Best time for multi generation trip and awesome hospitality by Carol and Kenny! Food, activities and accommodation top notch. read more

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I love Cherry Creek Lodge. Every time I go there, I come back home feeling refreshed and grounded. It's a great place to get off the grid and enjoy nature. It's a "City Slickers" meets "Yellowstone" experience. read more

Simply AMAZING!!! Pre-trip - I had lots of questions and Carol was patient and helpful while I was planning this trip!! Getting there - I flew into PHX, rented a car, and drove 3 hours to Young, AZ. Because I rented a car, and not an SUV, I knew I wouldn't be able to drive through all of the creeks to get on the property. Once I arrived in Young, AZ I met staff from the lodge who brought me back to the property and the same when I needed to leave. On my next trip, I will probably just rent an SUV. Accommodations - Fantastic! I stayed in the Owner's Hideaway room which had a king bed, fireplace, bathtub, and shower. The room was super comfy and relaxing. The bed was comfortable and the room was clean. There was an entrance to the room through the lodge and from the exterior patio. I loved sitting in the lounge chair next to the fireplace! Food - 5 out of 5 stars. I am gluten-free and dairy-free and Leslie made me plenty of gluten- and dairy-free food that was fabulous!! With three included meals a day plus snacks and dessert, it is absolutely impossible to go hungry here!! The Property - Beautiful!! The property has a lodge, bunkhouse, pond, barn, and plenty of open land. At the pond, there are lounge chairs, paddleboards, and a paddle boat. During the summer you can swim in the pond. Everyone is free to hike and explore the endless acres of land. The activities - most rooms include the cost of your daily activity. I had never been on a horse before so they allowed me to go in the arena and get comfortable on the horse before joining the group on the trail. The trail is not flat, you go up the mountain and back down. It is STUNNING!!! The horses are all very gentle and Tyler chose the best horse for me, especially being my first time! I learned how to shoot a shotgun and rifle at their shooting range. I also went on an ATV tour with Kenny around the property which was also a ton of fun. I wanted to do archery, but they said that I would have needed to bring my own bow, which I didn't know or I would have brought mine with me. Overall I had an AMAZING stay! The staff treated you like family. The other guest were friendly! I had a ton of fun and relaxation! The price is extremely reasonable and includes the room, meals, and activities. I highly recommend staying here!!! read more

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I really had no idea what to expect, but I just knew it was going to be pretty great. Since it's 3 hours east of Phoenix airport, the shuttle service was well worth the cost (Mom, Leah, picked me up and brought me back - 3 hours of such great conversation, that I felt like I owed her twice as much as it cost). The beauty of the land as we drove down to the lodge, didn't prepare me for the beauty of the ranch itself. It's nestled in the valley of stunning mountains on all sides. The lodge is so welcoming and the corals are filled with gorgeous horses. I chose a room in the lodge itself, although there are options in other structures on the property. Comfortable bed, plenty of blankets and an in-room heater. Good water pressure for showers, too. And, yes, Wi-Fi. The food would compare to any 5-star restaurant! I have some dietary restrictions which they accommodated easily and with a level of creativity that would win any cooking show! The chefs were Carol (the manager) with support from Emma and Leona. I started each day with a hike after breakfast. Each day also included a 2 hour activity, which I choose after lunch. I first did a welcome horse ride to just get familiar with the area; then an ATV ride to cover more ground and see some pretty majestic mountains; and of course, shooting long guns including a shotgun; a cowboy experience up the mountain to check water tables for the cows; and another trail ride down along the creek. I felt extremely safe and learned so much. I had no idea that horses can poop while walking, but have to stand still when peeing! Reese, Emma's boyfriend, was my guide for all my afternoon activities, with Leona and her boyfriend, John, helping with the horse ride up to check the water tables for the cows. 4 dogs joined us for that experience - and as a dog lover, that was an extra special treat. Other guests included couples and families and some hunters seeking elk (yes, for food). Carol's husband, Kenny, helps guide hunters to find their elk and runs the ranch. Their 4 year old son, is just a mini version of Kenny. Fearless. I also learned a lot from the guests about hunting. I am hard pressed to find such peace and tranquility anywhere else I travelled. It was a life changing experience and I would recommend at least a weekend here at Cherry Creek Lodge and find your inner cowboy and the love of the land. read more

