We were blessed enough to be invited to celebrate a Christmas party at this venue and had an absolute blast! It was beautifully decorated and we felt a tremendous amount of joy and peace just walking around admiring the beautiful wooden buildings and their architecture with carefully placed decorations all over. They had several fires going which just added so much warmth and comfort to the already uplifting scenery. We were fortunate enough to sit down near one of the owners and got the chance to speak with him for a while. He was very welcoming and warm person and we happily thanked him for having us at his beautiful establishment. We also got the chance to visit and pet some of the animals! (with permission) It was a big highlight for us last year during the holiday season and we hope to be able to visit again someday! read more

My 11-year-old son attended Rawhide Ranch for a one-week summer camp. As part of the camp's policy, children do not have access to electronics or direct communication with parents during their stay. Prior to camp, we arranged a simple system where he could signal me through a snack purchase if he needed help. Early on the third day, he used that signal. I called the camp and did not receive a response. After approximately eight hours, I called again and requested to speak with the camp director, I was eventually connected with the camp director, who indicated there had been an issue earlier that day involving my son and wrong medication being given. After insisting, I was allowed to speak with my son. He was clearly distressed and informed me that he had been given the wrong medication that morning. Instead of his usual over-the-counter allergy medication, he was given a high-dose antidepressant not prescribed to him and not intended for a child his age. According to the information provided to me, staff at the health office realized the error and attempted to have him self induce vomiting with a spoon, (he was instructed to stick the spoon down his throat), which was unsuccessful. They then contacted poison control for guidance. At no point during this process was I notified. After speaking with my son, I decided to pick him up immediately. When I arrived, I found communication from staff to be limited, and I was unable to get clear or detailed information about the incident despite asking direct questions. I requested to speak with the camp director, who eventually met with me. During that interaction, I found his demeanor to be notably nonchalant given the circumstances. The situation--a child being given the wrong medication and the parent not being notified--was presented in a way that did not reflect the level of concern I would have expected. When I attempted to ask for clarification and express concern about what had happened, the conversation became extremely tense. There was a clear difference in how seriously the situation was being viewed, and the discussion escalated into a heated verbal exchange. Given the lack of clear communication and the response to what I consider a serious safety issue, I made the decision to withdraw my son from the camp that same night. Following the incident, I contacted the camp multiple times. I was initially told that a refund would not be provided, though I was offered a credit for a future summer. After further communication, I did receive a refund. I also attempted to reach out to members of the organization's leadership to share concerns about the incident. This experience was extremely concerning, particularly given the seriousness of a medication error involving a child and the lack of timely parent notification. read more

My daughter's first experience here with her girl scout troop was amazing because there were two troop leaders/parents with them. After my daughter's experience with her troop I was very excited to send her for a week during the summer. My daughter and two of her friends signed up for session 8. When I picked her up after their performance on Friday my daughter was balling; sobbing uncontrollably. She had the worst experience. She and her two friends were harassed and bullied by another cabin mate for four days. When my daughter asked to call home both the nurse and the 18 year old assigned to her cabin to support the girls told her no. My daughter told me this girl constantly told them to shut up, would follow them during electives and sit with them just to talk down to my daughter and bully her. This girl was beyond nasty and mean spirited. I called the ranch and spoke to Will. He told me he needed to investigate what happened. He told me after talking to the counselor and her supervisor my daughter was the problem the first day during a group photo and her tone needed to be corrected in regards to how someone should speak to another person. I asked him was this incident before or after my daughter stood up for her friend that was being bullied by their cabin mate. The group photo of course was after the first bullying incident. There was nothing about my conversation with Will that sat well with me. He accused me of withholding information because I told him I did not want to get the other families involved without their permission. My daughter is an amazing girl; anyone who meets her will say that. I feel very lucky each and every day that I am her mother. The experience she had at this camp was beyond disappointing considering the amount of money they charge families. It is insane to me children are denied the ability to call home. The counselors need to be trained on how to work with pre teen girls and not just ignore problems. The counselor was extremely inexperienced and lacked the confidence I believe one needs to support a cabin with eight girls. After my conversation with Will, I do not think this is uncommon at the ranch. I think there is not enough supervision, and the counselors are not trained enough nor supervised themselves considering how young they are. There is a constitution the girls sign yet are allowed to bully and harass whomever they choose with no consequences. My daughter spent more time cleaning pens and shoveling crap then riding horses. I WOULD NEVER send my daughter back to this camp unless it is a girl scout activity with adults she knows. read more

