What’s New at Carmel Valley Ranch in California

As a city dweller raising kids in one of the world’s largest urban centers, my ideal vacation delivers an antithetical experience — immersion in natural beauty, time spent being still and a chance or two to try something new.

When the pandemic was waning in 2021, my family and I sought similar things (with added measures of safety), and our first escape back then was to Carmel Valley Ranch. Dotted with oak trees and spread across 500 hilly acres, the all-suite resort near California’s Central Coast is a picturesque one, and it has fine-tuned select property features recently. On a repeat visit this summer, we tested out a few of the ranch’s newer offerings, each of them beloved by both a small child (age 4) and a tween — a notoriously hard-to-please age group.

For clients seeking a nature-filled family vacation with all the comforts of a luxury trip, consider Carmel Valley Ranch and the following activities now available onsite.

Chill Out on the Expanded Pool Deck at River Ranch

The property’s family activity area, River Ranch, is (cleverly) set at the bottom of the hill and near the property’s main entrance. Guests can walk there from their hilltop suite, but most opt to drive down in their own vehicle (ideal if you're carrying all the pool gear kids tend to need and want) or call a resort shuttle, which carries passengers from point A to point B.

And this giant activity hub is the place to be, especially after a multimillion-dollar renovation that wrapped up this spring. River Ranch has a great family pool, a new wading pool and splash pad and a greatly expanded (and pretty) wooden pool deck with lots of lounge chairs and umbrellas. All of these new details make it easy to spend hours here with the kids — which is precisely what we did over two sunny days in July.

If clients do manage to get their kids away from the pool and splash pad, there are also freshly surfaced tennis and pickleballs courts, a bocce ball court, ping pong and new firepits at River Ranch. And a casual cafe just behind the pool means guests can linger here all day, fueled by mahi mahi tacos, mozzarella sticks and more.

Take Advantage of the Adventure Den

The new Adventure Den at the ranch is a lovely take on a kids’ club ($35 per hour, ages 2-12). Kids can play in the den (which is actually an adorable cottage down at River Ranch), or outside on a new game lawn and playground. Then, a different outdoor activity is offered every day of the week. On Marine Mondays, for example, participating kids learn about Monterey marine life, do a related craft, hear a related story and play with new friends at the splash pad. Farmer Fridays get participants working in the soil and making pressed nature art. Archery classes (ages 8 and up) can also be booked and are held down at River Ranch.

Play Farmer at the Hilltop

Carmel Valley Ranch has grown its animal herd in recent years. From the lobby building of the ranch, it’s a nice 25-minute hike up to Hilltop, the barnyard-like area where guests will find cows, horses, goats, alpacas and donkeys grazing and gallivanting. Guests can wander this direction any time to see the animals, but they might also peruse the ranch’s dense activity calendar for planned animal encounter options.

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My daughters and I attended the Hilltop Meet & Greet, a signature activity included for all guests. Both kids were completely enamored with the ranch’s baby goats, which we got to feed, pet and play with in their pen. We also hung out in the corral with larger animals, patting horses and watching the standoffish alpacas from a few feet back — while their faces and floofy ears are oh-so-cute, they were pretty disinterested in being approached.

Another complimentary activity at the Hilltop is a teen disc golf session, during which older guests can play the nine-hole disc golf course here. Fee-based activities include a grazing-with-goats adventure (guests hike with the animals and feed them snacks); a Junior Ranch Hands session for kids ages 6-12 that involves lasso lessons, livestock education and ranch chores; and a picnic with two of the ranch’s donkeys.

Have Lunch With Percy and Paco

I’m fairly sure I smiled through all 90 minutes of this experience with two Sicilian miniature donkeys. 

Outfitted with saddles and lead ropes, Percy and Paco carried our lunches from their corral up a hill to a fenced-in field with a lone, majestic oak tree that harbored a picnic table. Our packed lunches were part of the bookable experience (as were apples to feed the donkeys), so we munched on chicken sandwiches while Pablo and Paco wandered and nibbled the dry grass around us. 

A cheeky goat escaped its nearby pen and entertained us further, vying for our leftovers and even climbing on the table at one point, showing off his acrobatic skill. He was a pest but a funny one, and we all enjoyed an hour on the hill with our new four-legged friends.

Try Other New Programing, From Garden Stories to Geocaching

The resort team has gone above and beyond with its extensive programming menu. No matter the age of the children in the group, there will be something at Carmel Valley Ranch that catches their eye. Clients with young kids should go to story time in the garden and the complimentary garden meet-and-greet to feed chickens and taste test berries right from the bush.

New choices for teens include the aforementioned disc golf, an onsite geocaching adventure and even a TikTok challenge. There’s lavender crown making, nighttime naturalist walks and multiple beekeeping and bee-related activities — the insects kept the property’s lavender fields literally buzzing during our summer stay.

Dine at Valley Kitchen

Valley Kitchen is the flagship restaurant at the ranch, and it benefited from an interior refresh recently, ensuring that it sparkles for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The layout is such that there are multiple areas in which guests might eat. I recommend the dining room with glass walls overlooking the vineyard (and the sunset) for dinner, the bar for a delicious cocktail hour and the poolside patio table for a sunrise omelet and coffee.

Chef Ricardo Aguilar’s dinner menu sings a fine serenade at Valley Kitchen. High notes for me were the tuna poke tacos, Hokkaido scallops and a country loaf paired with Carmel Valley Ranch herb butter. My youngest showed off her four-year-old palette by ordering a hot dog from the kids’ menu — just another way Carmel Valley Ranch aims to please and succeeds.