Northern California Hotels
Hunewill Guest Ranch
- Critic's rating
- LAT
My search for an authentic cowboy experience leads me to the Hunewill Guest Ranch, on the outskirts of Bridgeport, about 360 miles north of Los Angeles. The 4,500-acre working ranch sits in a wide, flat valley between Yosemite National Park and Bridgeport. More than 190 horses and about 2,400 head of cattle call the sage-studded valley home. The Dude Ranchers' Assn. tells me this is one of the few places that has resisted the resort trend.
In the early 1800s, Napoleon Bonaparte Hunewill struck out from Maine, hoping to make a fortune in gold and timber. He homesteaded and founded the Hunewill ranch in 1861. In the wake of the Great Depression, his descendants opened the ranch to guests. Today, Hunewill's great-great-grandchildren run the business.
On paper, the place sounds authentic. But during my weeklong stay this June, I learn that even Napoleon's offspring have had to adjust to modern times. And I realize I don't mind at all.
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