This review is specifically for their annual Christmas Event. We have been coming for the last two years and I am always so impressed. The atmosphere is so festive and everyone is so friendly. The kids have the best time and the activities are super fun for them. Love the rodeo show also. If I could give one feedback for improvement it would be the BBQ. Could have been better but otherwise a solid 5 stars for the most magical Christmas Event in North County. read more

Rawhide Ranch - Christmas Event at the Ranch - Horseback Riding Near Me - Bonsall, California

Our child was abused at this camp. He was held down by multiple "camp counselors" because he refused to shower when they told him to do so. The sequence of events was that they sounded the alarm to have all campers return to their tents (including our little one's older brother.) These "counselors" then striped our barely 8 year old child, who was too embarrassed to shower in a group setting, down to his underwear with one person holding his shoulders and one his feet under the running water while everyone outside the bathrooms heard him screaming in terror. Nobody did a thing. The owner of this camp said that he had NO KNOWLEDGE of this until after the incident, at which time he called us, with some half truths of "something happened" to our child. Being 1.5 hrs away we anxiously awaited his call and were later told what really happened upon pick up we had an in office meeting about it. The owner seemed mortified by the behavior of his "employees" who were on a visas from numerous other countries to "work for him for the summer"; but we were assured that he would take the matter seriously. Upon follow up, he did the opposite. He changed his attitude completely and went into defensive mode. Never caring anymore that OUR CHILD WAS GENUINELY ABUSED. It was not just disheartening, but also very weird...The story to this day has never wavered; from our son's mouth nor from witnesses. He still suffers from the consequences today (both at home and school) and is sometimes crippled with anxiety because of what happened at Rawhide Ranch. As parents we are still navigating this delicate issue but if we can speak out to help shield others from this experience, we want to do so. The owner (especially being a father himself) handled the matter about as horribly as anyone ever could. Never has he ever bothered to check up on our son. I hope that this post helps parents protect their children as I failed to do so by having ours attend this camp! I should have been brave enough to post it sooner!!! read more

We had an amazing time here with our Girl Scout trip. It was a memorable weekend for all of the girls and we will definitely be back (hopefully for a summer camp next time!) Gatorade was good. Daisy and Sterling were the best horses. Bathrooms were nice same with school house. Buttermilk is no longer here, it's now moolon. Cool gravestones and old western theme. Cute souvenirs at Country shop. read more

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My son just turned 10 and came here for the 1st time this year. Yes, as parents we were terrified as it was his 1st "sleep-over" with out us. I grew up "wild" in the Midwest so I know the value of nature/horses/chores and sleeping in cabins and tents. My son had a great time and he wants to go back next year. My only nit-pick is the John Wayne voice over at the kids show (parents pick-up day). A horse goes around the horse-ring with a rider carrying a very large American-flag (ok fine) but the John Wayne voice-over was too much for those of us with grandparents & granduncles who ACTUALLY fought in WW2, Wayne should have served at least state side in WW2 & did not. He should not be used as an example for kids to emulate. Our current President got out of Vietnam & Wayne got out of WW2. Better examples would be John McCain, Jimmy Stewart and others. The camp itself is really quite charming and a mini-western town. read more