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Wow. We were going to inquire about staying here and wanted to check out the place beforehand. Some jerkoff in a cart with kids speeds up to me and was extremely rude and asked us what we were doing and told us to get the heck out of here. This was our first time ever there and last time. I'll be sure to tell all my buddies to stay away. I even seen the Robin Sewell Az highways vid on this and was excited too see but not anymore. Extremely rude read more

We found a deal at the KGB website and purchased the 2 night for 2 persons stay at the Cherry Creek Lodge for $149. This place has literally no review available online (none on yelp, tripadviser, google) but since the deal was good, we just cross our finger and headed up from Phoenix. It ended up to be one of our greatest travel experience in the Southwest. I have to warn you not to drive you own car because of the total 20 plus miles of dirt road and the VERY bumpy 5-mile drive from the town to the lodge. I highly recommend taking/renting a SUV or high-clearance vehicle. As of today, their location on google map is still wrong. THIS is the actual location - http://g.co/maps/yn9gn Anyway, follow the instruction on their website and you will be fine. The host Holly and Rick are very friendly and helpful. This lodge is relaxing and equipped with nice kitchen, microwave, fridge, grill and everything you need. The deal I had included breakfast and they charge $20 for lunch and $35 for dinner. It is over-priced in my opinion but consider the 5-mile drive and only a few restaurant nearby, it may be worth it. If you like cooking, I would suggest carry some food/meat in coolers, carry to the lodge and cook on your own. We did the horse back riding and I will warn you again - If you never ride a horse before, do the 2-hour ride, it is more than enough or you will feel sorry to your bud (trust me on this). The ride was awesome and we were so glad we did it. I brought my fishing gear and fished twice at the small lake. 1st day we got 3 feet-long Largemouth bass and some Bluegill, 2nd day we got 2 small bass and a large Bluegill. We cooked all the large fish and release the small one back into the lake. Overall, we had a great time and wanting to return again with more friends. I think the deals on KGB and Groupon are unbeatable, I would act fast before they stop offering discount. And honestly, I would still consider returning without discount... read more

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We had the most amazing time this weekend at Cherry Creek Lodge. This was our 3 rd visit. We so appreciate the staff that made our visit special. The food was delicious and we had fun swimming , horse riding , fishing and shooting. This is exactly what we needed to relax and forget about what's going on in the world !! read more

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I discovered this place via a Deal Chicken coupon. Having never been to this part of the state before, I bought it and hoped for the best. As another reviewer stated, take an appropriate vehicle. There are very long stretches of dirt roads and on the last stretch before reaching the lodge, we were driving through very shallow creeks. The area and the lodge are absolutely gorgeous. It's very lush and serene. Our hosts, Holly and Rick were extremely warm and welcoming. It is clear that they love what they do. We stayed in the Rustler's Roost and it was clean and comfortable. The only hiccup there was that there were some stains on our bed sheets which were off putting. Wifi is available but it is spotty. Also, the property is entirely off the grid. Everything is powered via solar and generators. We did the ATV tour with Rick and that was beautiful. It was interesting and a great way to see the property. There are a couple of spots where you might almost think you're in Colorado. If you're an animal person, there are animals aplenty. There are goats to feed, horses to ride and many dogs to pet. One of the surprising parts of our weekend was how friendly the other guests were. Generally people tend to keep to themselves but we conversed with nearly everyone staying there. The guests themselves were extremely friendly and that was a bonus as well. The only real downside are the meals available. Breakfasts are included with the rooms, lunch can be purchased for $10 and dinners for $25-$35. We did not feel the meals were a good value. It's heavy on meat as you might expect and there aren't a lot of options. Our $10 lunch was a ham sandwich on plain white bread and a bag of chips. I don't care for ham but was hungry and ate it anyway. If we were to go again, I would bring our own meals and supplement with a meal or two in town. All in all, it was a lovely weekend away. It's nice to have another weekend getaway option that isn't Jerome, Sedona, etc. If you're looking to get away, I highly recommend this place. read more

