Chestnut Ranch is a place of high quality and service. Ranch staff do everything possible to make your visit one that you won't forget. Chestnut Ranch features many fun filled attractions, resturaunts, and more. So discover Chestnut Ranch below.
THEMED AREAS:
El Cobblestone Patio - Relax and enjoy the cool breeze on the El Cobblestone Patio, conveniently located between Building A and B, just around the corner from the Swimming Quad. The El Cobblestone Patio is a great place to just take a break out of the heat, or you may wish to indulge in one of our popular books from The Ranch Library on the patio, or possibly chat with a friend. Whatever your need may be, the El Cobblestone Patio is a great place to fulfill your needs. Occasionally Ranch Staff will have an outdoor barbeque on the patio using the famous brick fireplace. There are no fees required to enjoy this themed area.
Shop/Automotive Quad - The Chestnut Ranch Shop/Automotive Quad is where official ranch vehicles are worked on and repaired, and serves as a full size service garage to The Chestnut Ranch community. The Quad features assorted wrenches and more to get the job done right by the pros. Please call to find out the current hours of the Shop/Automotive Quad, as hours change frequently. Fees may apply for work performed.
Swimming Quad - One of Chesnut Ranch's newest themed areas and recreations is the Swimming Quad, located directly adjacent to Building H, across from the Video Arcade Recreation. The Swimming Quad features a large Catalina Pool that can accomodate as many as up to 32 swimmers. The new pool will be open each summer season,and may stay open as long as into the late fall. The Swimming Quad hours are 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM daily. No fee is required to use an enjoy this themed area and recreation, but you may wish to use swimming gear such as goggles or an intertube, and additional fees may be required for the usage of these items.
RECREATIONS:
Goat Exhibit - See the one and only Abbey, at the Goat Exhibit. Abbey is a pygmy goat weighing in at 237 pounds, measuring 27 inches in height, and 42 inches in width. Abbey eats a wide variety of items, including cactus, leaves, paper, tree branches, and much more. Open dawn - dusk everyday. No fee required.
Gymnasium - Chestnut Ranch now offers a miniature Gymnasium available to all Ranch staff and guests over the age of 12 years old. The new Gymnasium offers a high tech quality weight machine to build muscles, a stationery bicycle area to peddle away in, a stair stepper to excercise your thighs with, and a treadmill to walk and excersise on is coming soon. Open 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM everyday. No fee required.
JC's Kartland - JC's Kartland is packed with fun with thrilling go cart racing. Race on the new two-lane track in a single-seated or new double-seated cart! Price is just $3.00 for six fun-filled action-packed thrilling minutes. Open upon request dawn - dusk every day.
Kitty Village - See many new thrilling kinds and colors of both kittens and cats at Kitty Village. Watch these fantastic creatures eat, play, sleep, dance, chase, and much much more. Kitty Village has also recently been located indoors, too. Kitty Village facility open 24 hours a day everyday. No fee required.
Library - Chestnut Ranch has just opened up a library stocked with plenty of books for your convenience. The library is divided up into four sections: A fiction section, a non-fiction section, a reference section, and a maps section. Items out of both the reference and maps sections must be used in the library. All other books can be checked out of the library for two weeks maximum. Library open 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM everyday, including Sunday.
Model Railroad - Just like the old days! Watch this old steam locomotive huff and puff as it pulls around it's train cars which include circus wagons, oil tankers, passenger cars, an old caboose, and many others from the old days. Train runs upon request 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM everyday.
Ranch Golfing - Golf in style on the four hole mini. ranch golf course. Ranch Golfing is a great intermediate step between miniature and pro golf. Golf short distances on real lawn turf. Give it a try. Open dawn - dusk everyday. Please note that Ranch Golfing is being remodeled at this point and may be closed due to remodeling some early morning hours.
Swimming Quad - One of Chestnut Ranch's newest themed areas and recreations is the Swimming Quad, located directly adjacent to Building H, across from the Video Arcade Recreation. The Swimming Quad features a large Catalina Pool that can accomodate as many as up to 32 swimmers. The new pool will be open each summer season,and may stay open as long as into the late fall. The Swimming Quad hours are 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM daily. No fee is required to use an enjoy this themed area and recreation, but you may wish to use swimming gear such as goggles or an intertube, and additional fees may be required for the usage of these items.
