It wasn’t long after that the power at the facility started shutting down time and time again during them getting ready. We were all now stuck without any power, the hair/​makeup artist were struggling trying to get any of the girls ready without flat irons and curling irons because of the loss of power and their whole experience was now ruined that we paid so much for. The Ranch said that we «should be thankful that they got us generators and didn’t charge us». WHAT A JOKE! (We should have been informed that this was an issue prior to booking as one of the guys told me that this also always happens).
Thankfully our external wedding coordinator was now on property however asked who her onsite contact was and we had no answer. She understood that the original event planner was now gone and she would have to take the lead as no Bandy staff would be there for support/​contact etc.
It wasn’t until the end of the reception at midnight that two ladies approached me and my new wife and said that they were the support from Bandy Canyon. This was the first time that we had met them and were shocked that anyone was there because issue after issue occurred during the reception with no assistance from the staff. Thankfully for our external event planner, and family and friends that worked so incredibly hard to pick up all Bandy’s slack to fix Bandy Canyon’s issues throughout the entire 2day event.
My wife and I have spent 2 years saving for the wedding of our dreams however choosing this property was a compete nightmare!!!

OUR WHOLE EVENT WAS HUNG OUT TO DRY!!!
I have sent in complaint after complaint to their legal team as well as upper management with very little feedback!

My husband and I wanted to do the trail ride. There’s no information regarding the availability/​offered times online, their voicemail does state that they do guided rides 3 times daily, however it also fails to mention the times at which these rides are offered.
I called about 8 times throughout 2 days and left 2 voicemails, never heated back from them.
We ended up going to the Wilson Creek Winery in Temecula, absolutely beautiful grounds, great customer service, excellent wine and they pick up the phone every time you call. They also offer a groupon, it is a bit more pricy, but it was well worth the money.
Honestly, after reading some of the reviews posted here, I’m actually glad that they never called me back!

Brought my daughters for their first ever horseback ride. The staff was kind and attentive. The horses were all well taken care of and gorgeous and the grounds were absolutely beautiful. What a great day. Thank you!

We really enjoyed our time here. Spent a couple of nights with he family. Wanted a local get away from the city. No TV for the kids and they survived. Actually did a morning family reading time outdoors with the serine landscape.
Before we left we did he horse trail… very calm and relaxing.

Are you planning on a horseback trail ride adventure? If safety is important to you, then this is NOT the place to go. I don’t think The Ranch at Bandy Canyon have any emergency plan, policy and procedures to follow if a trail ride accident were to happen. I purchased a Groupon for a Horseback /​Trail Ride Adventure that included Wine tasting and Cheese pairing to celebrate my friend’s birthday.
The trail ride did not start on time, it was not properly explained how to ride and maneuver the horse, the guide repeatedly claimed she was «too tired» (good luck if you’re a beginner) My friends horse Blossom fell on my friends right leg that caused her to be stuck for 10 minutes. It was such a scary experience. The guides were panicking, cellphone reception was very spotty and it made it difficult for us to call for help.
Signing their waiver is like signing your life away. After the incident the office told us we will be contacted the next day. The Ranch at Bandy Canyon NEVER called, so I did. Since there was no medical attention provided, there was no first aid kit anywhere, I ASKED if it was possible if they could reimburse/​help with the medical expense which is the co-​pay. I can tell by the tone of Shannon’s voice that the question irritated her. After asking that question I never got the chance to talk again, she was talking over me, probably reading what states in the waiver for the duration of our conversation.
I would have been appeased with an APOLOGY explaining the reason why I will not be reimbursed with the medical expenses, but what I got was a very snotty, defensive, not to mention heartless attitude from Shannon. She said with an attitude «You both signed a waiver signing off your rights, you are to assume all the risk.» she also said «I’m surprised why you would even take her to the hospital if she is ok». She continued saying «We will not give you a refund, contact Groupon.» First of all I did not even ask for a refund for the trail ride, I know how to contact Groupon. Second, I know we signed a waiver, but as a reputable business I would expect for your office to at least SHOW YOU CARE. Third regardless of my friends condition why would Shannon say «I’m surprised why would you take her to the hospital if she is ok.» is NOT acceptable!

