Rancho San Dionisio | Established Campground

Rancho San Dionisio, beautiful Rancho at the end of a long dirt road. Amazing hikes but no dogs allowed in the reserve.

We read the reviews about guests bringing dogs to the ranch. Connected with the Rancho via WhatsApp. Seemed straightforward, keep them leashed and there is off leash areas when needed.

Unfortunately, we arrived and seemed to surprise Isabel, despite connecting with her husband 3-4 days prior. We didn’t feel welcome at the ranch with our dogs. We were told the off-leash area for our dogs was outside the ranch but also that you can't have dogs in the reserve, which is everywhere around the ranch. Felt like we were a huge inconvenience and cut our visit short. We were in such a hurry to get out I can’t comment on any of the amenities except the hot coffee in the morning, which was great. We also paid $250/pp for a place to park, didn’t receive a bracelet for the biosphere reserve.

We were also told not to let our toddler be down if their dog was out.

Rancho San Dionisio, please just change your rules to no dogs and no small children.

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Had a great 3 nights here and would echo all of the positives mentioned in previous reviews.

I do want to clarify the dog situation since it almost deterred us from visiting based on recent comments but things have changed. The owners have an "all dogs on leash, all the time" rule now, including their 3 dogs and everything was fine during our stay. Their dogs were generally on a tether at their house, and/or on leash if being walked. Our dog was outside on a tether and no requirement for her to be inside our van at anytime. If you're OK with your dog on a leash or tether, I would have no issues visiting. if you want your dog to be free roaming like many other parts of Baja, it probably isn't a good fit.

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Beautiful place! We really enjoyed the hot shower and doing a load of laundry in their machine. We hiked the adjacent trails and swam in a couple of the natural pools in the river. Clarence was a great host and had hot coffee and cookies out every morning while we were there. His dogs were friendly and we had no issues with them, they do a good job of announcing arrivals at the gate. The rate of 250 per person per night was fair for all of the amenities provided. As we left Clarence filled our water tank from his filtered water supply. We will most definitely be back!

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This is our second visit. We stayed 11 days and probably could have stayed longer. Truly a little slice of paradise. We enjoyed talking with other campers at the nightly fire. Clarence and Isabel have made this a special place.

At 250 pesos a person per night some of the budget folks might consider this expensive but keep in mind you get access to the garden, great filtered water for drinking and your tanks, nice hot shower, a huge communal kitchen with coffee and cookies every morning, and they even let you do laundry.

The pet policy is reasonable. You are asked to leash your dog in the ranch but you can take them down to the river and let romp around off-leash.

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We enjoyed our stay here and will be back. We met several travelers here and had such a nice time meeting and talking to Clarence. Yes the road was long and bumpy. Most Baja roads are. The facilities are top notch. I would recommend this to anyone.

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We heard this should be the «best-kept overlander secret» of Baja. Well, we found it so-so… The positive points first: the nature there is beautiful. Within a short walk you can get to the river. There is a little pool and an outdoor kitchen which you can use. We were allowed to take salad and veggies from their garden, which is generous. What we did not like: The parking spaces are very close together, it feels pretty packed. We travel with a dog – we were not allowed to hike the trail (biosphere reserve – no dogs allowed) and needed to coordinate with the hosts, so their dogs and our dog are not outside at the same time. One guest was bitten by one of their Pitbulls when we were there, so pay attention, especially to your kids. When we took photos of the hummingbirds, we were critizied to be too close. So the hosts have very clear ideas and rules and do not hesitate to communicate them. When we left at 10am we learned that the hosts were gone for the day. It took 7 emails to finally be able to pay by Paypal. Alltogether we did not feel fully comfortable and found it was definitely not worth the 500 pesos per night (250 pP).

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I will echo all the great things folks have said about this place.

