Ranch Manager & Staff Discuss The Maintaining A Sanctuary From The Bustle Of Everyday Life in Napa Valley, California
The noise of traffic. The hustle and bustle of the city. The fast paced lifestyle that consumes us day to day. R-Ranch at the Lake offers an escape from the tempos of a demanding life and replaces it with a sanctuary of wide open spaces.
Nestled in a valley surrounded by the hills of Napa Valley in Napa, California, R-Ranch at the Lake is a place where all the luxuries of a high end country club are available, but the freedom to roam forces relaxation and restful restoration upon its visitors.
Situated on 1,093 acres, there are approximately 1,470 owners who possess a grant deed for their interest in the entire multi-million dollar ranch. Formerly the Napa Valley Ranch Club, the R-Ranch came to fruition when grant deeds were sold to interested parties by the original owner of the Napa Valley Ranch Club. The ranch is governed by the Owner's Association's Board of Directors. Owners are encouraged to attend quarterly meetings and join the board to help establish policies and improvements for the lasting enjoyment and growth of R-Ranch.
With a yearly assessment, access is granted to each owner and their respective guests, including amenities such as 200 RV sites, 100 cabins, 30 horses ready for the trails, tennis, mini golf, volley ball, bocce ball, R Biggies Diner with all American specialties from burgers to grilled cheese, basketball, the biggest swimming pool in Napa County, R Country Store for all your staple needs and even ice cream, a gaming center for kids with air hockey and foosball, and 1,093 acres right at their fingertips. All amenities are located in a walkable and accessible area in the center of the ranch with miles of trails to explore for hiking and longer distance horseback riding.
"We have horses, land, and open spaces" said Brad Miracle, Ranch Manager at R-Ranch. It is those very things that have attracted owners and their visitors to the R-Ranch for almost thirty five years.
The restoration power of the ranch is so great that many grant deeds are passed down from generation to generation with the facilities and amenities drawing folks, their children, and grandchildren back season after season, year after year. Open 364 days a year, the ranch is reminiscent of times passed with the simplicity of life and the beauty of nature all around. "We ride horses, hang out with friends, have barbecues" notes Miracle.
Kim Frees, who works on site at the office, has been at the ranch for just over a year, but can already see and feel the change the ranch has on its visitors. "People [just] come for a weekend or a getaway [but they] are truly relaxed when they are here."
The ranch's peak season is during the summer months, but visitors are welcome year round to escape and enjoy the facilities. There is fishing for the kids, horseback riding, and the natural vistas just to name a few. The ranch also offers what Miracle terms a "free range kid zone" to allow children the freedom to roam in a safe environment meant to foster exploration and adoration of the ranch's natural beauty.
Just beyond the ranch's 1,093 acres is Napa Valley itself with its unlimited beauty including an intricate tapestry of wineries where new friends await. Also not to be forgotten is Lake Berryessa, the largest lake in Napa County, just 12 miles away. With 165 miles of shoreline, it offers bathtub-like water temperatures in the summer months with plentiful amounts of rainbow trout, bass, catfish, and bluegills available in many of water's nooks and crannies.
The key also in connecting with the community is fostering a sense of protection. In September 2015, a massive wildfire broke out in the area around the ranch eventually becoming the third most damaging wildfire in California's history. The fire killed four and destroyed more than 1,950 structures most of which were homes. R-Ranch offered free housing to several victims of the wildfire, organized a supply center and boarded horses who lost shelter or were displaced. Miracle recalls how one of the evacuees was expecting a child at the time she stayed at the ranch during the fire's devastation. A happy outcome resulted in a new baby with a middle name starting with the letter "R" in honorarium,
At just about an hour drive away from both the San Francisco Bay area and Downtown Sacramento, R-Ranch offers a restorative power of a ranch, close yet far away from the hustle and bustle of city life. It is a place where memories are made.
RV travelers hoping to break camp at R-Ranch at the Lake are encouraged to contact the main office for information on how to become part of what Frees calls "a really happy place to be."
With an undergraduate degree in English and a masters in Counseling Psychology, Jamie works as an academic advisor and has also written for various publications including Sterling Meetinghouse.
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R-Ranch At The Lake is one of the best kept secrets in Napa Valley, California nestled on an amazing 1093 acre ranch in the hills of Lake Berreyessa, neighboring the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) National land preserve.