Retreat with Views and modern comfort near Kirkwood Ski, wineries, gold country

Get away with sweeping views of pine and valley from the comfort of your living room and bedrooms. Enjoy a newly re-modeled modern interior in a cabin atmosphere. Bear Family Ranch is only a 2 hour drive from the Bay Area but feels a world away. And oh, the stars at night! You must see it to believe it.

From the Ranch, you can continue uphill 30 minutes to reach alpine lakes for boating and fishing. Or drive downhill 10 minutes to go caving at Black Chasm Cavern and enjoy the Gold Rush town of Volcano, once 5000 miners strong. Drive downhill an additional 20 minutes to Sutter Creek and Jackson for wine tasting and antique hunting. Want to have a lazy day instead? Take a stroll on the hiking trails directly on our property and relax while watching deer, woodpeckers and birds of prey. Get cozy in front of the signature fireplace or fire up the 70” TV for a movie night to be remembered.

Bear Family Ranch can accommodate 2-3 families comfortably:
* 4 bedrooms, 3 baths
* Three rooms with queen beds and views, one room with two twin beds, sleeps 8 total
* Panoramic windows in the living room
* Fireplace
* 70” flat screen with Chrome-cast, DVDs provided
* Free high speed internet
* Gourmet kitchen with granite counters
* Large wrap-around deck
* Yoga room adjoining the Master bedroom, with deck access

In the winter, easily reach the ranch on a Friday night without having to drive through heavy snow. The ranch is located just above the snow line and gets 2-3 inches of snow, so roads to it are always open. The next morning when the traffic subsides, roads clear, and the sun is shining, make the drive up to Kirkwood for awesome boarding and skiing. The non-boarders and non-skiers in your party can enjoy the sweeping views and all that Gold Country has to offer.

In the summer, live in the center of outdoor activity. Stay on the ranch for short hikes, lazing around and stargazing; or drive 30 min uphill to alpine lakes for fishing, boating, hiking and kayaking. Caving is only 10 minutes away, while within 30 minutes you can find whitewater rafting on the Mokulumne (self-guided), historical tours of gold country, wine tasting and shows at the Jackson Rancheria Casino Resort.


Tips about the rooms:

There are three levels. The main level has the wrap-around deck and views, kitchen, fireplace, living room, master bedroom, twin-bed bedroom, and two bathrooms. One of the bathrooms is shared between the twin-bed bedroom and the bedroom upstairs, which has the best view but can be colder in the winter and warmer in the summer. A space heater and many blankets are provided.

The lower ‘walk-out basement’ level enjoys the view as well, and has a living room with a wood stove and 70” TV, a bedroom and an adjoining bathroom. The couch is a pull-out.