However kind and helpful the two guides were (Morgan & Casey), they were inexperienced, inequipped, and were in complete shock when it all happened. Within the first 10 minutes of the ride, Blossom (the horse) spooked and started rearing. She fell backwards causing me to fall and the whole 2000 lb of her fell on my right leg. God knows how I made it alive with no single broken bone. No call whatsoever from the ranch owner. Granted that I signed a waiver of their zero liability if I got hurt or died, human empathy goes a long way. To Shannon (the office manager I believe), I am not okay contrary to you asking my friend why she even took me to the hospital. I am bruised, swollen, and just sore (if you want to minimize it) and a little traumatized, to say the least. The truth is the horse fell on me; there was no medic on site, I laid there for what it seemed an eternal 10 minutes scared out of my mind that the horse will start kicking the moment she stands up. And the best that management of the Ranch at Bandy Canyon could say was «the staff did a terrific job handling the situation.» l am in disbelief at the level of indifference. I am not mad at the horse. She got agitated or spooked and perhaps fed on my nerves as well but I got more compassion from an animal for not kicking me or trampling me to death than the human who owns it.

My brother got married at The Ranch this past weekend. The whole event was lovely. The food at the reception was wonderful (catered by the restaurant owned by The Ranch at Bandy Canyon). Our two families occupied all of the cabins and made it a whole weekend event. I did have a few small issues with my cabin. The a/​c unit leaked and made large puddles on the floor and the water had a very strong sulfur smell. Other than that, the beds are comfortable, they provide extra linens for additional guests and every room has a Keurig! They provide the basics for you morning cup of coffee. The grounds themselves are beautiful. We previously stayed here for Easter (April 2015). I was impressed with the amount of renovations and improvements they made to the property since then.
The bridal party room was large and worked beautifully for them to all get ready. They also provided champagne, cheese and crackers for the bridal party. The room is filled with fans and a very proficient a/​c unit to keep them all cool while getting ready.
Our family is talking about planning an anniversary party here. We had a ball!!!
I love this hidden gem! I’ll post some photos as soon as I figure out how.

The Ranch is beautiful. located in escondido, near the wild animal park, its quite a pretty, although twisty turvy, ride through the mountains. its very easy to find, as there is a large entrance. it is well appointed, has lots of parking and the grounds where the weddings/​events/​picnics take place are beyond gorgeously landscaped and lush.
we originally booked a groupon-​type deal for $ 99 for a 60-​minute trail ride for two with wine and cheese pairing (a $ 225 value). they book weeks out during summer weekends, but were really accomidating and answered emails/​calls quickly.
we had to cancel the night before and they had no issue rescheduling us (even though the webiste says you need to give them 24 hours notice.
unfortunately, the afternoon before our ride, they called us to tell us they are having «problems with the trail» and that they had to cancel the ride. (I thought it was the rain we had, but apparently they lost a lot of the property to some new housing development which will be really unfortunate as it will most likely ruin the landscape and atmosphere of this place). they did offer us an exchange for a ½ hour lesson in the coral and a ½ trail ride. it was all very last minute, trying to coordinate four people through messages (since we didn’t get the message until after work), but it ended up working out eventually. the only disappointing thing is that the ride was marketed winding around a river and there was no river. also, according to the ranch this was a better deal, but really i don’t think it was… i’m assuming they would have had to give the lesson anyway (so you know the basic commands and whatnot) and the ride would be 60 min long… I don’t know, i’m still not sure about this.
either way, it was super fun. they did a great job matching the personalities of the riders to the horses. I got Abbey, who was the most gently, sweet horse and made me feel comfortable my first (terrified) time. she did like to take charge of the pack and veer off the trail, but was easy to steer back on course. all the horses were mostly well behaved and used to these trails. they made sure we were offered helmets and were comfortable and safe.
the trail was nice enough, but very short and not the lush, twisting winding river bank ride it was described as. that was disappointing.
the staff, amber and candace (I believe) were very nice and patient with us. they were extremely helpful, answered all of our questions. they kept watching us to make sure we were doing ok (although a couple of times i was stopping Abbey the wrong way and they didn’t point this out till she was getting kind of agitated. either way, she corrected me asap and we were on our happy way). the girls were even nice enough to take pictures of us after and text them to us!
after the ride, we were served wine and cheese in the picnic area. there was white and red wine, three types of crackers and four types of cheese. we also got a hershey’s kiss each! it was more than enough for the four of us. we relaxed on the grounds, took some pictures. there was a wedding about to start, but they let us sneak a peak at the rest of the grounds where the events take place… its so pretty, i can’t imagine how lovely an evening wedding must be there.
overall, despite some false advertising and a little scheduling difficulty, we had a great time! the place was pretty, staff was nice, the horses sweet, the wine and cheese tasty… but most importantly the ride was super fun!!!