Visited CCL for a two night Groupon deal as a solo traveler. The lodge was beautiful, Beds are comfortable with nice linens. TV and Wi-Fi occasionally. Wonderful location in the middle of nowhere. Now the reason for the three star rating. The day I arrived I went on a two hour horseback ride. Before we left I asked the wrangler if we would be able to lope and she said yes in the riverbed. We didn't lope but did see a herd of Elk,beautiful scenery, with many water crossings. I was allowed to unsaddle my horse after ride. I asked for a different horse for the following day, Dotty was fine but I always ask and most of the time get a different horse to increase my riding experience. For some reason they were unable to get me a different horse even though I was the only guest and they have many other guest horses. This ride was eight hours and we again didn't do anything but walk even though we were supposed to be collecting cows. We did see Havelina, some very beautiful country, but too slow! Also the lunch was not very good because the wrangler didn't have any saddlebags it got pretty trashed in the plastic bag hooked on her saddle. The last day I wanted to ride for a couple hours but they were unable to accommodate me for whatever reason. I had five meals at the ranch and none of them were very good. One breakfast I had heels of the bread for toast as that's all they had. Was quite disappointed as I had been to the ranch twice previously and had much better meals. With many dude ranches in Arizona to choose from who do cater to their guests I won't be coming back to CCL. Happy trails and fast riding from now on. read more

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As real as it gets! I enjoyed the history of this place nestled amongst the mountains of the Sierra Anches. Beautiful timber gives way to pleasant valleys rimed with towering rock formations for miles. The activities were plenty. Trail rides, shooting, hikes, games and story telling just to name a few. The accommodations are first rate and the food fabulous. I highly recommend and know I'll be back! Unplug back to the 1880's today! read more

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We have 9 kids & had to be off our floors for 2 weeks while they were being redone. We wanted something more than camping; cruises were cost prohibitive, (as was houseboating & didn't want to cook & clean), & somewhat limiting so I started checking out dude ranches. I called 5 or 6. I was a little concerned that Arizona would be to 'deserty'... my only experience w/ AZ was the 10. I'd never been in the Tonto Ntl. Forest. From the first call Holly was personable & professional. I probably called her 7 or 8 times asking about amenities, accommodations, itineraries, etc. She put an amazing 6 day package together for us that included an all-you-can-eat rib eye steak dinner, an extensive ATV tour, skeet shooting, horseback riding, (I had Trigger), rifle/handgun shooting, pool table, use of their fishing & water equipment; along with breakfast, lunch & dinners. Oh and horseback riding/barrel racing arena time! It was scheduled for 2 hours but JR was so cool he just said "I'm here 'till you're done"! The kids rode & rode & rode! They even let us bring our own adult beverages! The road in & out w-a-s gravely & rough. Once parked we never left & that made it all the better. If you have a truck, (which I don't), you'll be fine! We were met with an array of dogs that endeared themselves to us throughout the week. When we left, Rick made sure we got out ok, as the streams were to high for our city cars to cross. Holly's daughter Heather meet us upon arrival & showed us to our accommodations. The 11 of us would not fit in the main lodge. If you're a couple or have 1 or 2 kids you'll be fine in the lodge. They gave us The Bunkhouse. Don't let the name fool you. Rustic Elegance! The kids poured into 3 or 4 high end bunk beds w/ trundles. We also had our own granite counter top kitchenette, 3 bathrooms and two private bedrooms; one w/ one K & one w/ two Qs. With the wooden decks around it, we loved our out space & felt at home & relaxed. I was a little unsure about the lake, (the kids not having a pool); I was off by a mile! They were in it every morning before 0800 & either swimming, fishing or both. We had use of their metal rowboats & paddle boat along with the floating inflatable island that also got hourly use throughout our stay. Rick made sure we had rods & tackle & my son caught & cleaned a huge bass which Holly cooked for him. The main lodge is spectacular, (think Restoration Hardware meets Country Pottery Barn). It hosts a sprawling Great Room w/ oversized leather couches, gourmet kitchen, bar, pool table, big screen AV, board games, bbq area & a large deck w/ table seating for 14 or 16, (my favorite place to eat as it overlooked the lake). Cherry Creek Lodge (my 24 yr. Old calls it "The Happiest Place On Earth") was the highlight of our summer and our kids are hoping we go back. read more

