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River Ranch: Petting Zoo & Farm Stay

Photo gallery for River Ranch: Petting Zoo & Farm Stay

Fireplace, ping pong
Fridge, microwave, oven, stovetop
Outdoor spa tub
Exterior
Interior

Reviews

8.4 out of 10
Very good

Entire cabin

3 bedrooms5 bathroomsSleeps 6279 sq m

Popular amenities

  • Parking available
  • Air conditioning
  • Dryer
  • Washer
  • Fireplace
  • Hot tub

Explore the area

Map
Watauga County, NC
  • Appalachian State University
    ‪26 min drive‬
  • Land of Oz
    ‪29 min drive‬
  • Beech Mountain Resort
    ‪30 min drive‬
  • Abingdon, VA (VJI-Virginia Highlands)
    ‪80 min drive‬

Room options

About the area

Sugar Grove

When you stay at this cabin in Sugar Grove, you'll be on the waterfront and 9 minutes by car from Watauga River. .This cabin is 13.9 mi (22.4 km) from Beech Mountain Resort and 15.7 mi (25.3 km) from Appalachian State University.
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What's nearby

  • Watauga Lake Winery - 25 min drive - 21.7 km
  • Appalachian State University - 26 min drive - 25.3 km
  • Land of Oz - 29 min drive - 21.2 km
  • Beech Mountain Resort - 30 min drive - 22.4 km
  • Sugar Mountain Resort - 36 min drive - 28.0 km

Getting around

  • Abingdon, VA (VJI-Virginia Highlands) - 80 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Beech Mountain Brewing Company - ‬30 min drive
  • ‪Mile High Tavern - ‬30 min drive
  • ‪Poppy's Coffee Shop - ‬30 min drive
  • ‪Beech Mountain Club Swimming Pool - ‬29 min drive
  • ‪Pizza Run - ‬29 min drive

About this property

Entire place

You'll have the entire cabin to yourself and will only share it with other guests in your party.

River Ranch: Petting Zoo & Farm Stay

FYI: We do feel like River Ranch is a 5-star stay, but sadly we got rocked by a terrible, blackmail review with no merit, (please feel free to ask about it) we have 1500+ 5-star reviews amongst our Mountain Magic Resort farmstay cabins across all the various platforms!

RIVER RANCH HIGHLIGHTS:
Three King Bedrooms (on each floor) & 4.5 Bathrooms ... Check!
Private Hot Tub with a huge deck overlooking the entire farm & creek ... Check!
Theatre Room, Wine Room, Wood-Burning Fireplace, outdoor seating & dining ... Check!
WiFi, Smart TVs (bring codes), A/C, W/D ... Check!
Pool Table, Fire Pit, Porch Swing & easy access to all amenities ... Check!
Fully Stocked Kitchen (bring spices, oil and food), Basic Coffee Maker & Gas Grill ... Check!
An Instagram-worthy Farm-Stay experience ... Check!

RULES: No Holiday Arrivals or Departures. No visitors allowed to the farm.
PETS: One Dog Allowed: $75 for up to 25 pounds max. More than one dog or a larger dog requires pre-approval - please inquire!

FARM ACCESS / HIGHLIGHTS:
20+ acres to explore & 1/4 mile of state-stocked trout stream ... Check!
Private Petting Zoo, Bird Aviary & Catch 'n Release Fishing Pond ... Check!
Zip Lines (2), Trampoline AND Pickleball ... Check!
Hiking trails, so many swings and whimsical surprises ... Check!

25 mins to Boone, 30 mins to Banner Elk & skiing!

Well-decorated. Well-stocked. Expectations met. We like to let our 50 photos do the talking!

River Ranch is luxury and a true second home, opened only for the winter months (November through April). The cabin is meticulously kept and we keep party sizes at 6 or under. Master King bedroom, pool table and TV room are upstairs with a main level King bedroom (that feels like a master) and one King bedroom downstairs next to your Wine Tasting Room!

Our guest house (Honeymoon Cabin) is a rental as well as our neighboring barns and Airstream. There will be other small families or couples on the farm enjoying the animals and amenities, however, there is no reason for anyone, other than our workers that utilize one of River Ranch's garages for maintenance needs to travel up to your cabin. It sits up on the knoll and the petting zoo and all the amenities are private for only our cabins!

The Bethel area of Sugar Grove is a quaint area, easily accessible, near everything you will need. And the corner store just up the road has all of the basics you may need from milk and eggs to gas. It’s a slower “Valle Crucis” if you are familiar with the area! We have a paved driveway with grading, it can be a difficult climb in the winter months without 4x4. We will always recommend 4x4 in the winter months, however, we are also located off a state-maintained road and we would consider us "easier access."

PETS: We allow only one dog, under 25 pounds, with a $75 pet fee (weight and breed limitations, please ask).
Make yourself comfortable in this air-conditioned cabin, which features a fireplace. There's a private balcony. A kitchen is outfitted with a refrigerator, an oven, and a stovetop. Conveniences include a microwave and a coffee/tea maker.
Enjoy recreation amenities such as a hot tub or take in the view from a garden.
Guests will find features like onsite parking.

