Smith Ranch

My husband and I took our almost 4 year old son and 6 year old daughter to Smith Ranch today. We all had a great time. Mr. Smith was our tour guide and his pride for the ranch was felt thru the entire tour. The train ride was fun and learning the history of the Julian gold rush was very interesting. Mrs. Smith and grandma Smith even participates in the fun. There were lots of fun places to play and climb. I would highly recommend taking the family for this awesome tour.

I was not sure what to expect on this is very family friendly but is also fun. And the host are very knowledgable and the thing is hands on, and there true stories about there family being early gold miners are really nice

Definitely for kids. If you don’t have kids I would skip this. The train is ok. It’s almost pointless since you could walk straight to the mine rather than sit in a bumpy cart that unnecessarily snakes around the property indirectly to the mine just to get that «mile» ride in. Which is why this is better for kids since they tend to like little rides like that. My 7 year old thought the ride would be longer since it kept stopping so the conductor could tell stories. For some reason we both thought the train drove into the mine but it doesn’t. You walk into it and not very far either because it collapsed some odd years ago so it’s just a «look, see it exists» type of thing… The kids panned for gold (that they traded for licorice) and walked across a rope bridge and learned a few fun facts and then it was time for the ride back to the parking lot.
I was expecting this experience to be mostly the train where I could sit and look around and hear facts but the train was just a means of getting to the story area where you get out and listen.
My daughter thought it was ok and I doubt I would’ve done it if I had a better idea of what it entailed but it was a decent time. We were both ready to go have lunch by the time it ended.
As far as the family, they were very nice and they did mention some religious things (mainly at the end). I am not a religious person and it didn’t bother me because you can basically expect as much from certain people (I mean that in the nicest way…). I’m sure it makes them feel good to share their thoughts.

A must while in Julian, ca. Such great time. Very informative and good time for kids. Loved learning about mining and getting to see inside a mine.

This place is awesome. My son just finished his Gold Rush lesson as a 4^th grader and we decided to take him here. It was so informative, he got to experience what he learned in class. The owners are the ones who give the tours and they are beyond nice and welcoming. We got to go inside a mine, ride the carts, pan for gold, take a mini hike, and many other things. Very well worth it.

Great for families, maybe not so much for adults. The family who owns the property and hosts the tour was pleasant and inviting. You can tell they are LDS mormons since the ranch parking lot where you start the tour is behind the LDS church. However, they keep a lot of the religion to a minimum it’s still present but not overbearing. They provide a great knowledge of the area and the subject of the mining in California in the early days of Julian. The tour was a bit long approximately 2 – 3 hours. The highlight is the excavated mine and if we could’ve it would’ve been great to just shoot up to it via their rail system and then be done. The kids got a lot of enjoyment out of the little stops and project like panning for gold and the obstacle course. Besides the highlight of the mine there was Honey Dog, an older golden retriever who pal’d around with us and even jumped into our rail car and road on the way down. Great for history lovers and if you have 3 hours to kill. I’d still pay half price just to ride up see the mine and ride down.

LOVED THIS!
This was such a fun tour. We have 3 and 11 year old girls and they both really enjoyed it! Will definitely come back and do this again!

Great tour for families! 1 mile train ride in wooden carts powered by mining engine. The tour guide/​owner gives you great insights on life as a Miner as well as the pioneers that came in to San Diego. Kids are able to tour through the secured mine, pan for gold, and run through an obstacle course. Benches available for picnic.
Signs off the main road are visible for direction. You need to cross through a church parking lot to get there.
4 out 5 stars because you can see the property is still being developed. Full size ship on site but it must have been closed when we webt. Still pretty awesome. Tour take a 1 hr and a half. Great to do while you’re in Julian.

Drove from San Marcos, took about 90 mins, some unpleasant curves along the road into this little town, but worth the drive. My kids 8&10 had a great time. Smiths run a wonderful ranch with lots to do. We took mining adventure and learned a lot. We took the train to a real mine and kids got to explore, then play on the obstacle course. They also got to mine for gold and use the gold to «buy» licorice. Fun adventure and also educational.

I cannot say enough about this place. So interesting. Our children 7 and 9 absolutely loved it and so did the adults. The family that runs it is so passionate and genuine!
A definite must when you are in Julian.

Great experience! We had a group of 10 and really enjoyed ourselves. The train ride was great and you could tell the Smith family was passionate about both the subject and also ensuring that everyone had a good time. Definitely worth a visit if you are in the area.

