We know you will enjoy our HISTORY…HORSES… and WESTERN HOSPITALITY. Ranch headquarters are located in the beautiful little valley of Walker’s Basin…deep in the heart of the Tehachapi Mountains.
We’ve been a working cattle ranch for over a century, and have operated our guest ranch since 1965. Rankin Ranch is one of the oldest and largest family owned ranches in California. Six generations of Rankins have lived and worked on our 31,000 acre cattle ranch. We truly enjoy the opportunity to share our lifestyle with our guests. We hope you enjoy the following history of our ranch and local area.
The Rankin family is happy to welcome you for a great ranch vacation. Bill and Glenda, the 4th generation, are pleased to have their children and grandchildren working along side them to continue the family tradition started in 1863. Being a family run business, it is not uncommon to meet most of the Rankins during your stay. From Glenda’s welcoming spirit and love of sharing the family history to Bill’s vast knowledge of the farming and cattle industry to the grandkids’ welcoming smiles, the entire Rankin family is delighted to meet every guest and loves to share our way of life with you.
Good time to go
We are open to guests during the spring, summer, and fall. While each season brings it's own unique beauty, the spring and fall are the ideal times for adults to visit the ranch, while the summer months are very family oriented.
Children at the Ranch
Great for children aged 4 and over
Our wonderful supervised children’s program was featured in Sunset Magazine and Better Homes & Gardens Vacation Guide.
Parents and grandparents especially appreciate the children’s program. Our staff is on duty from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and join the children again in the evening with planned activities for ages 4-11. They enjoy arts and crafts, hikes, and visits to the animal farm. The children's program is available only during our "Regular Season", over Spring Break and during the summer months.
Arts & Crafts
play-doh, coloring, sketching, We offer a variety of arts and crafts from building boats to race in the creek to our Create a Barnyard contest. The activities are tailored to fit the interests of a wide range of ages.
Activities
hiking, outdoor play area, petting zoo, supervised swimming, Cowboy Day, Treasure Hunt, Swim Meets, and more!
Games
scavenger/treasure hunts, board games, horseshoes, volleyball, badminton, ping pong, pool table, Fooseball, Shuffle Board, Ping Pong, and more!
Baby Sitting
From age 0 to 4. Hourly cost $15.
Baby Sitting Provided By
We are happy to arrange to have a babysitter available for children who are under age four. Those under age four are welcome to participate in any of the children's activities as long as they are accompanied by a parent or babysitter. Our supervised children's program is for ages 4-11 years.
Environmental & Social Practices
Environment
We at Rankin take our role as stewards of the land very seriously. We do our best to care for the land and our natural resourses to preserve our land for the generations to come.
Ranch History
Our cattle ranch was founded by my great-great grandparents, Walker and Lavinia Rankin, in 1863. Walker was the first person to bring white faced Hereford cattle into the area and we have continued raising this breed of cattle through the generations. The ranch was passed down through the generations.
My grandmother, Helen Rankin, was a very strong woman and matriarch to our family. She was very couragous and dedicated. My grandfather, Leroy Rankin, third generation cattle rancher, passed away at a young age in 1954. Helen was left to raise three young children. The question of whether to keep or sell the ranch arose. She decided to keep the ranch and continue with her late husbands work.
Not only did she continue the family cattle ranch, but in 1965 she opened our guest ranch. At this time my father, Bill, was in college and returned home on weekends and school vacations to help with the cattle, farming, and guest operations. Helen was so immensely proud of her family and our dedication to the ranch. She instilled in her children and grandchildren a pride for our way of life. Today, my parents both still work on the ranch and myself and my three siblings have all come home to help continue the family tradition.
Thanks to my grandmother's commitment to the ranch, we have all had the opportunity to grow up in this wonderful way of life. I would not trade my childhood experiences for anything. We worked hard, but there was always sense of belonging and being a part something greater than yourself. The greatest things that I feel ranch life has taught me are family values, a strong work ethic, honesty, and respect. I look forward to raising my children, the sixth generation, on the ranch.