A Private Mountain Ranch Above Ojai

Stay in a private Ojai mountain valley with Albert—the beloved rescue camel whose joyful personality has captured hearts around the world. Rancho Grande is a 200-acre off-grid guest ranch and animal sanctuary surrounded by Los Padres National Forest, about 30 minutes above Ojai. Choose the two-bedroom Cowboy Cabin or one of two secluded safari tents, meet hundreds of friendly animals, hike, swim, fish, paddle and end the day beneath a sky full of stars. Guest stays also help Rancho Grande offer complimentary Home on the Range weekends to families whose children are undergoing active cancer treatment.

Snowy days at the ranch

Snow-covered Rancho Grande mountain landscape with Howard Creek, trees, fencing and a small green-roofed ranch building.
Snow-covered mountains under a partly cloudy sky with a fencing in the foreground.

Rancho Grande is an off-grid Ojai ranch adventure tucked into a private, four-season mountain valley. Across 200 acres, animals wander freely, pink sunsets stop you in your tracks and families rediscover the pleasure of being fully present. Feed a goat, hug a pig, ride an electric mountain bike along a forest trail or gather by the fire to count shooting stars. Wild, peaceful and full of heart, this is a place to reconnect—with nature, with animals and with one another.

A greenhouse with a metal roof and glass walls sits on snowy ground with mountains in the background and a bright blue sky with some clouds overhead.

Rancho Grande is a voice for animals

When you visit, you’re not just escaping to nature — you’re stepping into a living sanctuary, Rescued goats, abandoned pigs, alpacas, dogs, roosters, and more — all now thriving in a place where they have a forever home and are safe, cared for, and deeply loved. Quietly and consistently, Rancho Grande supports the local community too — helping struggling animal owners with food, donating to animal shelters, and giving a voice to the animals who don’t have one.

Two spring-fed ponds at Rancho Grande surrounded by trees, pasture and rolling Ojai mountain hills.
A goat with curved horns standing behind a wire fence on a farm, with another goat in the foreground.
Close-up of the backs of two pigs, one with brown and black fur and the other with grey skin, standing in front of a wire fence with hay behind it.
Several ducks swimming in a body of water near the shoreline with branches and leaves.
Albert the camel standing with two goats in an open Rancho Grande pasture beneath cloudy mountain skies.
Multiple guinea pigs gathered around a large tray filled with dry pellets, in a cage with hay on the floor and a gray wall background.
Brown alpaca standing in a grassy Rancho Grande pasture while other alpacas graze in the background.

Spotlight

  • Albert the camel affectionately nuzzling a smiling visitor at Rancho Grande beneath a clear Ojai mountain sky.

    Albert the Camel & His Human Best Friend Featured on KCLU News!

    They’ve done it again! Rancho Grande and Albert the Camel were recently featured on KCLU, where Albert's kitchen escapades and his inseparable bond with his human best friend became the talk of Ventura County.

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  • Close-up portrait of Albert the camel, showing his expressive eyes and soft muzzle.

    Rancho Grande Featured in Ventura County Star!

    Albert the Camel is stealing hearts (again)! Rancho Grande was recently featured in the Ventura County Star for Albert’s hilarious kitchen antics — and the story went viral, complete with a video…

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  • Albert the camel standing against the hills and trees of Rancho Grande in Ojai.

    Albert the Camel & the Magic of Rancho Grande Featured in Trustworthy Magazine

    We're honored and excited to be featured in the July 2025 issue of Trustworthy Magazine! In an inspiring multi-page spread titled "Albert the Camel, Viral Star of Ojai", writer and photographer Amina Touray beautifully captures the soul of Rancho Grande …

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We have curated the perfect space to create lifetime memories; it’s up to you to make it happen. You could…….

  • People sitting outdoors on tables, some wearing hats, enjoying a gathering in a rural setting with a mountain in the background and a partly cloudy sky.

    “Catch Dinner, Bake Bread, and Taste the Fire”

    Cast a line into the pond and reel in catfish or bluegill—then cook your catch together with whatever else you have gathered for dinner over open coals. Knead dough with your kids and bake it beside a glowing fire. Shuck fresh corn and roast it in its husk as the sun dips behind the hills. The flavors here aren’t from a menu—they’re from your own hands.

  • A small bike repair shop with various bicycles parked outside and signs indicating bike repair and parking.