However, if you are traveling with a pet I would seriously reconsider staying here, unless you are comfortable with their rules. Unfortunately we were never told ahead of time what to expect, and even during the great orientation we got when we arrived, it did not seem an issue having our dog with us. The owners of the ranch have a fairly aggressive male (pitbull mix) they use to watch the property. We were told later in the day that we would need to either keep our dog in the vehicle when their dog was loose on the property or be outside the property, even with a leash on. Keeping our Aussie in the hot van during the middle of the day was not an option for us. We were also told that the Biosphere outside the ranch does not allow dogs where the hiking trails were.

We are upset that we were not informed earlier about this all, and that this site has a "Pet friendly" label on iOverlander. We went out of our way in hopes of staying here for a few days. We will only stay one night..

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Beautiful place after a 30 min drive on dirt road. Accessible with 2WD.
They have a garden where you can pick fruit en vegetables to cook!
Lovely couple who are very nice host.
Also Clarence coffee and cookies in the morning was really nice!!
Would def recommend to visit! (WhatsApp them before you go to double check availability)
Btw also nice hike possibilities from campsite + swimming in the river!

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Fabulous break from boondocking! We felt like at home away from home. Delicious fruits from the orchard, herbs from the garden and a really nice hot shower. A great hike to the natural pools. We even got home made cookies and coffee in the morning ! It’s worth the 250 pesos per person.

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Awesome Spot! Highly recommended! We enjoyed 5 wonderful days here. The dirt road is well maintained. Clearance and Isabel are great hosts. There is a big gorgeous papala as common room, we are allowed to pick fruits, herbs and vegetables. It is such a peaceful and welcoming place. Everything is well kept, the tap water is potable, hot showers are available.
Outside of the ranch we enjoyed hiking or walking on/along the rocks of the river and swimming in some natural pools.

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Loved our one night! Fresh, filtered water to fill your jugs, gorgeous hike out along the Arroyo, campfire every night. One hour down a single-lane mountain road with my 170 / 23ft sprinter. Would not recommend anything longer due to tight turns. Dog situation was a little weird, just due to a dominant/aggressive guardian dog; they were very up front and communicative to manage my seven month old pup and their working dog. The younger dog was very playful and friendly with my pup, and they played as long as we’d let them! Starlink was great in spots near the gate in the trees.

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From Santiago, it’s about 8km of washboard road, 12km of fairly rough roads. I did just fine in my 2WD Chevy Express. Take your time. The road dead ends right at the campground. It’s such a special place. Chill vibe. Fell asleep to the sound of frogs. Sat by the campfire. Really awesome spot. I’d love to stay longer next time.

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Beautiful organic ranch campground. The owners have done amazing job to make this place the best campground on the peninsula great hiking up canyons of swimming pools

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We spent 3 nights in this beautiful oasis and can just recommend it. It's very different from ranches on Baja - full of grass and shade places to camp. Pool, showers (soon hot as well), toilets and very well quipped kitchen with common area and starlink included. We really enjoyed fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs from garden run by owners and their employees. 250 p.p/nigh might seem a bit much however include everything mentioned so in the end very reasonable! The road was the best dirty one on Baja we drove. Hopefully we will be back soon.

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This place is incredible! We stayed two nights in our camper van and brought our dog along with us. When we arrived Isabel gave us a tour of the rancho and showed us all the places we could park. We took full advantage of the garden and community kitchen. We met so many people there during our stay and took the hike to the pool/little oasis off their property. I highly recommend staying here if you’re in the area! Clarence and Isabel are so kind and have done so much work on their property to make it a great place to relax and unwind.

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we didn't actually make it to this campground because we are on a motorcycle and the road had very deep sand at some points. would probably be fine on another type of overland vehicle but 2up motorcycles beware...

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The road in is freshly graded! It is 20km of dirt road and is the best dirt road that we've driven on in Baja! It took us about 40 minutes to get there. The Rancho is incredible! The space is very welcoming, the scenery is stunning, the hosts are laid back and quickly make you feel at home. There is fresh coffee and cookies in the morning, the garden is available to harvest fresh greens and herbs, you can fill up your water, including your tank! and they have frozen mango for purchase for $100/ bag. You could easily spend days here and never get bored. A trail runs by the property and you could explore for days from here. There is a really lovely pool to swim in about 3.5km along the trail. The river runs by the property with access from the property. You can find nice pools to swim in from here. $250mxn/person/night

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Rancho San Dionisio

What to say about Rancho San Dionisio? It's a paradise in a rich valley in a reserve with the tallest peaks in Baja Sur.

