Sandy Bar Ranch — Hotel in Willow Creek

I stayed here as part of a natural history class about the Klamath River put on the by the Siskiyou Field Institute. As an instructor for the class I did not pay for the lodging, but thought I would provide some perspective.||||Getting to the resort is easy (if you do not miss the sign at the driveway), about a mile up Ishi Pishi Road from Orleans, California. the Ishi Pishi Road is narrow (single lane with turnouts in some locations) and can be dangerous if you are not paying attention.||||This resort is an old fishing camp, but has been updated with some features (such as solar panel array) and propane stoves (replaced the old wood stoves). The resort office and six cabins spread out along a terrace above the Klamath River. The cabins have a fully equipped kitchen (refrigerator, sink and cabinets, silverware, bowls, plates and other cooking needs). ||||Cabin #6 has two bedrooms, one on each side of the kitchen/dining/living area. the one bathroom (toilet, sink, shower) is attached to one of the bedrooms (so late night bathroom visits could be disruptive if you lost the coin flip for the master bedroom). There is a deck on the "riverside" of the cabin with a door from the master bedroom and from the living area.||||The facility is meant for visitors that can be self sufficient. It also has a garden area, they sell goat milk and cheese and there is a large outdoor area where you can have larger gatherings. ||||This facility is remote, bring items and do not expect to walk to the office to get needed toiletries or basic food items. As the town of Orleans has a small store, but no restaurants, you can get some items there. Somes Bar (30 minutes) away has a better stocked store. But if you are looking to stock up for more than a day or two stay, bring you items from home or you grocery. ||||The swimming pool is the Klamath River, with all the scenery you can soak in. the nights are quiet and dark. Bring a flashlight for wandering around after dark on the grounds.||||Met folks here that come back year after year. If you are looking for a get away from "everyday life", or want to get back to what "everyday life" used to...

First, all those Orleans pictures on TripAdvisor are from Sandy Bar Ranch...and we did them all. Second, nobody knows the Central Klamath area better than these people. Third, this is cabin camping among organic orchards above a gorgeous river at edge of the wilderness. Still with me? Good!|We were here for a week with 17 family members, from 75 to two in age, and coming together from all over the US. We cooked and ate in the communal kitchen and open dining patio, although each cabin has its own kitchen with a large fridge and stove/oven and seating for six. Meals were planned ahead and most food came in with us. Fruit, berries, herbs, some veggies, goat milk/cheese, and wood-fired custom pizza are already there in abundance.|YES, WILDERNESS! Expect to see bears, eagles, black-tail deer, mink, ospreys, geese, insects...but no motor homes and very few people. Getting to Orleans is a day's car trip from any direction, but the scenery in all directions is breathtaking and traffic simply does not exist.|Our families were busy from sunrise to campfire, with much of mid-day spent in the clear, cool river. Mid-day was HOT, but the well-built cabins stay comfortable. Nobody spent time staring at a screen. This is an active bodies environment. We took a "rate-it" vote every day...9/10.|Explore their extensive and informative website. You can believe...

My spouse and I stayed a week at Sandy Bar Ranch and, despite some smoke during the first few days (far less than most of California and Oregon, and we had more blue skies than not!), it was a beautiful and unforgettable week. Our cabin was stocked with every utensil and appliance needed to prepare our own meals, and the covered back deck was ideal for reading whilst listening to the river, exuberant Steller's and Scrub Jays, the periodic pitter-patter of falling acorns from nearby oaks, and the occasional cry of a Red-Tailed Hawk. The cricket and frog song at night was so melodically peaceful too. The goats and chickens were charming and living their best goatie and chickie lives. Our dogs loved meeting all the other wonderfully-natured ranch dogs and exploring the oak woodland and river bar (where we saw a family of river otters gamboling together on the large "jumping" rock near the falls flowing from Pearch Creek along the way). Blythe and Mark are very kind and generous with their time as well, and their passion for their property, their town, and the surrounding natural environment is unmistakable and infectious. It did not take long for them to feel like old friends. Sandy Bar is a truly special place, and we simply cannot...