Just went for the 8 a.m. trail ride with Amber. Loved my horse (I think her name was Dewy) she was sweet and easy going, I would highly recommend this place to anyone looking for a relaxing outing that also gives you a workout. I had hoped to get coffee at the little shop that’s part of the property but I did not know the hours. Remember to bring your camera, wear a hat and sunglasses as it gets hot very quickly also bring cash so you can tip your guide!

This place is the best! The 100 dollar, 1 hour trail ride/​wine/​cheese groupon was the best 100 dollars I have ever spent.
When we arrived nobody was here and we thought it was going to suck. Turns out they had a scheduling error and were understaffed. Mandy took control and was a one woman show. She made pleasant conversation and was a great guide overall.
Buttons and Abby were smooth running machines that carried the confidence of an experienced woman.
Good: great scenic trail ride, good cheese and wine, MANDY!
Bad: a little disorganized in the early morning.
Bottom line: I will be doing this again.

So Wee One and I finally (see previous review) got a ride scheduled during the week while Hubs was at work. It is a good thing this was not the romantic carriage ride they made this out to be or this would have been really weird… So Wee One and I went to ride a carriage and see some horsies. Where to start???
The carriage is obviously a few years old with some signs of wear and tear and could use a new upholstery job but no points deducted for that. The carriage has the driver sitting significantly higher than the passengers, so all you get is a view of the driver’s butt the whole time. And where we were originally told that there would be a carriage driver and someone riding along «in case of emergency», what we got was two 20-​something girls who spent the whole ride chatting to each other so we spent the whole ride learning more than I ever wanted to about their home lives (and their butts.)
The website talks about the beautiful, huge ranch with massive acreage of gorgeous scenery… but the carriage ride doesn’t take place on the ranch. You ride up the extremely bumpy eroded dirt driveway and hop out on the main road. Where you are promptly passed by a speeding UPS truck. And a guy in a mercedes. And a guy in a prius. And a guy in a jeep who takes offense to a slow carriage driving down the road where he is speeding and (this is a direct quote from the lady up front) «he was going so fast, I was afraid he was going to rear end the back of the carriage». Probably a good reason why we shouldn’t have a carriage ride on a busy main road instead of on the property. They do carry one of those hand signs that say «slow» like crossing guards carry, so they did put that up in the air so the guy knew we wanted him to slow down before he almost ran over us so that is good, I guess…
There is no shade at all during the ride, so make sure you go when it is overcast, but not rainy because they cancel on you if it has been raining (see previous post) or that you don’t mind sweating buckets in the direct sunlight.
They give you a couple of options for a picnic afterward, but when we called to schedule, we were told the listing was old so you get two options: wine and cheese or lunch. Being just me and W.O., we opted for lunch. It was a bag of 5 chips ahoy cookies, a pouch of Kool Aid, and a pack of salami and provolone cheese each (See picture).
Overall, do NOT waste your time on the carriage ride. Or trying to schedule the carriage ride. Or fearing you were going to get ran over on the carriage ride. I still stand by my review that the individual trail rides are pretty good (especially being so close to San Diego where horses aren’t really abundant), but having a W.O. now, we’ll probably never return.