This is truly one of the best places to attend during the summer! Daily riding, cute baby goats, archery, swimming, & more! Rawhide Ranch is more than just a horseback riding camp, it is a community of kind and funny animal loving counselors and campers! I have been here twice - Girl Scout Weekend and Summer Camp Both were amazing experiences! Each day during summer camp campers get to choose from a variety of electives: Archery, Laser Tag, Riflery, Rock Climbing, Vaulting, Arts & Crafts, Swimming, & more! Riding lessons are 45 minutes a day - 15 minutes of the lesson are spent putting bridal and bear back pad on horses. Only around 30 minutes of actual time on horse. Not the place to go if you're looking for a 100% equestrian camp. Animal Care is twice a day - campers get to feed and give water to animals and clean up their waste. Only around a thousand dollars per week, which is a lot more affordable then other sleep away camps! It is definitely good pricing for having so many animals to take care of! Camp can have and educational value as well with daily animal and horse science classes. Campers have the opportunity to earn "ranks" through taking written tests on their knowledge of horses, stock-farm, archery, etc. The "ranks" are well deserved and allow campers to have special abilities next time they attend such as access to animal pens, more advanced riding, etc Counselors are great, there are around 9-10 campers : 1 counselor for the cabins. Bathroom situation isn't the best as there are no in cabin bathrooms. Shower and overall bathroom time is limited to five minutes, which is understandable. Campers have multiple opportunities throughout the day to show, during coffee breaks, cabin time in the evening, and sometimes after lunch cabin time. The bathrooms are located right next to the cabins. Plenty of breaks are offered through the day 3- 30 minute coffee breaks (Were campers can buy snacks and drinks), 1 hour after lunch cabin time, and a good amount of sleep every night. The food is decent but is not very picky eater friendly. There is a salad bar during lunch and dinner with fruit and salad. There are cereal and bagel options available during breakfast in addition to the regularly served meal. Food includes, breakfast sandwich, pancakes, waffles, burger, sandwich, pizza, spaghetti, etc. The place is set up like an old western town and is very charming and rustic looking. Everyone dresses in jeans, boots, and cowboy hats to fit the vibe. read more

My daughter is a Girl Scout and she went with her troop. I must say she came home raving about everything. She's 13 and had a blast. She wished she would have more time riding horses but who doesn't. I'm happy she was able to experience Rawhide Ranch and thank you for the wonderful memories. read more

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Over scheduled and micromanaged. Riding instruction was particularly bad. Kids had very limited time to ride and were not allowed to touch the animals. Instructors were bossy, mean, tense and not terribly knowledgeable. Vaulting team was better but still limited time with animals. Point of a ranch is to learn how to interact with animals, not be prohibited from doing so. Do not recommend. read more

Rawhide Ranch is the best! Our 9 yr old daughter recently attended overnight camp for the first time from Sunday - Friday. The whole experience was magical. It is set up like an old western town. Without going into too many of the details (I loved experiencing the town for the first time at drop-off), if your son or daughter is a little bit country and loves horses, Rawhide is for them! I think what I loved the most was that the kids appeared to have a lot of autonomy - it didn't seem like they were micromanaged as a lot of camps are. It was a safe place for our daughter to have a little bit of independence away from us. The show the kids were all a part of at the end of the week was so much fun. We parents got to see how much our kids learned. It was a blast. There's so much I could say but the bottom line is that I would absolutely recommend Rawhide Ranch. I wish every child could have this experience. Thank you to our camp counselor, Lisa, and everyone else at the Ranch who pours their heart and soul into making it such a special place. Memories for a lifetime are made there. Until next time... read more

I am surprised to read any positive reviews for this run-down camp. I just returned from a mother/daughter weekend there and couldn't believe how filthy it was and how they could operate in such disrepair. The cabins had 4 bunk beds that were old and rickety and terribly uncomfortable for an adult. The cabin felt like it would collapse in a rain storm and the concrete floors probably haven't been swept in 10 years. I can't imagine what the cabins are like in the hot summer months with no air flow. The food was worse than a school cafeteria. Nothing was made on site and they portioned out a plate for you from a warming oven - not surprising, the food was barely warm. Absolutely disgusting and no accommodations for any children who mentioned that they were vegan or lactose intolerant. The snack shack had only bulk-bought processed items, which ended up being what many kids survived on for food. The young staff over-explained every activity, which felt like they were stalling on purpose, to avoid giving the kids more than one chance to do an activity. The poor barn animals seemed dirty and neglected, which makes me wonder if they ever get inspected. All of the facades made of wood were rotting and the indoor horse arena had years of dust and cobwebs everywhere. I wish that I could find something positive to say about this place, but it just had such an "ick" factor. They need to burn half of that place to the ground and rebuild something more inhabitable. read more

We have taken my daughter's Girl Scout troop to Rawhide twice this year, and I went when I was a scout as well. Her troop ages are 12-13 for reference. The girls had a great experience at Rawhide, we highly recommend this camp for any troops who are looking for weekend experiences. The program is fun and very well organized. The staff are skilled and connect well with the kids, and they did such a great job that I was able to have free time and relax while the girls participated in the program. It's a great choice for adults who want to relax as well! The girls also really liked the food, the meals were kid friendly but good quality. They accommodate vegetarians as well. This weekend camp is appropriate for girls of all riding abilities, they are accustomed to helping first time riders. read more

