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General
- Stay at a 72-acre California animal sanctuary and historic goldmine
- A half-hour drive to Kings Canyon National Park entrance
- Naturist-friendly campground with hiking trails and firepits
Downer Ranch is a 72-acre animal sanctuary in rural California, about 10 minutes’ drive from the little town of Squaw Valley and 40 minutes from Fresno.
Book your spot here and you’ll be staying among the resident animals at this 100-year former cattle ranch and gold mine. The gang includes free-roaming horses, sheep, dogs and cats – they’re a friendly bunch, and even more so if you happen to have a stash of suitable snacks. You’re perfectly welcome to get to know the animals and learn about them, but please don’t put yourself or any children on the horses (and please remember to close gates – they have a reputation for being escape artists…)
This is a fabulous area for hiking, close to trails in both Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks. As a warm-up for those routes you can follow walking trails around the ranch itself, including a rather steep walk that takes you up to the top of the property, which joins onto 140 acres of BLM land.
Facilities at this property include compost toilet tents (both permanent and temporary), an enclosed outdoor shower and an outdoor eating area that’s got seating, solar lighting and a barbecue with both charcoal and gas grilling options.
Campfires are allowed at the sites most of the time, except during periods of high fire alert. Two communal fire rings are also available and you’re welcome to use these at any time.
Life here is pretty ladiback, so the campground welcomes naturist guests but you're under no obligation to shed your clothes if you don't want to.
Park type
Tourist board rating
Languages spoken
✓ English
Please note
Your dog must be tattooed or microchipped.
Reception is unmanned after 10 p.m.. Please inform the park while on your way there should you expect to arrive after this time so that the team can provide information about your unit/site.
At least one of the party members must be aged 18 or over.
Please note that the toilet/shower facilities are unisex.
If making a fire, the fuel, logs and coal have to be purchased on site.
No charcoal barbecues allowed.
This is a quiet park: no music is allowed.
Guests are advised to bring a good quality flashlight with them as parts of the park are unlit.
The campground/park does not accept breeds/crossbreeds listed in the Breed-specific legislation (i.e. Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasileiro) and/or any of the following: Staffordshire bull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier, Rottweiler, any Mastiff or Tosa.
The outdoor swimming pool is open between 06/01 and 10/31 (subject to weather conditions).
If staying in winter (November-March), you are strongly advised to have a 4x4 or AWD vehicle; once the heavy rains start, the roads can be very slick and muddy.
Campfires will not be allowed on individual pitches during periods of high fire alert; please use the communal firepits.
Please note that this is a naturist-friendly campground.
Check availability at Downer Ranch…
To generate better results:
- Choose the 'Multiple units per pitch' filter in the search results
- Break your booking down into smaller groups and book multiple sites.
- Click the button ‘Make another booking like this’ on the confirmation page to easily rebook.
- Ask to be sited together in the ‘Special requests’ box on the booking form.
You can also try filtering your search by group type and by parks allowing multiple tents/caravans/motorhomes per site.
