Get away from it all in this stylish, studio cottage.
Enjoy amazing views of the foothills and Tule River. Take a nap in the hammock, float peacefully in the river, or explore our wild 10 acres. In the evenings, enjoy stargazing or conversation at the fire pit.
Our property is secluded, yet only 10 minutes from the main highway. We are in between Sequoia Forest (east) and Sequoia Park (north), with about an hour drive to each. We love to host remote workers/traveling health care providers.
The space
This 700 sq.ft. studio cottage has a full kitchen with a dining table and all basic dishes, cookware and appliances. The main room is both living room and bedroom combined with a memory-foam king bed and fresh white linens. The mini room, "the horse room", has a full bed, luggage rack and hanging rod. It is really part of the studio and it’s only separated by a sliding barn door. Also separated by a sliding door is the full bath which includes all basic amenities and a washer & dryer. The living room sofa folds out to a queen bed.
We have a mini split for heat and air and 3 ceiling fans as well as a desktop fan and portable heater.
There are blackout curtains in the main room and the room will be quite dark if you also close the sliding doors and kitchen curtains.
*If you decide to book with us, please install the Airbnb app and check it for instructions before arrival. 😁
Guest access
The entire studio is at your disposal as well as our 10 acres which are available for exploring & swimming. We have permission to hike the 800 acres of cattle land that surrounds us. If you can get across the river, there’s a great hike to the top of the hill, as well as a beautiful hike up-river that is accessible nine months of the year. We do not maintain trails, so the ease of walking depends on the cows clearing a path. We recommend long pants and boots in the spring when the weeds are high. Please keep an eye out for snakes in high grass!
Unfortunately, our beautiful deck next to the river was destroyed in the 2023 flood. The river is very peaceful with rocky shores and a beach area for laying out in the sun, picnicking or building sand castles.
The river is more of a creek and may possibly be swampy or even dry by the end of summer depending on CA drought conditions. On the other hand, it can be raging in the spring and lifejackets are recommended (just ask if you need them)
Please check on conditions if that is important to you. The area is beautifully green in the winter and spring, but extremely dead and dry during the summer and fall.
The fire pit is available and supplies (kindling, wood and roasting sticks) are provided. Please take care to saturate the fire thoroughly with a hose and put on the screen after use.
We live on the property in the Big House, about 50 feet away. The outside area is shared with our family and we love to interact with our guests but we are happy to keep our distance, insuring you of privacy and rest. There may be cars coming and going depending on our work schedules.
We have a gas BBQ available for use as well as an outdoor dining table and an above-ground pool in the summer (usually late May to September)
If use of the pool is important to you, please confirm that we have it up during your visit.
This is our home and, on occasion, we host private events as well as family gatherings. We do all we can to make sure you are not inconvenienced, but please recognize you are sharing the property, beaches, and river, as if it were a public park. The cottage and front deck are all yours!!
*If you decide to book with us, please install the Airbnb app and check it for instructions before arrival. 😁
Other things to note
Sequoia National Park (north of us) is just over an hour away and the Sequoia National Forest (east of us) is also an hour away. We are right in the middle of the two! If you were planning on visiting both, we are in the perfect location. The differences can be confusing though!
Kings Canyon Park is an additional hour north of Sequoia Park, 2 hours total from us while Yosemite is 3 hours north of us.
If you are planning on visiting Kings Canyon, Yosemite or Sequoia Park, there are definitely closer places you could stay if you want to avoid longer car rides.
The small town of Springville is about 15 minutes away on the way to Sequoia National FOREST (Trail of 100 Giants, Dome Rock) It has a small park, thrift store, weekend vintage shop and a few restaurants. Porterville is about 20 minutes away in the direction of Sequoia National PARK (General Sherman Tree, Grant’s Grove) and has Walmart, Target, and most chain restaurants. We have a list in the binder of recommended restaurants in both towns. If you are going to the National Park, you will want to search for restaurants in Visalia or Three Rivers.
Unfortunately, we do not allow pets in the cottage. For those who enjoy animals, you will probably be visited by our friendly cat, Sumo, and our gentle golden retriever, Esther. You will probably hear the chickens and hundreds of birds that chirp to wake us each morning. For those who may have seen reviews mentioning our horse, Trigger, we regret to inform you that he passed away recently. 😢 We also found new homes for our goats.
Please note that we live in the country: there is a lot of dust, as well as bugs, uneven terrain, snakes and other wild animals.
Because of our remote location, there are times the internet is spotty. 90% of the time, we have no issues at all.
We do not have cell service where we live. It is available about a one minute drive down the road (pull over at McCarthy Ranch), but most of the time we can get calls and texts easily through the Internet, especially with iPhones.
The river had not dried up in decades but it did in 2021. CA drought conditions mean the river can lose water fast beginning in June. We will make every effort to report any negative conditions to our guests prior to their arrival. Spring of 2023 brought what most say was a “hundred year flood”. This causes a lot of damage that we have been working on to repair, but you will still see piled up trees and random debris.
Please note temperatures can be in the 100’s in the summer! It is cooler if you will be traveling up to the mountains!
*If you decide to book with us, please install the Airbnb app and check it for instructions before arrival. 😁
