Our group of 12 friends (6 couples) thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Cottontail Creek Ranch. Susan was a pleasure to work with and she was very accommodating. The description of the home and property is accurate but doesn't begin to describe the warm and relaxing atmosphere. Each of the couples had privacy with their own bed/bath (fresh flowers from the garden!) but there was also room for everyone to gather, visit, play games, cook and dine. The home was clean and the kitchen had everything needed for all the cooks in the group. We were welcomed with a beautifully set table as well as a large bowl of fresh oranges for squeezing in the orange press and a bowl of yummy avocados. We split cooking duties and on the night the ladies cooked the guys were in the upstairs loft that opens onto the lower main living area watching football on tv. It was great because we were separate but could still interact with them. When the guys cooked the ladies headed out to the detached game room for ping pong tournaments. There is also an extra fridge, poker table and plenty of comfy seating for spectators. And it was right off the patio so we could watch the guys slaving over the bbq! The property has a beautifully maintained swimming pool and tennis court as well as plenty of space for hiking and exploring. The fire pit was the perfect place to gather. Jose is the care taker and was always available but not intrusive. The property is rural so be prepared for a little drive on a narrow unlighted road with roaming cattle and wildlife. Our group opted to stay in after dark but that just added to the fun. It does get very dark on the property in the evening so the tennis courts and pool are not available, but Jose brought us a great light for "after hours" bocce near the fire pit. The group also enjoyed shopping in Morro Bay and SLO, antique shops, wine tasting, and olive oil tours. We would highly recommend a stay at the Cottontail Creek Ranch

As fantastic as Cottontail Creek Ranch looks in this listing, the reality is even better. Start with the house: generously sized, with enough bedrooms and bathrooms to house a small army, and a nice big kitchen in which to play around. There are plenty of fun books around, a cozy living room set around a fireplace, a piano, and everywhere a lovely view of the valley. We hardly used the casita (because we were outside most of the time), but it makes for a great space to stay up late when the rest of your peeps have tucked in. How about the outdoors? Well, if you're a walker, there are 850 acres to walk. That's, like, a mile in every direction. If you're a swimmer, you have a lovely pool. If you're a tennis player, the court is lovely - and if you're not, there are plenty of racquets and balls provided so you can pretend you are. There's a bocce court, a fire pit, and a basketball hoop. My friends and I set up two bands worth of music gear on the patio and jammed to our hearts' content. And lastly, Susan, our host. Generous, caring, helpful, pleasant, and friendly. She made everything easy for us, arriving and departing. This was our first time at CTC, and I'm certain it won't be our last. It's an amazing place, a true California experience. I can't recommend it enough.

We recently enjoyed a long weekend at Cottontail Creek Ranch with our large family. The ranch is absolutely breathtaking and feels very isolated, even though it is only a short drive to nearby towns. Sadly for us, it rained (extremely unusual for this time of year) and we were unable to use many of the outdoor facilities or go too far from the house, but we made the best of it. The house was spacious and we enjoyed the well equipped kitchen with spectacular views. The upstairs lounge with a fireplace was also a favorite spot for us to gather. We did make great use of the outdoor fire pit for roasting marshmallows and the hot tub on the upper deck. Susan was wonderful to deal with prior to our visit and was very welcoming on our arrival. She took some of us for a drive up to the top of the mountain to enjoy the breathtaking views to the ocean. Susan was always on hand if we needed her throughout our stay. Miriam and Jose at the ranch were also amazing and helped make our stay very special. The little ones enjoyed feeding the baby cows and seeing the chickens. All of our guests had a wonderful time and we would love to visit again in sunny weather. Highly recommended!

I just spent a long weekend at Cottontail Creek Ranch with my large family to celebrate my 45th birthday and what an incredible experience at Cottontail Creek Ranch. There are so many little touches that Susan does that really made us feel incredibly welcome... from fresh flowers and fruit, to lots of little details throughout the home. It was a perfect setting for our family weekend. It's a stunning setting with the beautiful rolling hills as a backdrop, whether watching from the deck, the large circular fire pit at dusk, or on some breathtaking hikes along the ridges which we really enjoyed. And then there are many other activities on site that entertained everyone across ages... the pool, the tennis court, the bocce ball, the hot tub, ping pong, board games, etc. We stayed several days and intended to take some excursions and actually never left the property the whole time. The kitchen is fully stocked with necessarily equipment for gourmet meals which was also great. THANKS much Susan!

We were ten in number, friends who have known each other for 40 - 50 years.Cottontail Ranch was the perfect setting to get together and reminisce. The ranch was fantastic, and the host, Susan Lyon, equally so.

Our family spent a wonderful week at the Cottontail Creek Ranch on 850 acres. There were 4 generations celebrating my parents 60th Wedding Anniversary. Susan the owner is very welcoming and had the table all set for our arrival on the first night. Jose was so helpful if we needed to know how to work something. There is something for everyone, the pool, bocci ball, horseshoes, hot tub, hiking or sitting around playing games. We had family come in from Idaho, Colorado, Arizona and Texas. With the lofts, rooms and game room there was plenty of room for everyone. The kitchen is very large and could accommodate our group so we were all able to sit and have breakfast and dinner together. We loved the patio off the kitchen which also has a large table for meals or games. The owner Susan took my nephew to see her chickens and then gave us a tour of her ranch. It is beautiful!! We all didn't want to leave at the end of the week. We will remember this week with warm memories, it gave us a chance to all be together to celebrate my parents 60th anniversary.