Just returned from a trip with our homeschool group. We had a blast. The kids were excited to be out with the animals, feeding, grooming and cleaning up the . The kids loved the activities. There is archery, horseback riding, vaulting, rock climbing and playing games with the staff in the big covered arena. Highly suggest requesting the School House as they are the best (least rustic) accommodations available and have the bathroom/shower facilities very near by. There are many western themed options, a fort, covered wagon train, teepees and the school house. Kids don't really care but as an adult I'd go with the SH. Coop (general manager) and his staff were great. As a parent you want to feel comfortable/confident that your kids are safe and in good hands while away at camp. The staff in the kitchen were really nice too. The food provided was better than expected for a camp. Very kid friendly options as my child is a picky eater, always something available. The two girls in the kitchen were always asking if our group needed anything and if the food was good. That's appreciated. I don't recall the names of the staff other than Michael and SJ. They all were very hospitable and friendly. Great team Coop! read more

Brought my daughters' Girl Scout troops back to Rawhide Ranch this weekend (last time, they were 7-9 yrs old; this time, 9-11) after great memories from coming here 2 years ago, and overall, we had a really good time - riding, vaulting (like gymnastics on a big, patient draft horse), animal care (feeding and cleaning up after the ponies, goats and sheep), animal science and horse science classes, making leather keychains, archery, campfire, games, etc. On a positive note, the staff is super friendly (especially, Deanne, who was SO cheerful and amazing!), the property is really charming, and the programs are generally very good, but I have to say that the overall experience wasn't as good as when we came 2 years ago. Why? 1. Not enough riding - last time, the girls got to ride 2x (Sat. & Sun.), vault 2x (Sat. and Sun) and ride or vault again during the horse show on Sunday. This time, was just 1 riding lesson and one vaulting session on Sat. - that's it (they said it was 1-1/2 hrs now, instead of two 45 min sessions before, but we liked it better before. 2. Adults no longer get to ride - that was such a cool feature! The price for 2 chaperones/group is now 1/2 price, but I missed not being able to ride. 3. They eliminated the "horse show" at the end on Sunday. Parents got to show up; kids got to perform, and ribbons were awarded. This was one of our highlights of the weekend. Now it ended w/ lunch, which seemed very anti-climactic. 4. For a place that caters to Girl Scout troops, there were a lot of "old fashioned" signs around the property that said things like "all my heroes are cowboys," "no women in the bar," "no ladies after 10 pm" "gentlemen only in the lobby," etc. I'm honestly not easily offended, but the mere quantity of these signs rubbed me the wrong way the first time, and bugged me even more this time. They're really not so cute; I think it's time to update them, especially considering your clientele. 5. Food wasn't as good this time; wasn't terrible, and definitely catered to the kids, who were generally content w/ it (liked that at least there was a "salad bar," with some fruit and veggie options), but for example, the fried chicken 2 yrs ago was SO much better than the frozen variety pizza and burgers which were served this year. Also, would appreciate losing the non eco-friendly Styrofoam. Why not have everyone bring reusable water bottles? 6. There were 3 sessions of "animal care" - but all involved only feeding and cleaning up poop, no grooming, which is one of their favorite things to do (after riding). Overall, the girls had fun, and I would still definitely recommend it if your kids like horses and are looking for camp and/or lessons, but we would have liked it even more w/ issues listed above addressed. Like they say at Rawhide Ranch, Yee-haw! read more

Rawhide Ranch - Not a fan of all the old-fashioned signs - "no women at the bar," "gentlemen only in the lobby," "no ladies after 10," etc - Horseback Riding Near Me - Bonsall, California

Amazing!! Best camp ever...wish we were there for more than a weekend with our Adventure Guides expedition. The staff is exceptional, the food is great, the theming is top notch and who doesn't love animal time/experiences. Can't wait to return... read more

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This review is long overdue but Rawhide Ranch has changed my life. I have been a camper for the past seven years now and every time I go I learn something new. It is a great place for kids to learn new things, have fun, and grow as a person. The staff is so understanding and kind and the western feel around the camp makes you feel like you have escaped into a new world. There are plenty of things to do throughout the day and grow into "ranks" as you get older and want to participate more. Rawhide Ranch is truly a home away from home. read more

I love Rawhide. My daughter has been going to the summer camp for 6 years so far and plans to continue until she's old enough to be a counselor. Lots of animal time, no pressure to get through the steps of the classes to earn levels unless they want to do it. We really love that she loves her time at Rawhide. read more

