Drakesbad Guest Ranch

We just returned from a wonderful stay! Nina, Jeff and the entire staff were so incredible. They were excellent at efficiently running a complex business while making guests feel like they’re truly at home. We came with a five month old and a four year old and stayed in a cabin. Make no mistake– it’s basic: with beds, a sink, a toilet and no electricity. But that’s the fun of it! You’re roughing it, except that amazing food is prepared for you three times a day! (Other lodging types on property do have showers. We showered at the clean, spacious and recently renovated showers by the pool.). The dinner entrees are on par with what nice restaurants in our area would charge 18 – 28 bucks for. And the desserts! And breakfast and lunch are delicious as well. Don’t skip the scones. If you plan to go hiking they’ll pack you tasty brown bag lunches so you can picnic.
My son had a blast riding a horse that was led down a trail, doing archery, attending the nightly campfire (s’mores provided), and being the guest bell ringer. They ring a bell outside the dining hall at mealtimes :)
There is a range of different difficulty level hikes you can go on which originate at the ranch. The views are absolutely spectacular and the area is unique due to the bizarrely beautiful boiling lake and thermal geysers.
The pool itself is heated by thermal springs. About 95 degrees during the day– so relaxing. You sit there and stare out across the meadow to the pines on the mountain.
It was such a special experience for our family. The staff was so kind and fun, especially with our sons. I would love to go back!

This year was my third vacation at Drakesbad Ranch in Lassen Volcanic National Park; it is such a peaceful and relaxing vacation spot. The food this year was exceptional, much better than my prior two visits. The new afternoon activities (crafts/​archery) are a great addition for kids and adults alike. Evenings around the campfire making s’mores and meeting new people is so enjoyable and special. The accommodations are rustic but comfortable – be sure to bring a flashlight and lantern as many rooms don’t have electricity (and the kerosene lanterns are fine but don’t throw a lot of light). I will definitely be returning to this wonderful place!

My family just returned from another wonderful stay at Drakesbad Ranch. Beloved Ed and Billie are no longer managing the ranch, but new manager Erol did a great job. There are some changes – the bath house has been nicely remodeled and in the afternoons there is archery and arts/​crafts. The food was better than ever this year, WOW! Don’t miss the Wednesday night BBQ. This is definitely a rustic place – many of the cabins have no electricity and there is no cell service or WiFi (and the lack of cell/​WiFi is a bonus IMO). This is a great place to get away from it all but still have a roof over your head and gourmet meals. It’s a remote part of Lassen Volcanic National Park, with great hikes, a beautiful swimming hole (near the campground), and a hot-​springs-​fed pool. Love it!

We reserved 3 nights in duplex #1. We left after 2 sleepless nights due to infestation of mice in our cabin. First night heard the mice (which we thought was just a single mouse). It was a sleepless night as the chewing on wood was pretty loud. I will add we had no food out in the cabin, yet night #2 we caught 2 mice, both in wastebaskets (about 2am) and then about 3am found the loud wood chewing mice, 3 in total, in a wooden box next to the heater stove in corner of room. At breakfast, we reported this to our host and specifically asked them to remove all mice, set traps and thoroughly clean/​disinfect the room as we would return in afternoon. Knowing about Hantavirus, and seeing all the droppings on cabin floor, in cabinets, on bathroom floor, on the bathroom counter and on the towels… literally EVERYWHERE except around the beds, it became obvious that cabin has not been thoroughly cleaned in ages… and we were first guests in that cabin for this season! It dawned on me after this closer inspection of perimeter of the bathroom and under bathroom counter, there was an extraordinary amount of droppings, and became obvious they had been there for a while. We left and returned to our cabin at 3pm to find droppings still all over the floors, under the bathroom cabinets and around perimeter of the bathroom floor. It basically looked like a very quick clean (if you can call it that) but the staff even took the towels that I left on the floor (the ones with droppings on them), and returned these dirty towels to the racks in our bathroom!
We did demand and got a refund for the final night but this place isn’t that cheap and moreover, it was pretty frustrating that they didn’t take the safety of our young kids (9 and 3 yrs) seriously. Mice are def a problem at this place because our next door duplex neighbor told us he heard mice in their cabin, and also I read in a little journal for guests to record wildlife sightings that someone last year staying in cabin#1 had mice wake them all night and woke up to find a hole in a potato chip bag.
I am very disappointed to write this review as we thought most everything else was lovely. Lassen is beautiful. The food was pretty good and our kids loved the staff and activities. If they had just taken the cleanliness issue seriously, we would probably have recommended and booked again.
I did see on another trip advising website like this that someone complained about the horses being left tied for hours in the sun without water. I own horses of my own, as I ride competitively, and that review did strike a chord because I experienced the same thing. While the staff relaxed at lunch in the shade, they left the horses that had just returned from a long trail ride, tied up, in full sun with all tack (saddles, bridles) on, and no access to the water for (at least) 1 ½ hrs (I left, so no clue how long they stood there like that). I would never treat my horses like that… I’m surprised they don’t have any type of shade for horses in their pens either. Personally, I think it’s pretty cruel, but that part is my 2 cents as I treat my animals differently.