Clarence and Isabel have spent the past three years reinventing a ranch abandoned to nature some 30 years ago.

I camped among the many mango trees, others near a tremendous fig. There is a remarkable shared palapa kitchen with purified water at all taps. Brilliant composting toilets.

Cold drinks available. Great, hot coffee made in the morning. Frozen mangos for the blender for a small fee. There is an incredible garden where you are invited to gather something fresh to supplement your dinner. Clarence builds a campfire every night.

There is direct access to the river for a rock-hopping hike or head up to find one of the pools.

They even had friendly ranch dogs for Scout. Chickens roam freely. The steady thrum of hummingbirds is unbelievable and the sunrise flush of morning doves is enough to wake you.

I'm glad I get to be one of the people who gets to say "I remember when" as I suspect this will not be a quiet place for long.

Rejuvenating and remarkable.

IG: sendcleanpants

#baja
#ranchosandionisio

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Rancho San Dionisio isn’t just a great camping spot . . . It’s a destination. A lovely sanctuary in the mountains, alongside the river, at “the end of the road” in authentic ranching country. The hosts have rescued a previously rundown and neglected ranch, the result of a fire years ago. Under their care and hard work it is now flourishing with newly planted banana, mango, avocado and even a few papaya trees. They have also nurtured an impressive huge veggie and herb garden which is open for picking by guests.
Facilities are as described by others, with future upgrades (showers) planned.
However, the best reason for coming to Dionisio is for the incredible hospitality. Clarence, Isabel and their three lovely, quirky dogs will make you feel totally welcomed. They go out of their way to facilitate a great stay. They are very knowledgable about the many great hikes in the area and can direct you to ones that will suit your energy and experience level. (We hiked to a lovely swimming hole and had lunch in the shade of trees after our plunge, and the next day we explored down the river bed)
You will be spoiled with fresh coffee on the stove each morning and a campfire each night. And if you are interested in the local culture, Isabel can arrange a visit to one or more of the local ranches each of which has a specialty to offer. Examples include traditional candy making, homemade jams, honey and other artisan crafts.
Rancho San Dionisio is a real gem. Well worth the drive!

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Stayed for two nights. Very cute mango farm. Had the best frozen mango and guava smoothie! Hosts are friendly. Everything is lovely as described previously. Will come back in the future.

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WOW! This place is amazing, plan on staying a few days. At the gateway of Sierra de la Laguna and an excellent trail system. Hummingbirds and Orioles in the trees for easy photography. Nearby stream with endless exploration possibilities. The hosts Clarence and Isabella are amazing, friendly, and thoughtful. They were nursing an injured hummingbird back to flight when we were there. Cleanest bathrooms in Baja, and an incredible community kitchen and eating area. Huge garden with fresh vegetables and fruits. Every detail is thought out and the grounds are immaculate and beautiful. Clarence also gave us tons of info on the area, we cannot wait to return. Going into the mountains and seeing the Rancho life is another side of Baja and this may be the best place to experiences all facets of that life.

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We had the pleasure of staying at Isabel and Clarence's rancho for 2 weeks. This is a special place for sure. Most other reviews do a great job at providing details on how things run at Rancho San Dionisio, but I wanted to highlight how genuinely welcomed we felt during our stay. Both Clarence and Isabel will share stories about their travels and their current place, and they are as kind as people can be. While we were here, Clarence rescued a dog from the highway and Isabel spent tons of time working hard at helping a little hummingbird rehabilitate from a damaged wing. This is peak awesomeness.