An amazing ranch and very well-organized camp experience. Took our 4th grade Girl Scout troop there and left with a lifetime of terrific memories. The camp demonstrated terrific leadership, care, and pride. The activities were hands-on and experiential. The camp culture is embraced and celebrated. The facilities are top-notch. The price/value is great and there is no idle time ... they keep you busy learning and having fun. A highly recommended experience for youngsters. read more

So, I went to see my niece in the horse show, and it was still very much the same as it was when I used to go, but they have relaxed their standards a bit. They still have different levels of ridership that campers can achieve by passing tests, but when I was there, the riders in the more advanced categories (Buckaroo and Wrangler) seemed much better than they were this summer. The most disappointing thing was that they have all the campers doing vaulting at a walk, even the B-team and A-team (the advanced groups). When I was there, even the beginners did it at a jog (or a slow trot), they just did some very simple maneuvers. The B-team also did their tricks at a jog, but with more advanced routines. The A-teamers did vaulting at a lope! Now even the A-team did their routine at a walk! This was probably most disappointing because vaulting was my thing when I was there, but it seems much more exciting to do it at a jog. I don't think it's all that more dangerous, and I don't know if it is a liability issue or if there is some other reason they have changed it, but these are the main reasons I downgraded it to 4 stars. Bottom line, I think it's still a great summer camp (my niece still had a great time), but if the kids really want to learn to ride or vault, the standards have relaxed quite a bit, so they may not be as challenged as they were in the past. read more

This place was awesome my niece got to co w here for a week and she built an awesome bond with the animals and people who went and worked here! Thank you for the experience read more

I was there for three days with my school and dad the staff is amazing they all love their job they are not too serious or too laid back they keep you safe and teach you how to do everything you need, the animals were very well trained, very nice, and looked very happy, the food was decent and the showers weren't super clean. read more

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Just know if it is your child's first year, they won't do much but clean up after the animals. Riding time increases as you go each year. My daughter basically spent her summer cleaning up goat poop. She met nice girls, though. read more

Quite simply...Rawhide Ranch is my daughter's favorite place to go in the world. We first visited RR as a girl scout mother/daughter weekend with our 7 year olds. As you can imagine, 17 Manhattan Beach little girls and their mothers were quite surprised at the "old dusty western town" atmosphere that we were entering on Friday night. However, by Sunday afternoon, our little city girls were able to ride horses (some of which had never been on a horse), vault (perform a simple gymnastic routine, a task that none of the girls had previously experienced) or show a horse (present a horse and make it move in a defined pattern). The progress that was made with each girls in that weekend was nothing short of amazing. The girls (and moms) had such a nice time that we chose to make the weekend trip again the following year. During our second weekend stay, some of the girls noticed that RR had a summer stay away camp. My daughter begged to go for a week. As you can imagine sending an 8 year old away for a week without being able to speak to her was a little scary. However, based on our past experience with the counselors and management staff, I felt comfortable that my daughter was in good hands. Needless to say, she had the time of her life. My daughter is now 13 years old. She has gradually increased her time at RR's summer camp to 4 weeks in the summer and 1 week of winter camp. She also goes to every "Spotlight Weekend" that works with her schedule. She has also advanced through the riding and stockfarm ranks and has acquired a working knowledge of animal care (horses, goats, cows, pigs and chickens) to the point that she can tell you more that you will ever need to know about the different parts of animals, what they eat and how to prevent and cure various illnesses. The hands on lessons and experience that she has been given at RR have become invaluable to her, and have truly cemented the desire in her to become a veterinarian. In all the time that my daughter has spent at RR, she has never had a bad counselor. The management and administrative staff could not be more helpful. All of the trainers are patient, and in general, every member of the staff take every opportunity to make both the campers and their parents feel welcome, special and important. In addition, my daughter has made some exceptional friendships at RR that continue throughout the year. I have, and will continue to recommend Rawhide Ranch as a wonderful overall experience for children and families...YEE HAW!!! read more

Had such an amazing time with my daughters Girl Scout troop that she begged to do a sleep away summer camp there! It was an amazing experience! read more

Year 5 for us and my camper's excitement grows every year - truly a wonderful place especially for teens to remove them from the digital world and get down and dirty with nature. The staff are amazingly responsive and caring - I never worry while she's here - yee haw!!! read more

