Marble Mountain Ranch, Somes Bar

Wonderful hosts. Wonderful food. Awesome fishing, horseback and hiking. Boat trips and more. The only problem is we can never stay long enough and have to keep coming back.

As a solo traveler, I look for adventure trips and found a great one at Marble Mountain Ranch. From morning to night there are activities. I was impressed to see families with young children to young adults enjoying the outdoors. No one was bored! No TV, no cell phones, just experience nature. I loved the shooting range and the white water rafting 5 out of 6 days. Doug and Heidi have a well organized system of getting the guests outside and moving. The scenery is spectacular and the meals and lodging fabulous.

What a find! Marble Mountain Ranch run by the Cole Family in Northern California's Klamath National Forest is a family-friendly, all-inclusive 5-day vacation experience including horseback riding, river rafting on the Klamath River, skeet shooting, fly fishing, games, swimming pool, incredibly good food and much more. I liked the all-inclusive aspect--all food, snacks, drinks (even beer and wine) and activities were included and there were no extras. I wasn't crazy about no daily service in the cabins, but cabins have kitchens and are intended to be housekeeping cabins; plenty of towels were provided and laundry facilities were available if we needed more. Cabins are rustic, but well-appointed and comfortable with A/C if needed. I liked the attention paid to the kids, giving them riding instruction and taking them on trail rides and the kids were kept busy with their own activities while adults went riding. Lots of attention to instruction and safety for skeet and target shooting and for horseback riding, river rafting, kayaking and fly fishing. We came from north San Diego County and it took us 16 hours over 2 days to get to this very remote spot, but it was all well worth it because we turned the road trip into an exploratory adventure. It is possible to fly to an airport 2 hours away and ranch will pick up. It's a great rustic family vacation in a beautiful, natural, wilderness environment and enjoyable for people of all ages and experience. A wonderful family reunion destination.

Wanted to give my grandchildren an exciting and safe wilderness experience, imagine my surprise to find I was not the only grandmother there with grandchildren. Even our youngest at 4 was able to ride a pony and enjoy the rafting and all the fun this perfect environment affords. Hosts Doug and Heidi paid special attention to the needs of every person there, with safety in the high adventure experiences high on their priority list. We expected to have fun - what exceeded our expectations was the overall QUALITY - the cabin, the superb food, and the number of activities that we could all enjoy in such a remote setting. There is nothing to dislike here - I happily turned off my cell phone for the week.

We were all excited about our trip to go to the ranch but we really didn't know what we were in for until we arrived at the ranch and experienced the magnitude of this amazing place. We were greeted with friendly smiles and the most delicious food that just kept on comin' the whole vacation! They treat you to 3 delicious home cooked meals a day! The variety, taste, and amount of food made us feel like we were on a cruise! The kids loved it as well as my husband and I. The activities were so amazing! We went horseback riding through beautiful mountains with breathtaking views of mountains and a beautiful flowing river down in the valley. My boys (7) and (9) loved the shooting range and my daughter (4), absolutely loved riding the pony. She had several opportunities to ride the pony and it was a perfect size for her! She really got to ride and learn how to ride. It wasn't like at the fair when they only get to sit on the horse for a picture or ride around in a circle. It was an amazing experience for her that she remembers, talks about and wants to go back. The river rafting and hiking adventures were also spectacular! The wildlife we saw was so fascinating. We saw bald eagles, osprey, and blue herons on the river. What an incredible fun family adventure we had! The people who work on the ranch are so friendly and great hosts. They treat you like family! We would highly recommend this family vacation to anyone who wants to experience the BEST family adventure ever! We hope to get back there every year!

My husband and I loved our stay at Marble Mountain Ranch. It is a beautiful, happy, and safe place to slow down and rediscover the quiet beauty of nature and get away from a hectic, technology-driven life. Their location is remote, but definitely worth the trip. When you taste Heidi's meals you'll never want to go home. All meals are healthy and made from scratch, including home grown herbs, fresh breads and desserts. The horses are well-trained, well-behaved, and well cared for. The rafting trips are fun and safe--both Heidi and Doug are experienced whitewater rafting experts. We can wholeheartedly recommend this place to anyone interested in a wholesome guest ranch experience with lots of personal attention and genuine hospitality.

We went back to visit Heidi and Doug again this year, and, of course, my daughter's favorite horse, Max. We absolutely love this place: the area and the ranch are picturesque, their horses look beautiful, and most importantly, Heidi and Doug, their children and other helping hands make you feel like you are visitingold friends. The week-long package is really great and well worth it. Trail rides in the morning, lessons for the kids, rafting in the afternoon, and great ranch cooking! There is a pool and we had a fire every night. The kids were helping Heidi to pick berries for her home-made ice cream and got to make apple juice before we left. We also had a little rodeo and barrel racing in the end...it was a lot of fun! This year, we went back for a shorter time, and the only complaint I have, is that we did not stay long enough. After the kids woke up from their nap, they waned to turn around and go right back. We can't wait to go back again!

We visited Marble Mountain Ranch in August 2008 with our three young children. We all loved the family atmosphere, the fun activities (including horseback riding, rafting, kayaking), the delicious home cooked meals, and just hanging out on the ranch. Our children fondly refer to it as "our ranch". We would definitely go back !!!

There was NOTHING not to LOVE! It is a remarkable place, with friendly staff, animals, and more wildlife than you would imagine. Swimming in the river, rafting, using the firing range, and relazing in the swimming pool at the end of each day were only a few of the activities. Campfires each night, homemade meals and desserts that are amazing!!!! A cute little gift shop, a wonderful photographer on staff, I didn't want to leave. I will be back!