Max. persons: unlimited x
Campsite size : unlimited
Ground type: Gravel and earth

Reviews
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Features
Coronavirus
Activities/entertainment run in smaller groups
Capacity reduced to increase social distancing
Check-in: self check-in (unattended)
Disinfectant sprays and wipes provided
Hand sanitizing stations
More frequent emptying of bins
No cash accepted on site
Shared spaces: daily deep cleaning
Shared spaces: more frequent cleaning
Swimming pool entry quota
Leisure on park
Bar or club house
Cycle hire
Evening entertainment
Fishing
Fitness centre
Indoor swimming pool
Kids' club
On-site restaurant/cafe
Outdoor swimming pool
Playground
Recreation room/arcade
TV room
Takeout
Teens' club
Tennis
Watersports
Amenities on park
Bath available
Car parking by site/unit
Composting toilet
Disabled facilities
Dog park
Drying room
Free wifi
Grocery store
Ice pack freezing
Internet access
Laundromat
Local produce
Parent & baby washroom
Payphone
Pick-up from public transport
Portaloo
Pub toilets
Restrooms
Shower available
Tents for hire
Washing-up area
Wifi
Groups welcome
Family friendly
Motorcycle friendly
Nudist
Rallies welcome
Scouts welcome
Single-sex groups welcome
Student groups welcome
Rules
Barbecue grills allowed
Barbecue provided
Campfires allowed
Commercial vehicles allowed
Dogs allowed
Dogs allowed all year
Themes
Hikers’ paradise
Lake and/or mountain
Peaceful
Remote location
Spectacular scenery
Wild camping
Wildlife haven
Utilities
Charging facilities
Dump station
Electric car charging point(s)
Propane/gas cylinders available
Recycling available
Renewable energy
Nearby amenities
Bar nearby
Convenience store nearby
Dog walk nearby
Nearby farmers' market
Type
Farm
Very large (over 200 sites)
Nearby leisure
Canoeing/kayaking nearby
Climbing nearby
Cycle hire nearby
Cycling nearby
Fishing nearby
Golf nearby
Horseback riding nearby
Indoor pool nearby
Leisure/theme park nearby
Mountain biking nearby
Outdoor pool nearby
Restaurant nearby
Watersports nearby
Touring and motorhomes
Caravan storage facilities
Gray water hook-up for caravans
Motorhome service point
Water hook-up points for caravans
Location
Local attractions
Attractions and activities nearby include:
- Project Survival Cat Haven: five minutes’ drive
- Sierra Peaks Winery: 10 minutes
- King’s Canyon National Park entrance: half an hour
- Sequoia National Park: 40 minutes
- Fresno (for the zoo, Forestiere Underground Gardens and Meux Home Museum): 40 minutes
- Pine Flat Lake (walks and fishing): 45 minutes
- Old Town Clovis: 45 minutes
- General Sherman tree: an hour and 15 minutes.
Policies
Permitted arrival/departure time
RV, travel trailer and tent sites | ||
---|---|---|
Arrive: | Anytime – | Anytime |
Depart by: | 4 p.m. |
Downer Ranch cancelation policy
No refunds within 30 days of arrival date.
Bookings cannot be amended within 90 day(s) of arrival.
The park is not liable for any refund in the event of force majeure.
No refunds/discounts for inclement weather, late arrivals or early departures.
If you need to cancel or amend your booking, please give as much notice as possible so that someone else has the chance to book. You may wish to buy holiday insurance for cancelations and for your property/injury whilst away.
Please note that your deposit is paid to Pitchup.com and is non-refundable.
Payment
Deposit transferable during COVID-19. Downer Ranch will debit the balance from your card 60 days before arrival, or if the arrival date is sooner than 60 days then the balance will be taken immediately.
Deposit transferable during COVID-19. Cancellations due to COVID-19 for bookings made before 1 March 2022, can transfer deposits to a future stay booked within 3 months of your arrival date. Read more.You can also opt to pay the full amount at the time of your booking.
Payment methods accepted at the park
Bank transferAmerican Express
Diners Club
Discover
PayPal
Visa
MasterCard
Maestro
JCB
Apple Pay
Google Pay
Terms and conditions
Park booking terms and conditions- Does Downer Ranch have a swimming pool? Yes View all features
- Is Downer Ranch dog friendly? Yes View all features
- What attractions are near Downer Ranch? Attractions and activities nearby include: - Project Survival Cat Haven: five minutes’ drive - Sierra Peaks Winery: 10 minutes - King’s Canyon National Park entrance: half an hour - Sequoia National Park: … Read more
- When can I check in and check out of Downer Ranch?
RV, travel trailer and tent sites Arrive: Anytime – Anytime Depart by: 4 p.m. - How much does it cost to stay at Downer Ranch? From $56 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party. Check prices and availability