Just a few weeks before last spring break, my family and I went on a road trip to Silvie’s Valley Ranch in Southern Oregon. Although the drive was quite long, approximately five hours in total, it was well worth it. We had an amazing weekend on the ranch, enjoying the animals, the cabin, and all the activities. If you’re looking for a fun family vacation that steps outside the boundaries of sandy beaches, Silvies Valley Ranch is the perfect place to go.

Luxury Cabin

The cabin that my family and I stayed in during our weekend getaway to Silvies Valley Ranch was, in simple terms, amazing. It contained two bedrooms with a bathroom area and a queen bed in each. Both bedrooms came with a set of robes, which we wore coming to and from the hot tub out on the deck. The showers also had multiple different showerheads, if that’s something you like.

There were two different living spaces, one in front of the large windows and one beside the kitchen. The t.v. had hundreds of channels, and there were even t.v. sets in the bathrooms. There was a cozy fireplace plus a couple of sofas and chairs. A lot of the decorative metal and wood pieces in the buildings at Silvies Valley Ranch were actually made by the staff. When we first arrived at the cabin, it was too dark outside for us to see what lay beyond the windows. The next morning, we were delighted to enter the living area to see a beautiful frozen pond outside the cabin, as well as snow-covered land as far as the eye can see.

Ranch Adaptations

Our cabin also had a small kitchen area with cabinets full of Silvies Valley Ranch branded mugs, plates, etc. There were tons of snacks and, to my mom’s delight, a fully stocked wine cooler. Silvies Valley Ranch makes sure to keep the kitchens in their cabins very well stocked so guests don’t have to leave the ranch to buy groceries. The grocery store isn’t exactly close to the ranch. Although Silvies Valley Ranch is pretty isolated from the rest of the world, it’s really nice for a getaway. It also makes for a nice vacation where you aren’t crowded by dozens of other people at the city or beach.

Another little thing that they add to the room is a flashlight holder. There are a few flashlights in each room, in case you need to go anywhere past dark. They also provide radios, so you can keep in contact with your group or the staff whenever you leave a building and no longer have access to the internet.

If you’re not interested in the cabin, or if your party is smaller, there are other accommodations as well.

Dining at the Lodge

Silvies Valley Ranch has a fantastic breakfast, lunch, and dinner menu. My family and I never left a meal unsatisfied. In fact, I was disappointed that I couldn’t fit any more of their delicious food in my stomach. Silvies Valley Ranch’s amazing Chef Damon Jones does an incredible job in the kitchen and has created a fantastic lineup of foods. The lodge is wonderfully decorated and because Silvies is a cattle and goat ranch, all of the beef and chevon comes straight from them. I think it’s safe to say that the food at Silvies Valley Ranch is some of the best I’ve ever had.

The breakfast menu is made up of traditional American breakfast items, as well as huevos rancheros, hashes, and more. For lunch, my family had burgers and sandwiches. Both times that we ate lunch at the lodge I ordered the BLT because it was just that good. The dinner menu is an eight-course lineup prepared by Chef Damon. We had an assortment of delicious appetizers including soups, meats, and sourdough bread. One out of our eight courses was a grilled cheese sandwich that turned out to be the best grilled cheese sandwich I’ve ever had. By the time the steak came around, I wasn’t sure I could eat any more, but I did anyway. We even got to choose our own steak knives. As you can imagine, most members of my family ended up choosing gigantic knives for one of our final courses.

Activities at Silvies Valley Ranch

Other than the amazing food at Silvies, there are plenty of activities to enjoy between meals. Golf and horseback riding may only be offered in the summer, but there’s plenty to do in the wintertime as well. Silvies is also working on adding on to the number of winter activities available. Soon enough they’ll be offering horse-drawn sleigh rides!

Golfing

If you’re into golf, then you definitely want to check out Silvies Valley Ranch during the warmer months of the year. They have multiple excellent golf courses, including a reversible course that can be played in both directions. For one of their challenge course, McVeigh’s Gauntlet, Silvies Valley Ranch offers their one of a kind goat caddies. Yes, goat caddies. It’s exactly how it sounds. They are also offered on the Chief Egan golf course.

The Kidding Experience

The Kidding Experience at Silvies Valley Ranch was by far one of the best parts of our long weekend on the ranch. Every year at Silvies, innumerable amounts of adorable baby goats are born. If you visit the ranch at this time of year then you have the opportunity to hold and play with the baby goats, as well as feed them if you like. Plus, if you turn up at the right time, you might even get to watch a goat be born. Although I found it interesting, I know watching something like that is not for everyone. This includes my twelve-year-old younger brother who wasn’t particularly happy to be a witness.

Whether or not you get to experience that, you’ll likely have a fun and relaxing time with all of the baby goats. My family and I had a really enjoyable time, and I’d definitely do this again.

Gun Range

Another activity that my family really enjoyed was shooting. We hopped in a land rover that would take us over the ice and snow over to the gun range. If you’ve never shot a gun before, there’s no need to worry. The staff at Silvies Valley Ranch show you exactly how to operate a gun properly and safely. I myself had only shot a gun once before, and two other members of my family had never shot a gun. Despite inexperience, the staff was able to give us a proper demonstration and a comfortable environment to learn and have fun.

 

My family and I were at the gun range that was specifically for revolvers. They had a range of different sized revolvers to choose from, although I stuck with a smaller gun. If you hadn’t noticed, I myself am fairly small. My older brother Noah, on the other hand, got the chance to shoot a very large revolver.

Knife Throwing

Next to the gun range is a small area where you can test your skills at throwing knives, axes, and throwing stars. It’s actually more difficult than it looks, although Jonah wouldn’t give up. He was actually doing pretty good by the end of our time at the range.

Rocking Heart Spa at Silvies Valley Ranch

The spa at Silvies Valley Ranch was a nice way to wind down from shooting and exploring the ranch. At the Rocking Heart Spa, you can get a massage, a pedicure, a facial, and other traditional spa treatments. It’s a really nice facility with a soothing environment. Both the male and female locker rooms have a hot tub and a sauna. The hot tub is where I spent most of my time while Mom got a massage and a facial. The locker rooms are very clean spaces that provide just about everything you need. Shampoo, conditioner, body wash, hairdryers, deodorant, etc. are all located within the locker rooms.

The spa also has a very large pool and a rock-climbing wall. My brothers and I spent some time climbing, and they also decided to hit the gym down the hall. Overall, our time at the spa was a great way to relax and wind down before preparing for dinner.

Silvies Valley Ranch also has plenty of other activities that we, unfortunately, did not have the time to partake in. This includes ice fishing, snowshoeing, and cool golf (golf adapted for playing in the snow). Warm-weather activities include hiking, horseback riding, wagon rides, fishing, and more. You can also sign up for a tour of the ranch. My family and I went on the tour and gained an in-depth knowledge of the ranch and the animals living there, as well as the history behind the valley.

Our short trip to Silvies Valley Ranch is definitely one of the most enjoyable trips I’ve ever been on. The great food, activities, and hospitality made for a great stay.  If you wanna know more about my family’s stay at Silvies Valley Ranch, my brother has a vlog posted on his Youtube channel giving a nice tour around the cabin. My mom also posted a video on her Youtube channel.