A little off the beaten path but well worth checking out for a very pleasant and unique experience.
I am sure the ranch is probably much more enjoyable for families with kids but there were a few couples present without kids and they seemed to have an ok time.
The train ride is not very long (maybe 15 minutes, including stops) but you pause here and there to learn some history. Yes, there is one mention of the Mormon Battalion which trekked from Iowa to San Diego many years ago. If that 30 second story about some traveling Mormons is too much for you, then yes, the Smith Ranch isn’t for you. It’s an actual historical event, by the way.
Most of the tour is spent learning about the discovery of gold in the Julian mountains. You only spend about 10 – 15 minutes inside the mine but it’s interesting to see.
And yes, there is about a 2 minute discussion of «God-​given rights» at the end of the tour. So fair warning if that creeps you out or you don’t agree with the short lecture. I think it’s a pretty safe assumption that the owners of the ranch are Mormon but aside from the short reference to the battalion and a 120 second speech about where the owners of the ranch think our rights come from, that leaves about 87 minutes of the tour where there is no mention of religion of any kind.
Let’s just say, a tiny minority of the comments on Unilocal are inexcusably rude. I’m not Mormon but there seems to be a bizarre impulse in some uneducated folks to bash others simply because they are annoyed that other people are happy in their beliefs. Hey, live and let live.
It’s a fun, unique experience, especially for families and children.

We recently visited the Smith Ranch for a mine tour and train ride for my Minecraft obsessed 9 year old son. We had a blast. (hee hee.) The train ride was fun (but really hot and sunny) and the mine tour was just deep enough to give you a taste of what the inside of mines are like. They have a small children’s adventure section and the kids got to pan for gold. It was an awesome family outing.

That was an incredible experience!
I love the passion the Smith family has for teaching kids about the gold mines and minning.
I came her with my mom. We didn’t have any kids with us and it was still a great trip!
Definitely recommended.

Our kids have loved coming here to ride the train and play on the grounds. There are many educational activities and plenty of breaks for outdoor play. We have been both when it was cold and warm without much difficulty. The Smith family is very kind and I compliment them on their ranch and educational program.

Never knew about this place. We went here because of the gold panning for the kids. They have this neat little train ride and some fun things to do for the kids and adults. My favorite was crossing the rope bridge. They provided some neat insight as to the history of the family and gold mining in Julian in the 1800’s. I’d put it on the list of things to do if you’re planning to spend the day in Julian.

I booked this tour because my toddler is obsessed with trains! I called and reserved our spots and showed up 10 min before our 230 ride time. There is a lady sitting behind a desk just pay her CASH, sign your names and she will give you the tickets. We didn’t actually board until 250pm so no point in getting there early. They have two trains so plenty of space for everyone. The train ride was fun even for adults! The best part was watching my little ones face light up as the train went up the mountain. She was saying all aboard it was so cute! After a short ride up we stopped and panned for gold, did a rope walk, went inside a mine and played in playground. After we took the train back down. I was told the entire tour would be 1.5 hours. It was a little over 2 hours. So be prepared with snacks if you have little ones! Also go to the bathroom before you come they only have one portapotty and it was stinky! Also when booking keep the weather in mind and dress appropriately. You are outside the entire time and when on the train with the wind in your face it can get very cold in the winter time. The owners were very nice and I am happy to support this family owned business! All the children on our tour had a wonderful time… the smiles on their faces were priceless :)

Today was our 2^nd time here. We discovered this place about a year ago and our two older girls had so much fun. We did too! Only it was dead middle of summer and hot! This time we came with 3 girls that could enjoy it all. Weather was amazing, made a big difference in having fun! Great place for a family day. The train ride isn’t too long but interesting. Great short history lessons about equipment used and laying around the property. Then there is the gold mine and other activities they guide you through. My girls had so much fun here. I think we might have an annual trip out for this and apple picking!
Make sure you give a few days to get the reservation or more if you have a specific time slot you want. Julian was packed today and we didn’t get our preferred time slot — totally my fault for not calling sooner than yesterday! I think it’s best to email or call for a reservation, not their website. The owners are so nice, the property has been in the family for a long time. They don’t take credit cards, cash is probably best. Not sure if they take checks.

I cannot say enough good things about this place. We had the BEST AFTERNOON EVER at Smith Ranch.
We took my kids (ages 5 and 2 ½) here for an afternoon of fun. It started with a short train ride on a track that the Smith family had constructed themselves. They created a narrow gauge train track up the side of a mountain themselves. For fun. That’s just the type of thing this family will do. In fact, they created this ranch and experience all by themselves. It’s impressive.
Anyway, it started with a short train ride up the mountain. Along the way, Jonathan Smith enlightened us on the history of Julian. There’s more to it than just a short gold rush and some apples. You might be surprised. Once at the top, we panned for gold. My kids each found enough nuggets to trade for a few pieces of licorice. They each crossed the rope bridge over a small ravine. We learned about the abandoned gold mine on the property and ventured inside for a few minutes. And if that wasn’t enough to wear my kids out, they raced around the adventure track for 20 minutes at the end.
This is a great family outing for anyone in San Diego or LA. The Smiths plan to add onto the attractions in the future, so we will definitely be back to see what’s new in the tour.
Just a final note for my fellow city slickers out there — they only accept cash or check. And you should make a reservation. Them trains fill up fast!

Once you are in Julian, it is easy to get there.
The family members whom we met were very nice.
It is a cute 1.5 hour long journey to the gold mine. They tell you some general information about the area and some stories about their family and its ancestors. It is especially fun for children.