This if from my visit in 2011. Saw some bad reviews for service and management for post 2012 visits so maybe things changed indeed. Stopped by only for dinner and a dip in their mineral ‘spa’ pool. You have to at least eat there to visit their mineral pool.
⁵⁄₅ stars for food, service and hospitality.
3.5÷5 stars for their mineral pool
⁵⁄₅ stars for hiking area around the ranch, and the scenery
When I entered the ranch, i was greeted immedietly by an older gentleman who offered us coffee (which turned out to be free, how nice) and some matches since i told him we were camping out.
meal with dessert for 2 people was around $ 65 without drinks or wine for us. Had their prime rib and it was delicious. Dessert was a scrumptious caramel chip chocolate cake which was a large portion.
Waiters and waitresses were attentive.
There is a large green pasture in the back of the ranch and it was filled with wildflowers which looked like spring in the summer. On the side of the hill, you could see the hot spring stream steaming and flowing down. Too bad snow covered much of the side hiking trails on the side. Saw a mama black bear growling at us with 2 cubs so watch out here.
As for their mineral pool. 3.5 stars. I thought it wasnt nasty but this was in 2011. Yes mineral water is greenish and it isnt your ordinary clear blue Hilton pool. It was warm to maybe 27ish Celsius. At night in the pool we were chased out by a small bat which I initially thought was a noctornal small bird. We were given towels by the host and showered at the pool shower. Here’s the reason why its a 3.5 out of 5. No lights in the shower stalls and a very weak shower worse than a washroom tap with no warm water. Its COLD esp after a warm dip into their mineral pool. It was also crawling with giant critters that were 10 cm long. I accidently sat on 3 of them and had to take that cold shower again in pitch dark and one critter was clinging stubbornly on my towel no matter how many times i tried to pry its 6 spiky legs off. I had my hubby try to shine the flashlight when i was showering but those damn critters are attracted to light so imagine 10 giant critters flying feverishly onto you for your torch. Not good so we opted to turn it off. Well, i accepted that that was just nature but the shower just turned me and my husband off…

Updating our review from 2009. We visited Drakesbad for the third time this past summer, with the new hosts having taken over. The new hosts have big shoes to fill, and are doing a good job. Overall, it remained a great experience. The food and amenities remain excellent for this backcountry location. New amenities include a few more organized activities for kids and adults, including archery, which was a blast, arts and crafts, and telescope viewing. Younger kids are now free (!) which was a nice change.
The only downside was that the service seems to have slipped a bit, especially in the dining room. Many of the staff were excellent, but one or two were not very helpful and seemed somewhat annoyed when we would ask them for assistance. Plus it seemed like there were fewer staff at the facility overall than in past years, although I can’t say for sure. Also, at breakfast time the kitchen ran out of the hot meal menu item and basic serving implements like silverware and bowls on more than one occasion — there should be enough food and supplies stocked for every overnight guest to have what he or she needs at breakfast time.