There is no cell phone reception here. For us, Starlink worked well, though you have to be strategic about the position as there are some tall trees in the property and the dish may report obstructions. Right off the gate, to the right as you cross, between some of the fruit trees, we had the best sky visibility for Starlink. That area also gets some solid South exposure for solar panels, though a bit later in the morning (tall tree towards the gate provides some shade). We had our Starlink antenna by the kitchen area (close to the water tank pool), this was enough for us to work remotely (full time) but some days we had up to 20 second interruptions and the app kept mentioning we were better off moving the dish. This is mostly fine if not on Zoom, but may cause video calls to drop. Some of the best sun exposure and North sky visibility may be in the grassy area for tent camping. This is obviously not for vehicles so we did not test it.

Lastly, there is something to be said about pets. Clarence and Isabel own dogs, a cat, free roaming chickens and even some rescued cockatiels. Talk to them about the best way to manage your dogs while visiting so it's safe for all the fur and feathered friends at the rancho!

(we try to report on cell service for people trying to work off grid; IG: @pampas.overland)

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Place is as described. We were charged 500 pesos for 1 night. 2 people, 1 van.

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Gorgeous ranch with beautiful, clean communal kitchen, dining and working area, grassy tent area, avocado and mango orchard. Purified water on all taps and impressive composting toilet system. River access for lounging. Definitely recommend contacting them in advance to be sure there's room, esp if you have dogs. It's a small place- not an rv park- and a tough road to drive if you were to get turned away on arrival. The ranch dog is friendly but got aggressive with other dogs at times. The owners are super generous and accommodating. Because this is a protected area, we were told dogs are not allowed on the trails, plus there are wild pigs that may attack pets. No drones, no gray water. Treat it like a national park.

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Hi overlanders! Rancho San Dionisio is updating his information. We are currently $250 pesos per person. This includes a wrist band for the Biosphere Reserve, purified water at all taps, 110 power to charge devices, Wifi, full community kitchen, cookware, plates and silverware. A large vegetable garden, fruit in season, coffe in the morning, a cold plunge pool, river access, excellent hiking, campfire nightly, plus a washing machine, cold drinks and fresh, ripe, frozen mango for a small fee.
We as well have some tents, sleeping bags and sleeping pads available to rent.
We own 2 ranch dogs, a male ( no fixed) and a female. They are friendly.
You can contact us through phone messages or email.
Clarence Harrison
303 591 4426
[email protected]

Isabel Salinas
720 660 8522
[email protected]

You can reach us through Whatsapp with the phone numbers above.

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The Price just went up to 250mxn/pp so 500 pesos for our van as a couple. It's still worth it as the experience is definitely something unique in Baja. No hot shower (neither cold) but you have the river and the pool.

You have to expect this little gem to go way more and more crowded as it's growing quickly

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This place is a dream and well worth the drive up the canyon.

The multiple use palapa is well equipped with everything you need. Fresh cookies, fruits to make a smoothie, excellent coffee in the morning, WiFi…

Filtered Drinking water right from the tap and clean toilets. Campfire in the evening.

We could not do any hikes because of an injury but they must be excellent from what we heard.

Just prepared you are gonna stay longer as expected!

Clarence and Isabel are beautiful hosts.

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Wonderful place thanks to Clarence and Isabella !!
We really loved it.. The road was quite rough for our old vanagon but we managed it.. And soo glad we did… One of our favorite places on Baja..

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Great spot with awesome hosts. Super clean and adding more and more amenities. When we stayed there were quite a few people coming in every day. I’d definitely recommend emailing them before you drive up the road (especially if you have a large vehicle or one that’s not great on unpaved roads).

Highlights: incredible setting, awesome hikes, great kitchen area, fire pit, clean bathroom (nice composting toilets w/ sinks outside to wash up), garden and fruit trees onsite.

Things to consider: if you have an RV or van that rattles a lot prepare yourself for a long drive on a fairly bumpy dirt road. It’s not a bad road but I imagine it could be loud… or difficult/tight in larger vehicle (like a class c rv, Expedition Vehicle, etc). There is probably room for 10-14 rigs. But if you’re in something like a 170” sprinter (7M -23’ long) spaces are limited.