In February 2015 I was trying to reserve a cabin for 2 people to occur in March. I came across some good offers in living socials and groupon for this location. Thought I would give it a try.
Worst experience with customer service. Extremely hard to get someone on the phone, I never got to speak with anyone and always left messages. I called every day at different times for 2 weeks, (thinking maybe they have short staff or something) Never got a response to those voicemails. Sent an email, got a response the next day, I responded to their email with the days I would like and they never responded to my request for booking.
Disappointed, I started looking at other places to take the birthday guy. I ended getting an awesome experience package to Catalina Island, for the same price, give or take. Best choice made so far and the experience memorable.
I would not recommend this place to any friends or family if they will receive the same level of service as I did. Not worth my hard earned income.

I came here for a retreat awhile back and just need to express on Unilocal how wonderful of an experience it was. The ranch is peaceful and away from civilization so if you ever want to get away for a weekend, this is the perfect place to do it. Accommodations are very well decorated and always kept clean with a feeling of being in a home away from home. Staff is very friendly, too.
Our group had the honor of meeting Chef Patrick Ponsaty. He explained each dish served from salad to dessert, and the whole dining experience was just phenomenal. And what ranch would be complete without equestrian activities? Great opportunity to bond with your group and other people.
I love looking at photos of rustic weddings on Pinterest, and Bandy Canyon looks like all of those photos, so if you have ever wanted to have a rustic wedding or any type of ranch-​themed retreat as a couple, family, or company, this is so perfect. Apparently there are Groupon deals… I need to get me one of those and go back!

Came based on a groupon back in the summer of 2014 with the SIL. I wish I had wrote this review closer in time to recall the people that led our tour. It’s a cute little ranch tucked away in a section of Escondido I have never been to. It’s quaint and would make for a lovely small wedding venue with a countryside theme. SIL had never been on a horse so this was a fun outing for us.
You’ll drive up on a precarious looking entrance road that is big enough for one car to enter. Park in a dirt lot and walk over to the main office. Upon entering it seemed like a good date activity — lots of other couples joining in with a groupon. We were signed in and directed to where all the horses were waiting. It sounds almost silly to say this but if you are a city girl like me that doesn’t get much time around barn animals. horses are huge! Definitely fun to come and pet and especially to ride.
The staff is nice and will pair you. They provide the step stools to get you saddled in and will do a quick review of do’s and don’ts for your trail ride. Our ride was fun. in the summer warmth you get a nice view out to the SD Wild Animal Park. Definitely dusty, so I recommend wearing something comfy that allows for straddling the large beast and for getting some dust on. I kind of wish I brought a hat and a kerchief to cover my eyes and mouth. Not too bad though and definitely not required.
You’ll follow along in one line out through some protected wildlife areas. Very beautiful and peaceful to mosey along. The trail is pretty uneventful otherwise. straight out and straight in. In the meanwhile, you’ll want to hold tight to the reigns cuz each horse definitely has a personality of its own (which is pretty fun to interact with). Have your camera/​phones in an easy to reach/​hold location. You can manage to snap a few photos.
Overall the staff was pretty nice and they were definitely well informed about the horses. You can opt for a wine and cheese add on. We didn’t but there’s a nice picnic area where you can hang out and a cool stand up swing.
Definitely recommend if you’re seeking the experience of horse riding. A cute and unique date idea.

We bought the 60 minutes trail ride for 4 with wine and cheese pairing on Groupon. We had two trail guides and they were pretty informative and get you ready for the horse that is right for your height and weight, I think! I got Shawny, he was sweet and pretty easy to get used to. One of the trail guide looks like she has been doing this for a while, hence her attitude and rude comments towards the first time riders. Mindy was nice! Other than that, we all had fun! Also, the trail is extremely sandy and dirt flying everywhere, so beware and you might need to wash your face and hands right after the trail before eating! :)
The wine and cheese was not very impressive. It was prepared ahead of time on a plastic plate and they placed it in the employee’s fridge until we are ready. It was just a little weird, but it was okay.