We had 15 guys getting away for a bachelor party.... and this place was perfect for our group. We did not want the typical Vegas trip, but wanted to be able to spend quality time with a close group of guys. We hardly left the house and pool area, and enjoyed every moment. The setup/design of the home was very unique and fitting as there are multiple areas that accommodate groups of people for "hanging out". We would have 4 to 5 groups of people in different places at any given time, (house hot tub, pool/pool house hot tub, fire pit, living room with fireplace) and wouldn't even know that the others were even there. The landscape was breathtaking with rolling green hills. Unfortunately, we never made time to do the ridge tour with Susan, but will have to do it next time. Great hospitality, and great accommodations. Cottontail Creek Ranch is one of a kind! Thanks for everything Lyons!

It was the perfect spot for our family to gather together in celebration of Ted's BIG birthday. The ranch is so beautiful with such picturesque landscape and vistas. The house interior is appointed attractively and has a warm feeling. The kitchen and dining area worked well for fourteen people. We were blessed with fabulous weather which meant the pool, spa, badminton, fire pit, and hikes were enjoyed by all! We look forward to a return visit to Cottontail Creek Ranch!

Our stay at the ranch was truly unforgettable. The owner personally greeted me with fresh out of the over cookies and took time to show me around the property step by step. We checked every inch of the house to make sure everything was working and in place. I rented the house for a work strategy meeting that started out over the weekend with our families and morphed into a business meeting. For the family portion we cooked dinner at the house, relaxed, swam, visited, played games then the final day took a wine tour followed by a catered dinner at the house. For the sales meeting we used the more than adequate room that already had screen's, white boards, note pads, etc... Everything we needed. This was followed by another amazing catered dinner and of course fun times around the fire pit. The staff was amazing and treated us like family. We will be planning another trip to CTC Ranch. I hope if you are reading this review you take my word for it, come to CTC ranch you won't regret it. It's got whatever you need trust me.

Thank you so much for the outstanding hospitality! My 13 person group has stayed in multiple large houses and this was by far the best --comfortable beds, incredible views, with gourmet and high end amenities that were all up and running. The hot tub was comfortable and ready to go, the heating was perfect, the kitchen was well-stocked with great utensils and appliances (which is great since we love to cook!). The property itself is just beautiful with incredible vistas, hiking, and great inspiration for our yoga class. Our amateur photographers were busy capturing the ambiance throughout the stay. There was a great authentic oak wood grill, the firepit was all set up for a beautiful campfire experience, and the warm cookies, farm fresh eggs, and recipie support for the ranch ground beef from our hostess put the entire experience over the top. Thank you from our entire well-rested group!

The ranchWhen you wake up in the morning and the sun rises and you hear the rooster down below at the farm, close to the pond, you really wonder where you are. You are surrounded by rolling hills slowly traversed here and there by dark cows. Hawks are circling high in the sky. Everything is peaceful. Still, you must be in a civilized world: below you there are straight lines of avocado trees. And, in the middle of them is the dusty trail by which you arrived yesterday, the only access from the outside world.The house where you stay is a modern, octagonal lodge built half way up the slope of a hill. It is open on all sides and completely surrounded by decks where you can sit in the sun or the shade as you please. All rooms have their personality. You can feel that they have been furnished by a real family ready to share its own memories and prized possessions. Now all the rooms are occupied by members of your family – or your friends. And this is how you start the day at the Cottontail Creek Ranch. In a moment, all guests will come together in the front room, which is the kitchen. Because from there, especially, one has a complete panoramic view of the ranch. The view goes all around, miles away, across the hills, to the horizon. It is yours. There are no buildings, no roads, no cars, no electric lines in this view. The only people who share this paradise with you are the tenants of the farm far below. You would have to climb the hill above the house to realize where you are. From there, you would find the ocean to the West, and in the South, through the haze, you would see Morro Rock.There are a lot of things for everyone to do inside the house, on the ranch and nearby. This morning, some among us (the youngest) have insisted on going to the beach. A few others prefer to bike. A third group is going to visit the Hearst castle The elders are discussing a well-planned visit to vineyards around Paso Robles for wine tasting. And then…Then, tonight we shall gather around the antique barbecue and, later in the evening, around the campfire with marshmallows, among crickets, under a starred sky. After that, we shall surreptitiously take out the telescope we brought with us and sneak a look at planets and stars. The air is so pure and the night so dark that here we can discover celestial objects that we have never seen at home.John and Madeleine

I highly recommend staying at Cottontail Creek Ranch, it is spectacular! I have stayed there twice now and I am already planning the next trip back. The house is fantastic and the land around is magical. You never run out of great outdoor activities. But once you get there you may just want to stay put and enjoy the beautiful house. Susan and Roger are amazing hosts. They made our visit more enjoyable, which I didn’t think was possible!