They now have a IG account: https://instagram.com/ranchosandionisio?igshid=MDM4ZDc5MmU=

Prices: $200 one person, $300 per couple, under age 10 are free

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Ein wunderschönes Fleckchen um zu verweilen. Wir hätten nie gedacht so ein kleines Paradies mitten in der Baja zu finden.
Eine Stunde Gravel Road ab Hauptstrasse und man ist in einer anderen Welt.
Clarence und Isabel sind sehr bemüht, und Tag
un alles, damit man sich wohlfühlt.
Gemeinschaftsküche, abendliches Feuer, Natur pur zum Baden, Gemüsegarten, Früchte frisch vom Baum, wandern oder einfach zum Sein.
Wir kommen bestimmt wieder.

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Absolutely an Oasis in the Baja California Sur. One of our most loved place to stay. Fresh vegetables and fruits directly from the garden makes this place even more as a paradise. We are coming back for sure.

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Our 4 night stay at Rancho San Dionisio was a highlight of our Baja trip. 10/10 for natural beauty and amazing hosts (Clarence & Isabella). There’s no question as to the passion that they have put into making this a special place. Currently feels like a hidden gem, but I don’t thing it will stay hidden for long.

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It's just a small paradise up here and it's hard to leave again. We spent 6 awesome days here.
The ranch is so nice inbetween trees, has an gorgeous garden to use while you are there and you can buy mangos from the trees of the ranch (you have to try these!!!) and drinks like beer,coke, choclatemilks...
The growing fruits & vegetables are free to use and enjoy.
Clarens&Isabella are so lovely hosts! Thanks for this great place you are sharing with us travellers.
Highly recommendand!! Give them a short information when you are coming, because they are well known by travellers already and so they can plan better (contact infos on google).

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this place is amazing. the hosts are so welcoming you almost could'nt belive it.

we spend christmas there and the owner organised a big bbq wich was fantastic.
they let you use their own garden with frech fruits and veggies.
this place has a big palapa with kitchen and stuff that you can use. running purified water is available at every tap. they have super clean composting toilettes. the river nearby is really warm or you can use the pool on site wich gets refilled ever third day.
they even let us use their laundry. there is a hoking trail to even more riverpools.
the road back there is a little rough but totally doable with every car.

if you think going there, just do it and enjoy.

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Incredible spot that’s worth the drive in - plan to spend a couple days at least if you can! Clarence and Isabel are top notch hosts who will make you feel at home immediately, even if just visiting for a day hike. We loved hearing their stories and learning about the ranch. The composting toilets are up and running now, and are kept very clean. The communal kitchen has everything you need for cooking and fresh fruit is replenished daily (or you can pick your own). Such a treat to pick fresh veggies, greens, and herbs from their garden. WiFi was good and the tap water is now potable which is awesome. They also have some drinks available for purchase plus honey and frozen mango from their trees. We paid $300/night for two people in a truck camper.

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In addition to all the wonderful descriptions of your hosts, Clarence and Isabel, which are spot on, there are some recent updates to Rancho Dionisio's amenities.

The urine separating/composting toilets are now up and running, as is pressurized water to the lavatory sinks and in the palapa.

We were treated to fresh fruit, garden produce, a full tour of the ranch, trail advise and had many great visits. If you like passionate people, this is the place for you. We ended up staying three nights...

We will return soon.

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We agree with the other reviews. This is a wonderful spot and well worth the drive. The drive is long but scenic and a welcome shift if you’ve been spending your time along the coast. We felt comfortable on the road in our rear wheel drive vintage Sprinter.

We arrived late season, when most overlanders had already fled north. We found the canyon to be relatively cool and inviting. The evenings were perfect. Much of the river was dry at this point, but the hiking was fantastic, with a pleasant cooling breeze, and we found small pools to refresh ourselves.

The Rancho grounds are fantastic and Clarence and Isabel are great hosts. They have taken a real interest in this canyon and shared a comprehensive knowledge of the human history and natural environment of this small slice of Baja. It’s impressive to see how they are transforming this place, while honoring its history as a working ranch.