I’m basing my review on the location, dinner and ambiance. First you head there on a paved road and the last two miles are on an unpaved road but I was in a small rental & it was no problem. We arrived at this very quaint lodge surrounded by rustic cabins and I felt transcended back in time. I haven’t been here since I was a kid. Forget your computers, phones, tv etc. this is a place to relax, read, hike and enjoy nature. Dinner was fun. served outdoors. They had a large BBQ set-​up outside serving salads, potatoes, veggies, tri-​tip with nice crust & tender, burgers, brats, chicken and excellent ribs. Desserts served were cream brûlée and brownies. Generous wine pours. Everything I had was excellent. Dinner runs about $ 83 for two, that included 3 glasses of wine & gratuity. Have a thermal pool you can enjoy before dinner. Or you can take a hike to the hot springs 1.5 hours. Must make dinner reservations if you aren’t a guest. Highly recommend for a fun time. Service friendly. Casual dress.

After hiking for 2 days at Lassen we thought the hot springs would feed good, so we gave them a call to see if we could get a room. Luckily they had one room available.
The hosts Ed and Billie are great. Being European, they give the place that sort of vibe.
The overall vibe of the place is quiet and serene. No locks on the doors, no cell phone, no internet, no tv, no electricity in the rooms. Kind of like a step up from camping which is fine by me. (TIP: Bring your own booze if you drink because the wine and beer selection if fairly limited. There were a few decent beers available at dinner, but the only beer available after dinner was Coors Light– Yuck!)
The accommodations were fine and about what I expected – rustic and quaint. The beds were so-​so, the gas stove in the room was a bit difficult to figure out – it seemed to be either about a thousand degrees or off and nowhere in between.
The food was OK and the menu was more creative than you’d expect at a «rustic» guest lodge out in the boonies. The food was better than I expected it to be and I was VERY happy that they had vegetarian options! But I’d have to say honestly that if it was a stand-​alone restaurant, it’s not a place I’d go back to for the food.
The waitress was pretty lacking in skills, menu knowledge, and service but she was nice. Just fairly clueless about being a waitress.
I see a lot of people have rated the food as «excellent». Maybe those people either don’t eat out very much, or are just feeling blissful and rate the food better than it actually is because they’re relaxing on vacation, and/​or because they’re feeling so good from being disconnected from their modern and wifi/​mobile phone connected and stressful world. We all know how good ANY food tastes after a hard day hiking, so I’d imagine that influences a lot of the «excellent» ratings.
The hot spring pool is what we went for and it was a little rough around the edges. The sides and bottom of the pool were covered in very slippery algae and the water was filled with bits of algae floating through it. Literally, there were bits of algae floating in nearly every square inch of the entire volume of water in the pool. I heard several people talking about how gross it was. Because of the algae it was easy to slip and fall under the water when walking in the pool. I grew up swimming in farm ponds, creeks, rivers, rock quarries, and strip mine pits, so I’m no stranger to swimming in a natural setting. And I’ve also been in several hot springs around the world and I’ve never seen one as dirty as this. Frankly, it was gross and screamed «neglect.»
I see pretty much everyone has given Drakesbad a 5 star review and I get the feeling both from the reviews and from the comments of the people I met there that much of what they are rating as «5 star» is because they are unable to use internet, cell phones, etc. which lets them relax. It seems to me that a lot of the blissful and wonderful feelings they describe are mainly from being disconnected from technology and work, slowing down mentally, and being in a natural setting, and not necessarily from the Drakesbad Guest Ranch itself.
And finally the price… being generous on the quality/​quantity of food and service I’ll say it was about $ 45 per person for food per day ($ 20D, $ 15L, $ 10B.) At $ 140 per night, per person, that means $ 190 for accommodations ($ 280 minus $ 90 for food) for 2 people per night.
It seems a little overpriced for what this place really is and what you get for the money. Granted, I’ve traveled a lot and have been in many similar places so I’m comparing the Drakesbad experience with all of these other places I’ve experienced. Possibly if this is the only place like this that someone has visited, they would think it’s better than it really is.
I understand that it’s a fairly unique place, at least for the Lassen area (I’m actually not sure if there are similar places nearby or not.) So oddly enough, people may feel inclined to pay more to get less precisely because it is out of the way and rustic. And of course the «value» is about what it’s worth to YOU for the experience. That will of course vary from person to person.
So all in all it was a bit of a mixed bag for me. The food was OK, the hot spring pool was gross (but warm!), the accommodations were OK (if not a bit overpriced), the hosts were very nice, and the quiet and tranquility was very refreshing. I’m not sure if I’d go back again or not. Maybe I will give it a second visit and see how it goes.
I’m torn between a 3 and 4 star rating, but because the pool was so nasty I’ve gone with 3 stars.

