Drakesbad Guest Ranch

Drakesbad Guest Ranch is a historic lodge and bungalow complex in Warner Valley, in the park’s southeast corner. Come for an overnight stay, meals, horseback rides, or a base for nearby hikes. This is its own trip into a remote valley, not a quick pullout from the main park drive.

From the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center, allow about an hour and a half to reach Warner Valley. From Chester, follow Feather River Road and County Road 312 for about 13.5 miles to the ranch. Part of the approach is gravel and trailers are not recommended. The ranch runs seasonally, so check current dates and arrange your stay or activities before setting out.

Overnight stays include meals at the dining hall. Day visitors can come to eat, but reserve ahead rather than counting on walk-up space. The ranch has restrooms, showers, drinking water, and picnic tables. Cell service is not available in the valley, so save what you need before you drive in.

Edward Drake homesteaded here in the 1880s and established a bathing place around the valley’s warm springs; Drakesbad is commonly rendered as “Drake’s baths.” Alexander Sifford bought 400 acres in 1900, and his family developed the ranch over the following decades. The later transfer date to the National Park Service is reported differently, so it is best left out.

The Dixie Fire affected Drakesbad in 2021. The hero photo shows the dining hall under protective sprinklers during the fire, not a typical day at the ranch. Fire scars remain on nearby ridges, while the meadow and valley are still central to the setting.