It’s common to take long trips with your horse to horse shows or clinics. It’s even common to take day trips to the beach or for scenic trail rides. But unless you’re truly enamored of sleeping in a tent, it doesn’t seem practical to go on vacation with your horse along for the ride. Lately, however, taking your horse with you for some rest and relaxation has become more feasible with venues like the desert getaway Butterfield Ranch Resort. Located just outside of Julian, the facility offers both permanent and holiday accommodations with horse-friendly amenities at a reasonable price.
After a year’s worth of renovations by owners Dave and Linda Grice, the Butterfield Ranch Resort has reopened with new facilities that include refurbished cabins, full RV hookups, mobile homes, pull-through RV services, tent campsites, laundry, a playground, two large screen TVs, swimming pools with spas, showers, barbeque pits, a convenience store and, of course, horse corrals where horses are welcome for just five dollars a night. Also of interest: the collection of antique wagons and farm equipment that conjure images of the days of stagecoaches and the Old West.

Butterfield Ranch is located on 87 acres at the edge of the Anza-Borrego Desert. It is close to some of Southern California’s popular recreational destinations, such as the historic town of Julian, Agua Caliente and geothermal hot springs, several gaming casinos, and miles of trails suitable for hiking, biking, and horseback riding. The locale is a desert haven of striking, uninterrupted landscape and home to thriving indigenous flora.
With ample space for visitors both human and equine, the Butterfield Ranch Resort is an ideal retreat for equestrian clubs, a meeting place for group trail rides, and even has been considered as part of the annual Overland historical reenactment ride from Ramona to San Diego in which mail is delivered via pony express. The nearby Julian, Santa Ysabel, Blair Valley, Box Canyon, and Ocotillo Wells offer miles of trails, breathtaking desertscapes, hikes and historical items like Indian pictographs, making a visit genuinely unique to the setting.
The ranch was built in the 1970s and was originally a premier spot for seasonal campers and snowbirds, but now Butterfield Ranch Resort is open year-round with no membership fees. The Grices have even taken measures to assure that the place stays green with an on-site fire truck, irrigation system, a 500-gallon water tank and a well. With an ongoing maintenance program, the Butterfield Ranch Resort will remain a safe and comfortable venue for years to come. Since it’s been restored, many agree that it surpasses its former glory, and many patrons are once again making Butterfield Ranch their second home. So whether vacationers are looking for a high desert getaway, a family vacation, a solo weekend expedition, or are traveling with a group, they and their horses will be welcome and well cared for.
For more information, visit www.butterfieldresort.com or call 760-765-1463.