As a PCT section hiker, I was greeted with great hospitality, food, and the beautiful scenery of Warner Valley. The hosts, Ed and Billie, were very helpful and friendly. Whether it be with family or just to stop by for a zero day while hiking, I will definitely be taking a trip back to Drakesbad.

This place is a godsend for PCT hikers and other environment-​friendly travelers to this corner of Lassen Volcanic National Park. When contacting the Drakesbad folks, don’t be put off by any apparent gruffness in this European-​dominated staff. This is actually a very friendly, accommodating place. I’ve not stayed in the guest rooms here, but we had a tasty dinner here, during which the kitchen was happy to deal with our kids’ food allergies. It was one of the best meals I’ve had at a National Park concession in fact, doubly surprising given the remote location (the last few miles to the place are dirt) and local monopoly. And here’s the kicker: eat a meal there, and you can use the showers and warm mineral spring-​fed swimming pool for free (though they prefer you bring your own towel)! Meal prices are reasonable given the quality, remote location and NPS markups. They even offer cheap «hiker meals» for about ten bucks during off-​hours. Not surprisingly, we saw plenty of tired, hungry, Pacific Crest Trail backpackers coming here. Definitely worth patronizing, and during the Summer, you’d better call in advance, even if you’re only coming to dinner.

A trip back in time to the land that time forgot. Leave your cares and worries behind, and get a look at the original National Park experience.
The knotty pine dining room features two entrees at night, and everyone eats at large tables bearing fresh wild flower bouquets. The evening were there, they featured roasted turkey or vegetarian lasagna. It was like Thanksgiving in August, with the juiciest moist turkey on a raft of mashed potatoes with browned butter. The salad featured pine nuts, and a sweet vinagrette, and desert was cheesecake served in a martini glass with a pouf of whipped cream.
If you eat at the Guest Ranch, you can then use the hot springs pool, and what a salve that was after climbing Mount Harkness that morning. We floated in the warm bath, watching the moon and stars above the mountains. The water is heated to the perfectly relaxing temperature, and individual dressing areas are provided. Although there were no electric lights in the dressing rooms, the general area was lit, and we found our way back up the hill.
One of the cabins has a sort of museum store, where Drakesbad apparel and history lessons are featured, along with picture puzzles, and rocking chairs. The cabins seem adequate, but basic, providing a nostalgic camping experience.

I have been to Drakesbad several times. The rooms are a bit small and the facility has it’s rustic touches. But there is so much that this place has to offer:
A beautiful setting within Lassen National Park.
Fresh air (except at the geothermal spots) and great sleeping.
A sense of being away from it all with enough to be comfortable and a wonderful sense of relaxation. No real cell phone reception unless you climb out of the valley.
A nice historic lodge building that acts as the community living room both inside and outside.
A hot springs-​fed swimming pool that’s always open.
All meals (and excellent ones at that included).
Miles and miles of hiking trails and access to all those geothermal wonders.
Horseback riding, canoeing on the lake, the Wednesday BBQ, and a nightly campfire.
Friendly guests and 2 very hard working and welcoming Ranch Hosts (Ed and Billie Fiebiger).
A few cautions:
It’s not cheap, although it’s a great value.
Finding an opening can be difficult as people and families return often and Drakesbad is only open from June through October.
Ed can also be a bit strict with kids (including mine) that cross certain behavioural or social lines. At the same time, his admonitions are honest and caring.