When I was in 6th grade I went here on a class field trip for a weekend. It was one of my most memorable times I had in grade school! I still remember how awesome this place is read more

Our family recently went to their Family Camp weekend. We arrived and checked in Friday night. When we first got to the teepee we would be staying in, I was a bit concerned that the door was only a flap and would be accessible to anyone (and anything) the entire weekend. (That's why they insist that you do not bring any valuables) My kids were a bit concerned when they saw a spider and that they had to walk through the grounds to bathrooms and showers (city kids). The first night, sleeping in our brand new sleeping bags on slightly dusty bunks, the sounds of nature outside our teepee seemed a little too close. Every movement of our teepee's door flap made us jump just a little. We started the next morning very early - literally at the crack of dawn. All I wanted was a hot cup of coffee and my warm bed. I got my hot coffee, but I would have to wait for the weekend to be over until I would see my warm bed again. We took a walk around the grounds and visited the animals in their pens. Little did my 9 year old know that she would be shoveling after them and feeding them hay and water right after breakfast. The day was spent tending to the animals, learning about them, climbing their climbing wall, vaulting (doing gymnastic moves on top of a gigantic horse), and horseback riding. In between each of the activities, we hung out, had popsicles, played table tennis or foosball, and just enjoyed each others' company. Not once, did the kids complain about not having their devices and games; nor did they worry about how dirty they were. My city kids had the time of their lives. After a great BBQ dinner, we went out to the campfire to sing songs and have s'mores. They were so happily exhausted by the end of the first day, they were sound asleep in our teepee before 8:30. The following day, we rotated through another great set of activities. Among them were crafts, cooking, archery, and tending to the animals. My daughter's favorite was getting to wash and groom the horse that she rode the previous day. Her new BFF. Needless to say, the kids definitely want to go back for the summer program. The staff was very friendly and helpful. There is a family feeling between the staff which makes you feel very comfortable and right at home. City kids will be exposed to something they don't get very often - if at all. One of the best benefits of all, time will slow down a little and the family can really enjoy each other all without the help of modern tech. read more

I am so disappointed. My daughter has been wanting to go for 3 years and finally we are in town long enough to go. I found a Groupon and went for it. There was a technicality that I didn't notice when I made the purchase that the week she could attend is for girls 11-16 and she is only 10. The ranch was completely unwilling to help in any way. Would not even let me pay the difference to pay full price in the end!! Now I am stuck with $579 at Groupon!! So upset. read more

you can't build or recreate what they have here. ultra incredible staff, i mean, they obviously love their jobs. your kids have to do this place at least once. very peaceful. read more

This place is really great for your family if you want to take them out for a good time there is plenty of to do and there's a lot of great people here and great food to if you can imagine that there is also music and some kind of they're is even Cowboys everywhere read more

My 11 year old son had never been around horses before his week at Rawhide Ranch but he assimilated into cowboy life perfectly! He really liked his counselor, his cabin mates, horse Bandit and goat, Templeton. He's eager to return next summer! read more

I cannot say enough positive things about Rawhide! I will forever recommend Rawhide to friends and family, and I will keep bringing my daughter back summer after summer! She has so much fun and is learning responsibility at the same time. The staff is wonderful! read more

I grew up going here and this camp has changed my life. The people here are so amazing and they have so much care in there hearts. At rawhide, my home away from home, I was able to grow and make friends that will last a life time! I extremely recommend Rawhide to anyone who wants to have a good time for there kids. read more

amazing!!!!!!!! the counselours are so funny, and i'm studying college level veterinary science (for the rank of rancher) and i'm the youngest one to do so!!!! i'm such a brat!! u can ride, vault, shoot arrows and rifles, throw tomahawks, take care of adorable goats and other animals, climb their climbing wall, swim arts and crafts, and SSSOOOO much more. i've been there 7 times, but that's nothing compared to a friend of mine who's been there seven times in on summer!! i made so many friends there. i hope that i can be well known there. my favorite goat(s) there are montoya and templeton. My fav horse there is Shadow. My fav cows are barbie and sassie (please say with british accent). my fav electives there are probably archery and drama. my fav counselors there are all of them. My ranks: drivers liscense, buckaroo and farmer. awesome place!!!! read more