The orchard is young but expansive. There are a number of glorious ceiba trees. The vegetable garden is very impressive and they gave us carte blanche to pick our fill.

The grounds and garden are a work in progress and probably always will be, but they will soon be fully up and running. In the meantime there is more than enough here to make for a wonderful stay and they are happily welcoming guests.

Special note: on a hot day, take a dip in their pila/plunge pool, a unique Clarence adaption to a traditional Baja water storage tank.

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We spent three nights at Rancho San Dionisio. This is truly a special place, run by a great couple - Clarence and Isabel. The Rancho is at the end of a 20-km dirt road, where the San Dionisio trail begins. Our vintage 94 dodge van had no problem getting there, albeit slowly. This off grid property is enormous with 65 acres of mostly fruit trees and a vegetable garden...very lush and a great contrast to the dry arid surrounding landscape. We parked right in between some fruit trees!

There is a great vibe here. After our morning hikes, we met and spent time with other overlanders at the communal kitchen/palapa. Many stories were shared, advice given, and new friendships made. There is allot of work going on at the ranch, and improvements are being made everyday. A friendly crew is onsite managing the orchard and constructing the new buildings.

Clarence and Isabel are seasoned travellers/ overlanders and are very friendly and attentive to their guests. Although this rancho is relatively new and growing, its already a great destination off the beaten track and well worth the drive in.

Some of the best reasons to come here besides the hosts are the San Dionisio trail, which runs from the Rancho all the way to Todos Santos (multi-day hike if your up to it). Personally, I was more taken with the small river that flows through the canyon along the property. We hiked up the river about 3 miles, often jumping boulder to boulder and cooling off in shallow pools of clear, cold water.

For those who travel with a dog as we do, there are two resident dogs, a cat, and a flock of chickens roaming the property. If your dog isn’t dog, cat or chicken-friendly, you’ll need to consider this. Our dog is not good with cats or chickens so we kept him leashed.

In terms of amenities, Wifi is now available (satellite speed), there’s a pit toilet (composting toilet construction underway), and there’s access to non-potable water (potable water coming soon). They also welcome their guests to help themselves to whatever is seasonally growing in the garden or on the fruit trees as well as fresh eggs (daily production shared between hosts and guests).

We loved our experience and would definitely recommend a stay at this place.

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Adding photos. Parking for rigs is just inside the front gate.

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Wonderful secluded spot with great hosts. It’s a long dirt road 2wd will do but it is bumpy. Feels like you drive forever but worth it when you get there. This is a new campground/farm still being built as of February 2022. It’s beautiful by a river with a great palapa outdoor kitchen area with picnic tables also has a swing set. Nice flat area to park my car with a rooftop tent. when I went they had a outhouse for bathroom but composting toilets are currently being installed. No running water. Beautiful young mango trees and avocado trees with a vegetable garden the owners let us take some veggies from. The best part of this property however is the owners Clarence and Isabella. They built a nice fire for us and were lovely to talk to. They are constantly improving the property and I’ll be excited to go back.

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This deserted ranch was purchased in 2020 by Clarence and Isabel - 10 year overlanding
veterans from the US and Mexico respectively.
They spent the last two years cutting back the overgrown homestead, reinvigorating the orchids, creating vegetable gardens, building a communal palapa with kitchen and social area. All of this on the stunning spring feed stream. The kitchen and grassy area surrounding it are truly special.
They live on the ranch full time, and have built overlander friendly amenities. Stop by and say “Hi”, and if you stay for a night, they will share produce with you (free) from their amazing gardens. The San Dionisio Canyon trail head is right outside the entrance of their ranch (very limited parking at the trailhead, but people had been invited to park at the ranch when we were there).
Their plan for now is to only invite overlanders to stay on the ranch - their tribe/people.
They do not have a webpage or Facebook page (yet). It’s a 20 kilometer drive from Santiago to the ranch. Give a yell at their gate to see if they are home. If not you can go for a hike and stay at one of the other sites back down the road.

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