What a wonderful group of people. The place is a very very nice ranch house, with fishing, horse back riding, ATV tour, hiking, great food and more. We had a very nice time. read more

As another Yelper stated, this place gets 5 stars based on hospitality alone! Holly, Rick, and the gang are so nice and really want you to make yourselves at home and enjoy your stay. We came after purchasing a Deal Chicken voucher, and were blown away by how receiving and caring the staff was. We brought our 2 energetic little dogs and they were made to feel welcome as well. The ATV ride through the property and valley was awesome, even if the weather didn't cooperate and we couldn't cross the creek. Its beautiful country out there and just a pleasure to be out enjoying it. Thank you to "sissy" and Caleb. Breakfast came as part of the voucher deal, but Holly was nice enough to accommodate my vegetarian diet even though I failed to mention it when booking the reservation. Also, we planned on going into town to eat for dinner instead of at the lodge because town is only "6 miles down the road." But this road is long, winding, backroads that take about 20 - 30 minutes drive and at the time entailed 2 flooded creek crossings thanks to melting snow. Needless to say, upon arrival we ambushed Holly by saying we'd be eating dinner at the lodge at the last minute. She didn't miss a beat though, and again was more than accommodating to some young bucks who didn't know what they had gotten themselves into. You definitely need to drive a truck/SUV to get back there. Its a very remote location, with a beautiful scenic drive. There is plenty to do at the lodge though. It has a large, well stocked fishing pond with a paddleboat and rowboat. Behind that, lies the creek and wilderness where you can go hiking, ATVing, etc. They have chickens (whose eggs are used for breakfast), horses, stables, shooting, archery, etc. You can't get bored!!! It's also a working cattle ranch with "real, live cowboys" and I believe they do cattle drive tours when that time of year comes. Its a real piece of the Old West, and everyone is a pleasure to talk to and hear their stories. The lodge also has games, puzzles, pool table, fireplace, etc for the kids. If roughing it isn't your thing, book the Owner's Hideaway, which is a piece of luxury among the rustic setting (HUGE soaker tub, fireplace, Direct TV, etc). My dad's dream is to go on a big elk hunt and I think I found the perfect place for his trip. I hope to return one day. read more

5 Stars! Cherry Creek Lodge was a delight! The homemade food was delicious, the hospitality was warm and congenial, the setting was gorgeous and the activities were fun. It was the PERFECT location for a family reunion weekend! Thank you to the staff for being so accommodating, responsive and helpful. For our extended family, it was ideal- we are a ranching family who's ancestors come from Young and the surrounding area, so being on a working ranch was like being home. I highly recommend Cherry Creek Lodge for anyone wanting to get away and escape back to the good old ranch days- to be able to walk around the beautiful property, spend time by the lake or creek, interact with the animals, go horseback riding or ATV riding, or just relaxing in the beautiful great room of the lodge- everything was absolute perfection! Thank you for making our family reunion a big hit and a lasting memory for us. read more

