Saturday, September 26, 2015

Home on the Range


Lots of RV parks have "ranch" in their name, and probably have some décor or landscaping that give it that "feel".

Junipers Reservoir RV Park at KV Ranch is a real working ranch. The dirt road back to the sites passes the hay barns, the working arena, the loading chutes - ranch stuff. Black angus cattle dot the hills and pastures in all directions. Ranchers move them from one area to another with horses and ATVs. Cattle dogs rest on the top of pickups with ropes and coolers in the back.

Looking for strays
Gets the job done, but just not the same
Working together
Surrounded by miles of forest and plains, it is a beautiful place. The park is open from May until October 15 with a full-time camp host living on-site. Large laundry, clean restrooms with free showers, nice group dining area, and green space with volleyball net.

All sites have FHUs, 30 or 50 AMP. Several pull-throughs with back-ins along the back row. Nice cottonwood trees provide minimal shade, we had to move forward to find satellite. Really good park WiFi in our space 33. And it's a Passport America park so our cost is $16.50/night. Best deal we've had in three months!

Good size sites, all with views

Bovine everywhere 

Site 33 on the end - quiet and great views

I love it here and had hoped there would be good fishing with multiple lakes nearby, plus the reservoir on the ranch.

The reservoir is at about 1/3 capacity, we've seen one fishing boat in the low water. Not an option for shore fishing.

Reservoir
Our first day we went to check out Drews Lake just over the hill a few miles. Unlike Lake Apert, that clearly held water at one time, this lake was just.....gone. A good size dent in the valley is all that's left. Cattle grazing in tall yellow grass. Scary dry.

We didn't bother looking for other water, knowing the results would be more depressing. The predicted below-normal precipitation for next winter could completely change this area for years to come.

So instead we just hung out enjoying the rustle of the cottonwood leaves in the nice breeze, watched a couple hawks and a coyote challenging each other for a meal, laughed at the noisy cows complaining about being moved all the time, enjoyed the prong horns along the park road, and got some chores done around home.




We would definitely stay here again, especially when the lakes are restored (which I have to believe will happen). Even with the high winds on Friday that made us bring in the big slide for the first time, this is a wonderful place to spend a few days or more.

I could be a ranch dog...as long as there were treats, and I slept inside, on the bed.....yep, I could do it...


14 comments:

  1. This looks like a really neat park. I had no idea there were pronghorn in OR, cool!

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    1. We actually saw a herd in CA, south of Alturas - I was really surprised!! It was a fun place to stay :-)

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  2. Very nice country setting, the drought issue sure is scary. Cute caption with Tessa!

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    1. Thanks Maura :-))) There were even more - and larger - completely dry lakes as we traveled south, it's worse than I ever imagined up here :-(

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  3. Love Tessa's thoughts about it. Having RV sites on a big ranch sounds like a great money making idea for them and fun for the visitors. So sorry to keep hearing about the low water conditions. Breaks my heart and I'm not even a fisherman.

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    1. I agree it is a great way to bring in more money for the ranch - and having a volunteer camp host for the months they're open is great for everyone. The water just got worse as we drove south.....devastating.

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  4. Maybe we should have turned part of our ranch into a RV park???

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    1. It's funny, I actually thought about your place being a lovely place to do what they did :-)

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  5. Gorgeous park and the perfect spot! Yup, Tessa could be a ranch dog...with a few perks:)

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    1. She thinks she could be anything - today it's security from all the bad people who dare to walk past the rig. We haven't told her the low growl can't be heard 2 feet away - we tell her she's very scary :-)

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  6. That looks like a wonderful place! So cool that it's a working ranch. Love Tessa's thoughts -- that's just too cute! Looks exactly like what she's imagining. :-)

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    1. It really is wonderful :-) When we drove to the reservoir there were a couple cows right beside the dirt road and Tessa had her head out the window. Now THAT is a look I'll never forget on her face!!

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