Whatever this place used to be...it is NO Longer. I went in with pretty low expectations after interactions with the new director, Scott Koop. He set my expectations about right for the experience...unresponsive to the needs of participants, he would not directly address issue of accepting money for one package, then changing(reducing benefits) the terms after depositing our checks. What was provided as food was barely edible...some dry, old, salty brown stuff for 'taco meat'. And of course, every opportunity to make a little more money off the campers by opening their 'store'. There was a round, blond woman who barked at campers and moms and set an ultimatum that if I went to check on my child getting her horse, she would not allow/provide a horse for me to ride...I chose checking the safety of my child. Safety was another issue, there were messages and warnings of safety hazards throughout the site - fences and decks near breaking, bleacher seats balanced precariously at top of hills...I'd understand an area or specific need of repair, but this was throughout the facility. It was a 2 night weekend and I saw people in other troops leaving after the 1st night. The only reason we stayed and went was so the kids could stay with their friends, but then left before we had to have our last meal there so we could get some actual food offsite. The one positive note is that most of the younger people working there believed in what they were doing and tried to make it a pleasant despite the issues. Overall, the place is in need of repair and current/new management is clearly prioritizing the bottom line over the quality of the facility and experience for visitors. read more

A life changing experience. Parents...it is not just fun and games (though there is a lot of that involved). It is also about learning about animals, including taking care of them for 30 minutes twice a day (this includes feeding, watering, and scooping the you know what). There are a ton of places you can send a kid to "just have fun." Rawhide is not a "just have fun" camp. It is about fun, but with a special emphasis on, teaching, and demonstrating important life skills and values in a way that is understandable, desirable and attainable. As well as having a TON of fun, riding horses, swimming, doing archery, climbing the tower, campfires and games, they learn the importance of things like HARD WORK, RESPONSIBLILTY, INTEGRITY, RESPECT, COMMUNITY, and PERSONAL GROWTH. Their desire is that your child not just have a memorable experience, but that that experience helps them in becoming a better person. And it works. Rawhide was started in 1964 and had 3rd generation campers participate this past summer. My kids are 2nd generation "Ranch Hands," as I grew up going to Rawhide as well, and credit it for much of who I am today. read more

i went about two weeks ago and it was one of the best experiences of my life. i stayed with sam and jaimey in pawnee which is one of the teepees and im going back august 4th through the tenth. the food was great and the activities were awesome. the sleeping areas were really comfortable and they just changed their age limit to 17!! rawhide ranch 2013!!! read more

My family has been coming to Rawhide Ranch since the 1980s. We were so excited to send our 10-year-old daughter and an 8-year-old son this summer. It was everything we expected it to be! It was awesome!! My daughter suffered from homesickness the first day. (of course, it was her first sleep away camp.) On the rest of the days, all the fun and excitement took her breath away. She ended up forgetting about her homesickness. Their merch is adorable! Rawhide has many fans, stuffed animal horses, and cute T-shirts! Responsible counselors sleep in the same cabins as your children. My kids loved counselor Emily, and counselor Kyle. The horses are also very nice! My daughter had a lazy horse named Yukon and my son rode Apple Jack. The classes taught my children so much! Horse science in the pony barn showed my kids how to mount a horse. In the pony barn, my kids also learned the parts of a saddle. At animal science in the E-Z Stockfarm, boys and girls learn about the parts of the goat. Riding had to be my sons favorite! He loved Apple Jack. My daughter either loved riding or vaulting the most. Last but not least, the show at the end of camp was amazing! You can win a trophy, a first place ribbon, a second place ribbon, or third place ribbon. In the end, all kids get a horse show ribbon. Everyone in my family loves Rawhide Ranch! read more

Our daughter is 11 this was her first time away from us for more than one night. She is an only child and not very independent. We drove down to see the ranch before we signed up. She is a hotel snob was concerned about sleeping in a bunk bed. The ranch is worth visiting - it's setup like an old Western town, and was started 50 year ago. We brought her own sleeping, pillow, stuffed animal and LED flight light, so that made it more like home. She wrote us four letters telling during camp and said us she's used to it, and wants to stay. She begged us to take her back for another week. The counselors helped us carry her things to the cabin, and we wondered if we should tip them at the end of the week. We debated sending her, due to the costs, but now know we will send her back again next summer. You get a discount if you sign up in January. The staff said it takes a village, and they do not encourage tipping. We are grateful for the ranch! read more