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We saw a living social coupon and were checking out this area which brought us to Cherry Creek Lodge. This is the kind of place you go to and hang out in for the visit. We fed the goats, fed treats to the horses (what a hoot - they would stick the tip of their nose between the slats wiggling their lips to ask for more), saw the chickens being fed, and saw the "moving lawn mowers" cows grazing as they walked by. There were to new colts there during our visit, less than a week old. There are dogs around to pet if you like dogs, but if you don't like dogs they don't bother you (e.g. we had to call them over to pet them or tell them to come sit with us on the outside furniture). There is a lake close by you can fish in, use a paddle boat or row boat, or just sit by. You can walk around the large ranch also. Hubby went fishing for about an hour and caught 3 smaller bass that he released back into the lake. We went horse back riding. They gave Hubby Midnight, a nice gentle horse, since he had little experience riding horses and he soon relaxed and enjoyed his ride. I rode Trigger. They were well trained horses that knew what they were supposed to do and only did little "tests" (e.g. stopped for a quick snack bite or asked to go another way), but quickly responded when you told them what you wanted them to do. The main area was very comfortable, with big leather seating (couches and chairs) and a big screen TV. There was a large wrap around porch with seating on two sides. There were two large tables inside - you could sit where you wanted for meals (outside, inside, with the group, by yourself). Tall ceilings, lots of woodwork, made for a nice lodge feeling. Wifi worked fine on my iphone in the room and main areas of the lodge, but my laptop couldn't get onto wifi - however my laptop is fussy and doesn't work at home on wifi often, so it might have just been the laptop. They gave us the owners retreat, a wonderful very large room with tall ceilings and wood work all over and a huge gorgeous bathroom (huge deep soaking tub and huge shower). Food was good, all served family style like it would be at home. It is like eating at someone's house, so like someone else said if you have specific food needs, bring some food of your own (you can warm things in the microwave and bring your own cooler for your room). Snacks including fruit were always available. There was a bar (where you paid for items) with soda, wines, and beers. The creeks were not high when we were there, but you couldn't make it with a low car, especially since there are often some large rocks in the streams (that you could move if you needed to, about the size of a large football). The dirt road between payson & young was well graded. If you call before hand they can tell you how tall the creek is (couple inches, six inches, ...). The hosts: Holly is #1, but helping her are Rick, Heather, Caleb, Leslie, and Pete who leads hunts if you are interested. This is their home and they love it and will answer all your questions. If you want to socialize, they are there. If you want alone time, they are not offended. The main area is large enough you can hang with others or find a quiet spot for just yourselves. read more

Words can't express how awesome of an experience we had at Cherry Creek Lodge. It's not just the beautiful lodge, but it's the hospitality and warmth of Holly, Rick, Heather and Caleb. We were made to feel like family from the moment we walked in. The food was great and plentiful -- one of the best steaks I ever had in my life was our treat Sat night. And breakfast? Be still my heart -- I'd come back just for Holly's biscuits and gravy. We can't wait until our next trip to the Lodge -- and there WILL be another trip to the Lodge. read more

I took a very special friend here and besides the sheer beauty of everything there the people were awesome. I have never felt so welcome I wish I had time to write more but I just bought another pass to go back. read more

We came to Cherry Creek Lodge worn out and stressed out. We left relaxed, happy and truly satisfied with our experience! We were greeted on arrival by Sherry the Lodge manager and Cory and Brittany ranch hands. Our room was cozy and perfectly clean. We stayed in the Rustlers Roost I believe it was called which is the private little cabin down by the Barn. Cory and Brittany took us riding the next day and it was a fantastic time, they have great horses and Cory commands the ride and horses to make the adventure safe and fun. We also went fishing and a friend of the family Kyle helped us unhook our fish! Then Saturday Night we met the cattle boss Brent, who is a true cowboy, heart and soul and a gentleman. He took us down to the range and taught my husband how to shoot, but most importantly, he taught him how to be safe handling a gun. Oh, and don't let me forget the absolute excellence of Sheri's cooking! You will not go hungry up there. She made fresh eggs, toast, sausage, pancakes, etc for our breakfast and the Saturday night dinner was a beautiful rib eye steak straight off their farm with all the fixings a delicious fresh salad and more. I highly recommend this Lodge to anyone who needs a comfortable, relaxing vacation out in the fresh air! The people at the lodge are gracious, professional, and truly good down to earth people, who treat you just like family. You must visit Cherry Creek Lodge, it will restore your soul! Eat, Live and Vacation Well! read more