Property manager

Connie Trivette

Languages

English

Property amenities

Pool/Spa

  • Hot tub

Internet

  • Available in the cabin: WiFi

Parking and transport

  • Parking on site

Kitchen

  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Cookware, dishware, and utensils
  • Dishwasher
  • Hob
  • Microwave
  • Oven
  • Refrigerator

Bedrooms

  • 3 bedrooms
  • Bedsheets provided

Bathroom

  • 4.5 bathrooms
  • Hair dryer

Living spaces

  • Fireplace
  • Living room
  • Separate dining area

Outdoor areas

  • Balcony
  • Barbecue grill
  • Garden

Laundry

  • Laundry facilities
  • Washing machine

Comfort

  • Air conditioning
  • Heating

Pets

  • Pet friendly
  • Welcoming dogs only
  • Up to 23 kg per pet

Suitability/Accessibility

  • Smoke-free property

Services and conveniences

  • Iron/ironing board

Location highlights

  • On a river
  • On the waterfront

Things to do

  • Billiards/pool table
  • Table tennis

Safety features

  • Carbon monoxide detector (host has indicated there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property)
  • Smoke detector (host has indicated there is a smoke detector on the property)
  • First aid kit
  • Fire extinguisher

General

  • Garden
  • Unit size: 3,000 square feet

Policies

Check-in

Check-in time starts at 4:00 PM
Minimum check-in age: 25

Check-out

Check-out before 10:00 AM

Special check-in instructions

You will receive an email from the host with check-in and check-out instructions

Pets

Pets allowed
Service animals are welcome, and are exempt from fees
Welcoming dogs only
1 total (up to 50 lbs per pet)
Restrictions apply; for more information contact the property at the number on the booking confirmation

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
Onsite parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has indicated there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property
Host has indicated there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher and a first aid kit
This property is managed through our partner, Vrbo. You will receive an email from Vrbo with a link to a Vrbo account, where you can change or cancel your reservation

Property is also known as

623582
New River Ranch Luxury hot Tub Pool Table Trout Stream Ponds
New River Ranch Luxury hot Tub Pool Table Trout Stream Ponds

River Ranch: Petting Zoo & Farm Stay Reviews

Reviews

8.4

Very good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 4 out of 6 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 1 out of 6 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 6 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 6 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 1 out of 6 reviews

8.8/10

Cleanliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Terry N.

Liked: Cleanliness

Just absolutely Ahhhmazing

So much to do on property
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2025

10/10 Excellent

Manuel T.

Liked: Cleanliness

Picturous

My husband and I spent our Anniversary here we had a nice time. We enjoyed playing and feeding the animals daily. We stayed 1 night in starry liked the fact we did not have to climb steps to acess it. We stayed 2 nights in the Luxury home up on hill. Very clean, well kept. We enjoyed the theatre room. We were disappointed we could not use the fire place we wete looking forward to a fire, but we still had a nice time. The home was very cozy, you can tell it is of quality build and love went into the nice vacation spot. Our grandkids would like it. Bed was comfortable. I recommend the property. Thank you Connie for sharing ❤️ your spot with us.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2023

2/10 Terrible

Jared N., Boca Raton

Disliked: Cleanliness

Stay Far Away

We paid for a 3-bedroom house and upon arrival we found out that the 3rd bedroom was in an unventilated basement with no windows for exit in case of a fire. Furthermore, there was a refrigerator down there full of rotting food that the owners left behind. The owner said it was out job to take the time out of our day and clean the room so that someone could sleep in it. We filed a complaint with the local building department, and they are going to look into the illegal bedroom. Filed a complaint with VRBO as well as with the owners and neither were willing to refund any portion of the stay for the inconvenience. Please do yourself a favor and don't let the looks fool you - The owners are nasty money hungry people.
Stayed 6 nights in Dec 2021

10/10 Excellent

Matthew H.

Liked: Cleanliness

Perfect mountain getaway

Stop looking and book this place for your vacation. I cannot imagine having found a better place to spend a few relaxing days in the mountains with family.

8/10 Good

Angela S., High Point, NC

Liked: Cleanliness

I would return to enjoy the property

The outside property is beautiful and there’s so much for children to do. I would return for this reason alone. It’s an easy drive from Boone. There’s plenty of space for the family to spread out and fun stuff for the adults as well: home theater, hot tub, grill, fire pits, pool table and ping pong. Every room has a comfortable king size bed. Now for the things that can be improved. The kitchen, laundry room and all the bathrooms need to be updated. 2 of the 3 showers are so small that we all used the master shower. And there’s too much of the owner’s personal stuff around - we felt like visitors instead of renters. The pillows in two of the rooms need to be replaced and extra blankets needed for cold nights. The fireplace has candles in it so not usable. An exterminator is needed for the ladybugs and stinkbugs upstairs and spiders in the basement. The third bedroom is in the basement with no way to escape in case of fire. The upstairs bedroom should have a closet available for me to hang my clothes. The nice brick firepit out back needs to be cleaned out and chairs provided to enjoy it. The house itself has real potential, but it’s not quite up to the standard of other VRBO cabins I’ve rented in this price point.

10/10 Excellent

Dora J.

Liked: Cleanliness

Quiet getaway

The home sits on a ranch with other homes but private most of the time. Very well maintained. At Homs feel.