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

Beware. Accomodations look WAY more glamorous on their website than they actually are. The two stars are for the incredible coastal views and the fact that they accomodated us without a reservation at one of the overflow spots. Otherwise I say try walking up to a spot at Bodega Dunes just down the road. Its cheaper and cleaner. read more

I recently tried contacting this ranch to book a beach ride and was never able to get a hold of this place. After reading ALL the wonderful yelp reviews I thought it would be a nice/ reliable place to book a romantic evening beach ride. After trying several times calling the place I was never able to get a hold of anyone! Tried calling the main phone number, and the recording stated you have to call the barn phone for reservations....after the third time I was hung up on I decided to go to a different ranch. If you can't be professional on the phone, I could only imagine how we would be treated in person!!! I recommend Horse n' Around, Sarabeth was beyond AWESOME! read more

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. read more

Very nice and personable folks and a great trail ride to boot! We loved the horses and really enjoyed the experience. Will return!

I had the most memorable ride on the beach. This was an event I had dreamed about my entire life. I signed up for a private ride because I wanted to trot and cantor. Hot Rod, the horse I rode, was absolutely fantastic, so was my guide, Katrina. I felt so comfortable with Hot Rod and Katrina. Chancellor Ranch is highly recommended! Marilyn from Ohio read more

Had an awesome ride today on the beach, 90 minute private ride. Our guide Angel was great and they have very nice horses. Will be coming back read more

Fransisco is awesome!! He accommodated us last minute and was doing everything he could to make us happy and comfortable. He really empathize with our group. We always love coming here. Thanks so much Franny! read more

Best ride ever!!! The Salmon Creek Ride from Chanslor Stables was absolutely breathtaking, and we cannot wait to enjoy another ride here. The horses were adorable, sweet, well groomed and quite civilized, and our guide, Bright, was the best I have ever experienced. She provided amazing botanical commentary to accompany the profusion of wildflowers, and was professional, while being quite personable, and attentive to our needs. Magical!!! read more

My wife and I took a trail ride with Bright and had a great experience. The weather was perfect, the horses were lovable, the scenery was wonderful, and she was an excellent guide. Would definitely recommend! read more

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! read more

My friend and I had a wonderful time. Horseback riding along the coast. It was a beautiful day and very relaxing. The people there are very friendly and made you feel comfortable. I would recommend this place to anyone I know. Pricing is very reasonable and can't wait to go back. read more

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!:) read more

Glamour camping or "Glamping" at Chanslor Ranch in Bodega Bay was such an incredible experience, It is a challenge to narrow down all the wonderful things we enjoyed. Our camp site was nestled up in the hills of the Ranch with breathtaking views of Bodega Bay and the ocean. You could tell the tent had been thoughtfully decorated with the comforts of home in mind such as soft sheets on the queen sized bed, the fancy French press, tea kettle, mugs, and a fresh supply of coffee and tea. Inside the tent was spacious with a wood stove that kept us warm all night and also cooked our food;-) We appreciated that the tent fee included firewood, hot showers and drinking water. All we needed to do was enjoy and we did! My husband and I decided to take our 3 year old and black lab to spend our thanksgiving vacation here fully aware that Nov/Dec weather is wet and cold. However this was a welcomed reprieve for us coming from another record hot/dry summer in Sacramento, CA. That being said, the experience we enjoyed the most was hearing the rain outside. For three nights in a row we played board games on the rug in front of the fire while sipping on hot cocoa listening to the rain. Waking up in the morning was always a treat because you could hear the horses snorting as they were grazing around the hill. I guess there are also alpaca's and llama's who free roam the property, but we never encountered them in our travels (the property is over 400 acres). We did see a fox which our son talks about all the time! During our days we beach hopped around the many interesting beaches in Bodega Bay and enjoyed some horseback riding at Chanslor Ranch too! When it came time for our 3 year old son's horseback ride he was smiling from ear to ear! Okay, so were we Thanks Chanslor Ranch, we are officially your biggest fans! read more

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. read more

My 8 year old daughter and I took the 1.5 hour Salmon Creek trail ride at Chanslor Stables with Marie. She was a treasure! The horses were extremely patient; my daughter's horse was extra careful and very responsive to her and to the guide. My horse was a sweetheart - also very patient and loved it when she got to trot. Marie was very informative about the beautiful region we toured, shared about the Native Americans who once lived there, pointed out native plants and birds, and talked a lot with my daughter, making her feel very comfortable and more and more brave to try new things like trotting for longer periods of time. It was the highlight of our Mom & Daughter weekend trip. Thank you, Marie! read more

We booked a ride at chanslor whilst on a trip from the UK.The horses looked well and healthy and 'Duke' and 'Little Red' were good companions for our hour and a half ride. the trail along the river was quite limited and we rode to a dead end and returned. the trail up over the hill was better as the view was spectacular, but, once again we simply rode to an end and returned, i would have expected a round trip and given we were both experienced riders a slightly more adventurous route. in the balance we had a nice time, it looked a lovely spot to camp for a return summer trip. read more

I wanted to take my best friend somewhere nice for her birthday so I searched online for a nice place for horseback riding along the coast. Chanslor Ranch sounded promising, and I called to reserve a time to ride the Eagle's View ride. We both had never rode before and were nervous but once we got there, we felt comfortable with the friendly staff and guide. The horses looked well kept, happy (that was my main concern) and fed. The staff paired each of us riders up with the horse they felt would match our riding experience and it worked out great. I was paired with a beautiful and friendly dark horse named Smokey. The ride was smooth and enjoyable; I would definitely go back. read more

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. read more

Very enjoyable!! Great service and just the right amount of guidance. They are kind to their horses.. Fresh air, quiet trails, and a beautiful remote beach... Ahhh. Loved every moment of the beach ride. read more