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I found a living social deal for this place & decided to take my husband there for our anniversary. Our room was clean & comfortable. Holly, Rick, Heather, Caleb & Slim made sure we felt welcome. Holly made sure our tummy's were full every morning & night with biscuits & gravy, pancakes, apple fritters, smores, prime rib, cowboy beans & mexican food. We go to feed their goats, which would yell, "Mom" when you'd yell, "kids". They have a little rowboat & a paddleboat you can use to go out on the lake & fish, but I caught a 5lb large mouth bass from the shore, with a bobber & a worm. I don't eat fish, but everyone said that fish was delish. We are going back in October 2012 to do their zombie apocolypse shooting range with exploding targets. I would recommend this place to anyone, young or old, families or couples. We had a blast & made friends. read more

My husband and I stayed there for 2 nights. I cannot tell you enough how wonderful it was!! Holly and Rick are such wonderful hosts at the lodge. Everything that you could possibly want was provided for you. The lodge is really secluded, but that is exactly what we needed, and once you are there you don't need to go anywhere for anything. They have fishing, horseback riding, ATVs, TV, Pooltable, just everything you could possibly want. You really have to go there to experience how wonderful and relaxing it is! The meals are amazing also! Everybody there will make you feel at home from the 1st minute that you arrive. read more

There were 6 in our party 3 adults and 3 kids, after speaking with Holly about our accommodations, we were given the Bunk House....it was AMAZING. There were super friendly dogs that the kids enjoyed. The tire swing was another popular spot. There were two Mares and their Colts however that helped made our weekend fabulous...they decided that the little grassy lawn in front of the bunkhouse was their hang out spot and one of the colts even stole a shoe (which the hound dog returned)! The trail ride was really fantastic and Caleb was very good about making sure the less experienced riders in our group were doing okay, the scenery was absolutely breathtaking. Holly was nothing short of AMAZING!!! She truly seems to enjoy getting to know her guests, she let the girls collect eggs and make dessert breads for guests; Caleb let the youngest two of our party help feed the horses and goats at the end of the day. Rick was awesome too, and made sure that the mares and colts weren't being a nuisance (as if that were possible). Heather brought over puppies to play with and chatted with us about lots of things. By the end of the weekend, we all offered to come back and work if Holly and Rick ever needed time off, and NO ONE wanted to go home...being back at work Monday morning really was a huge drag. Our weekend at Cherry Creek Lodge was so incredibly relaxing and entertaining all at the same time. We are planning a couples only trip in the near future and a HUGE family gathering too. read more

We bought a Groupon for 2 nights at Cherry Creek Lodge including a $100 credit for meals or activities. It included 2 breakfasts. We were celebrating 3 milestones: birthday, anniversary, retirement, and like someone else said, hoped for the best. Our weekend far exceeded our expectations! The over 55,000 acre ranch was absolutely gorgeous; the food was scrumptious, and the other guests fun . There were s'mores by the campfire, impromptu singing and guitar music, bull riding (on TV), horseback riding, ATV tours, fishing, shooting, hunting, and more. What a great way to spend a relaxing weekend! I want to go back NOW. read more

We received a gift certificate for one night, breakfast, and a 2hr. trail ride. This was our anniversary gift from our daughter and son-in-law. Half the fun of the lodge is just getting there! We were greeted and treated like family from the start to the end. The lodge is perfect, our room was perfect and our trail ride was the best one we had ever been on! We arrived late in the afternoon and after getting there we decided not to go back in to Young for dinner, so Holly insisted on fixing us a bite to eat and we accepted. The area is rich in Arizona history and the hosts are knowledgeable on the area. We had such a great time we are in the planning stages of another visit with family in the spring! Ron and Marty K. read more