    “Fill Your Lungs and Forget the Clock”

    Get out of bed and immediately dive into a cool spring fed pond and start your day with a WOW. Then ride an electric mountain bike up a forest trail and stop to breathe in pine and wild sage. Kick off your shoes and walk barefoot through cool morning grass. Light a campfire at dusk, then lean back and let the stars rise into clean, quiet air.

  • Sunset over a Rancho Grande pond, reflecting pink and orange light across the Ojai mountain valley.

    “Enjoy the Sunset while cooking dinner by the pond"

    End your day by witnessing Ojai’s renowned “pink moment,” a captivating natural phenomenon where the setting sun casts a rosy hue over the Mountains. This fleeting spectacle paints the sky and landscape in shades of pink and lavender, offering a serene and unforgettable experience unique to the Ojai Valley. Locals and visitors alike cherish this almost daily occurrence.

Activities

Biking

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Stargazing

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Fishing

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Birdwatching

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Meet Animals

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Hiking

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Swimming & Paddling

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Horseback Riding

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Indoor Fun

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Baseball

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Basketball

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Trampoline

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Gift Shop

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Greenhouse

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Playground

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Biking • Stargazing • Fishing • Birdwatching • Meet Animals • Hiking • Swimming & Paddling • Horseback Riding • Indoor Fun • Baseball • Basketball • Trampoline • Gift Shop • Greenhouse • Playground •

Learn more

Book Your Stay

  • A large tree with green and yellow leaves in front of a house with dark gray siding and large windows. Sunlight creates a warm glow, and a gravel pathway runs along the front yard.

    Cowboy Cabin

  • Luxury safari tent nestled among pine trees, shrubs and mountain hills at Rancho Grande.

    Fish Camp

  • Secluded Rancho Grande safari-tent campsite beside Howard Creek, with a picnic table, autumn trees and mountains.

    Howard Creek

Learn More or Book

“Where Vacation Meets Summer Camp”

A group of children fishing in a river, standing on the rocky bank, with lush trees and mountains in the background.
A bald eagle resting on the ground in front of a wooden fence with green trees in the background.
A man and a young girl by a river, with the girl holding a fishing rod. The man is sitting on a large rock, wearing a cap and sunglasses, and appears to be talking to the girl. The background features trees and a calm river, suggesting a peaceful outdoor setting.

Summer camp has always meant stepping outside the familiar, and falling into bed pleasantly tired. Whether you bunk in a canvas safari tent or the cabin, you’ll feel that same easy rhythm: unhurried hours, honest food off the grill, and space for kids (and grown-ups) to roam.  Let every day end the way camp days always did, a little dusty, and already excited for morning.

Young boy with blonde hair smiling and holding a fish on a wooden dock near a body of water, with mountains and a clear blue sky in the background.
Woman wearing a red hat and yellow hoodie smiling while holding a black and white goat, with other goats around and trees in the background.

Remember the first time you woke to birdsong instead of an alarm? That feeling lives on at Rancho Grande.    Spend mornings paddling or pedaling, afternoons working on a craft in the barn, and evenings circling the fire while stars appear in the sky.

Eagle perched on tree branch with blue sky background.
A family of four sitting by a campfire near a river with a scenic mountain backdrop at sunset. The family is smiling, with two children, a dog, and trees in the background. Camping equipment and logs are also visible.

Remember when animals weren’t something you walked on a leash, but something you stumbled upon? That happens at Rancho Grande, deer drink from our ponds at dawn, and wild hares dart through the brush while hawks circle above. One morning, a bald eagle spent hours perched in a pine, watching over the valley like it had claimed it.

From feeding animals to hiking forest trails, paddling mountain ponds, or just sitting still beside a stream, every experience connects you to something real, alive, and unforgettable.

We can’t wait to welcome you to Rancho Grande, our hidden mountain valley where peace, beauty, and wonder come naturally. Tucked among forests and ponds, with sweeping views in every direction, our off-the-grid retreat invites you to slow down, breathe deeply, and rediscover the joy of nature. Whether you’re feeding a gentle farm animal or spotting a wild creature in the trees, every moment here holds a bit of magic. Thank you for choosing to be part of our extended family—even if just for a little while. Think of it like summer camp for the soul.

We’re so glad you’re coming.