My husband and I try to go here at least once a year for the beach ride. It's a beautiful ride through the sand dunes and on the actual beach. The guides are wonderful, they let us trot and even canter a bit! We've never had a bad experience here and will continue to make it our tradition. read more

What a great place, we got a last min fourth of July RV camping spot with full hookup's . Views were spectacular as the site is on the East side of Hwy 1, located up on a hill. The site was clean and spacious. The only thing to be aware of if tent camping is the high winds. Luckily we have an RV and we were able to position our camper and truck in a way which best blocked the wind while enjoying outside. Our 6 and 3 yr old boys of course saw the horse ranch and wanted to do some riding. My 3yr was too young to go on an actual expedition, but they were nice enough to allow him to get on a horse and walk around the outside of the stables. He felt like a real cowboy and we got some great pictures. My older son, myself and step mom did an hour long ride down to a pond and then along a trail over looking Bodega Bay. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves and we will be going back as soon as were ready to cowboy back up. read more

This place is awesome. Horses are well cared for (the most important thing) and the beach ride was breathtaking. Ok, so it took 30 minutes to get to the beach and we only actually rode on the beach for 15-20 minutes, but it was still a lot of fun. Would do it again in a heartbeat. read more

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

Thank you so much!~!! We enjoyed our day at the beach with our new friends. Your horses are well behaved, easy going, calm, and loveable. Staff is knowledgeable, hardworking, and friendly. Kat was a terrific guide, and we loved Dallas, Hot Rod and my favorite the big teddy bear Frank. Horses are amazing, magical creatures. thanks for a wonderful lifetime memory. we are planning our next adventure at your facility. read more

This is a review of the tent cabins. They suck. For $90/night they didn't even sweep out the last people's garbage and the canvas was ripped so the windows wouldn't close. Our stuff got soaked. There were also a lot of terrible RV owners blasting music and floodlighting the campground. This place could be great but it's actively choosing not to be. Don't waste your money on the tent cabins. read more

We rented the barn at Chanslor Ranch for our wedding welcome party, and the space was absolutely perfect. We were able to decorate it with lights and bunting, and it came out looking gorgeous. All our east coast family loved the rustic coastal vibe. The check-in desk served perfectly as a bar, and the stage enabled family members to sing and play guitar for all our guests. The barn is a real gem of an event space! read more

Chose the private beach ride. Was fabulous! Angel was a great guide. We enjoyed her company. Yes they may be a little on cowboy time but who cares. They make sure you get your full ride and everyone is is quote helpful and pleasant. We did this for our 25 anniversary and loved it. My horse walked right through the surf and we trotted. Was a beautiful relaxing ride! Definitely reccomend ! read more

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! read more

Looked at this Ranch & Stables for about a year. The wife & I finally decided to visit (I haven't been horseback riding in over 30 years & my wife never). We stayed overnight in the Ranch View room & made reservations for the Wetlands Trail Sun morning. Tiffany at the ranch was great. Room was great for our overnight stay. My wife is a clean freak & couldn't find nothing wrong! Staff at the Horse N Around stables are outstanding! Everyone we dealt with or came into contact with was nothing short of nice, polite, & professional. My wife did decide not to ride after getting up on her horse (nothing to do with the horse, she is still getting over a massive ankle injury/surgery and didn't want to chance it). As for myself, no way I was stopping! Skeeter was chosen for me. The next group of 2 ladies from San Francisco & their guide offered me to join them. I gladly accepted & off on the Osprey Trail we went. Tori & my original guide (soooo sorry I have forgotten her name, she had long blond streaked hair & very knowledgeable about riding, so sorry) were excellent guides. They taked about the trail, turtle pond, beach/salmon creek, ranch, camping areas, & even about the American Indian tribe that once lived on the ranch & how they used salmon creek for trading. I completely enjoyed the ride! I will return for the horseback riding & my wife for the wagon rides! The ranch was great, the ride was great, the company (2 ladies from San Francisco) was great, the staff was great, and Skeeter was awesome. I learned he was a ranch work horse & Horse N Around took him for their rides. Nice to see people rescuing horses too. I will recommend to any & everybody. Thanks for a nice relaxing weekend. read more

I would give this place 0 stars if I could. We recently camped there for a 2 night stay. The lady who greeted us at the camp check-in was extremely rude and spoke in a very condescending tone. There were 16 people in our party and we paid $430 to camp (waaaay overpriced!) Although the camp sites were nice they were poorly maintained. The porta potties were completely full to the brim! Unusable. And the 2 bathrooms they had was quite a hike to the main house. One of the branches of a large tree was hanging 2 feet above our fire pit. We had to cut it back slightly so it wouldn't catch fire. The 2nd day we left to the beach and upon our return we found that the groundskeeper (same lady) had gone through our campsite and ambushed us with the property owner. They accused us of cutting the tree for wood which was completely ridiculous. It was an all around horrible experience and I personally will NEVER return. For that kind of money they should try to be a little more gracious to their guests. read more

My husband and I took a private beach ride over Memorial Day weekend and it was wonderful. I am a seasoned rider and often don't like to ride at ranches that offer trail rides as the horses often do not have minds of their own and will only walk in a "nose to butt" line formation. The horses at Chanselor were all very well kept and ours were sure fun to ride. Upon arrival, the staff was very friendly and welcoming, and even let us pet the horses as they were saddling them up. Our guide Sarah was awesome - so friendly and fun to chat with along the way. They have a horse for everyone - even the novice who has never ridden. We had a blue bird day, and our ride along the beach was nothing short of spectacular - I didn't want it to end. I only have one suggestion, and it is probably not feasible given insurance stipulations, but it sure would be nice to sip on a bloody mary or mimosa at the staging area prior to heading out on our ride. read more