A group of five people standing behind a counter in a rustic indoor setting, smiling and wearing casual and western-inspired clothing, with baskets and books on shelves in the background.

Who we are

Rancho Grande is a family-owned, family-operated guest ranch in the mountains above Ojai. Richard and Linda Murad host the ranch with their children, Alex, Shelly and Jack. Richard is the former CEO of Murad Skincare and the owner of Beach City Baseball Academy, an El Segundo baseball school known for its competitive travel teams. Richard, Linda and Alex live full-time at Rancho Grande and welcome guests into the place they call home.

Open grassy meadow at Rancho Grande beneath rugged Ojai mountain hills, with a small ranch shelter at the edge of the field.

Rancho Grande is also an animal sanctuary—a lifelong home for an extraordinary family of alpacas, goats, sheep, chickens, horses, parrots, pigs, dogs, cats, guinea pigs and Albert the camel. Many arrived after their former owners could no longer care for them. Here they live peacefully alongside the deer, birds and other wildlife of Los Padres National Forest. Our family funds their food, shelter and veterinary care and does not solicit donations.

Children playing baseball on a dirt field with a chain-link fence and trees in the background.

The story began with Richard’s lifelong dream of building a summer camp in the forest: a place where children could get outside, discover animals and make memories that would last. In 2015, the family found Rancho Grande—a secluded 200-acre historic ranch with open land, ponds and mountains—and imagined a youth baseball camp for the children of Beach City Baseball Academy.

The experts originally expected the camp to open in 2016. Then, after a year of environmental, archaeological, seismic and road studies, everyone discovered one stubborn complication: because the ranch gate sits 1.1 miles from Route 33, a larger development would require a second evacuation route or an approved alternative plan. In other words: fuhgeddaboudit—at least for the original version of the dream.

Illustrated site map of Rancho Grande showing the ranch roads, buildings, activity areas and spring-fed ponds.
Learn More About the Big Plans Here
Book cover titled 'What the Animals of Rancho Grande Taught Me'. The cover features an image of a woman with braided hair holding a farm animal, and a small pig in a grassy field with a fence and trees in the background.

That would have been useful information before the environmental studies, archaeological work, seismic testing and everything else. But the family had fallen in love with the ranch. Instead of walking away, they moved here full-time, cared for the land and animals, and slowly created the intimate Ojai guest-ranch experience visitors enjoy today.

The animals also inspired a picture book about what their expressions, relationships and everyday lives can teach us. Its photographs and reflections capture the humor, tenderness and unexpected wisdom found throughout Rancho Grande.

Learn more About what the animals taught us here

The Land

Established around 1870, Rancho Grande predates the creation of Los Padres National Forest. That history explains how 200 acres can remain privately owned within the surrounding public forest. The property has served as a mountain cattle ranch, grazing land and working ranch for generations. Howard Creek flows through the property year-round, feeding the ponds before continuing toward the Sespe River. Today guests experience the same secluded landscape with modern comforts: horseback rides, moonlight walks around Upper Lake, meals by the fire and nights without traffic, city lights or nearby neighbors.

Two people, a woman and a man, standing together outdoors in a mountainous area with dry grass and rocks, under a clear blue sky. The woman is wearing a yellow jacket and sunglasses, and the man is wearing a cowboy hat, sunglasses, and a black vest, holding a cane or walking stick.

The nearby Howard Creek Trail and surrounding mountain routes reveal another layer of local history. Howard Creek was named for Jeff Howard, who came to the area in 1875 and established a cattle ranch in 1877. His turbulent frontier story included a prison sentence, escapes and a final life in Arizona. Parts of the local trail and pond system were later built or improved by a U.S. Navy Construction Battalion—the Seabees—during training at Rose Valley.

Certified Wildlife Habitat sign with the National Wildlife Federation logo and text about habitat elements for wildlife to thrive.

Rancho Grande is recognized through the National Wildlife Federation’s Certified Wildlife Habitat program. The certification reflects our commitment to providing food, water, shelter and places for wildlife to raise their young while caring responsibly for the surrounding forest ecosystem.

Scenic landscape featuring green rolling hills, a blue sky with white clouds, and an old wooden wagon in a fenced grassy field.
A landscape of rolling hills and mountains at sunset, with a grassy field and a wooden fence in the foreground.
Bunches of white and cream yarn skeins stored in a wooden container on a rustic wooden surface.

From Fleece to Fiber: The Gifts of Our Animals

Every early summer, we shear our alpacas and sheep to keep them healthy and comfortable during the warmer months. Their naturally colored fleece is cleaned, processed and spun into yarn at a mill, then returned to Rancho Grande as finished skeins and string available in our General Store. It is a practical part of responsible animal care—and one of the ways ranch life comes full circle.