Video Arcade - New at Chestnut Ranch, the mini video arcade is loads of fun for all ages. Try Skylab Pinball, Vigilante, or one of our exciting thrilling other games. The video arcade is open upon request 24 hours a day everyday. No refunds.
Weather Station - Chestnut Ranch is proud to present its' famous miniature Weather Station. Just because the Weather Station is small, doesn't mean that it is not accurate! The Weather Station has proved itself to be 97 percent accurate based on weather readings by Ranch Staff. Best of all, the new Weather Station can be used by anybody, not just Ranch Staff. The Weather Station includes an anemometer for measuring wind speed and direction, a barometer for measuring barometric pressure, a thermometer for taking temperature readings, and a rain gauge for measuring average rainfall. Open 24 hours a day everyday. No fee required.
SERVICES:
Chestnut Ranch Information Station - Visit The Chestnut Ranch Information Station to keep you posted on current events at Chestnut Ranch. The station includes event dates, times, etc. You can also find information about upcoming projects, and projects recently accomplished. The Chestnut Ranch Information Station is a great way to keep up with The Ranch continually. The Station is updated daily, and completely new and changed every month.
Ranch Gazette - The Ranch Gazette is Chestnut Ranch's monthly newspaper. It includes detailed descriptions and articles about the most fascinating things at Chestnut Ranch. The Ranch Gazette keeps you updated with the latest weather and storm conditions, along with upcoming weather predicted by The Weather Station. Order your subscription of The Ranch Gazette today, since you don't want to miss an issue!
Ranch Patrol - The Ranch Patrol is a system of security on Chestnut Ranch. Officers work to ensure the safety of visitors, employees, volunteers, articles, etc. at Chestnut Ranch. The officers control traffic and safety, and issue both warning and offical tickets to motorists and pedestrians who chose to break an on Ranch rule. All Ranch signs and warnings are posted by our Ranch Patrol Services and Officers enforce these rules as well.
THE RANCH DESIGN PROJECT:
Recently ideas from all Ranch staff members were put together and a new project was designed, called the Ranch Design Project. The project includes the moving and relocation of several buildings and structures, the realignment and redesign of many ranch roads and paths, the reseeding and relocation of scenic areas, views, lawns, etc. The project was designed in the benefit to make The Ranch and it's surrounding area a nicer, safer place.
The Ranch Design Project, (RDP), will include a new shop/automotive area to be built in order to make it easier and to provide a better safer work environment for The Ranch construction workers and/or mechanics.
The project will also include the construction of a new swimming quad area to be built for the convenience of Ranch staff and visitors, and will add another fine recreation to The Ranch's current recreations. The swimming quad is designed to be built to accommodate not only swimmers, but others as well. The area will include a shady covered area with lounge chairs and tables, a similar area out in the sun with table umbrellas, and more. The swimming pool will include a giant waterslide, a diving board, and more.
Ranch Golfing will be upgraded in the project also. Added to Ranch Golfing will be Egyptian Pillars, Towers, Castles, Rocks, etc. This part of the project is scheduled towards the end of the RDP. Ranch Golfing has been upgraded within the last few years also. Ranch staff continue to update and change this recreation continuously to accomodate our golfers needs.
The Goat Exhibit will be expanded in this project and an outside area will be added on to it. Food will also be available in the near future for a nominal fee so that you can feed the goats yourself, and watch them eat right out of your hand.
The Ranch borderline fencing will be relocated in the project to add more recreations, attractions, and services. New Gates for entering and exiting The Ranch will also be a part of the RDP, and will come toward the middle of the project.
Ranch Staff have been working hard to complete parts of this project and to keep the project moving at a steady pace. This is a preview of the project, and the project details include much more information. Keep checking this page for the latest updates on the Ranch Design Project.
THE LA BONITA STORM DRAIN SYSTEM:
The La Bonita Storm Drain is an open drainage ditch belonging to the City of Concord running directly through the northern center area of The Ranch. The ditch has ran in this position for about the last thirty years.
When winter arrives, the storm drain ditch fills up with a dirty colored murky water that flows through the northern end of The Ranch overflowing its' banks. Along with the dirty murky water, the ditch also carries dead sewer rats, rotten fast food, oil containers, needles, toxins, and many more dangerous items.
When summer arrives after a great deal of winter storms, the banks of The Ranch are left littered with all of these hazardous things. Not only that, but the ditch is left with a small amount of old stagnet water in it that attracts mosquitoes, flies, bees, and other pesky insects, some of which are also dangerous.
The storm drain ditch is very deep in some places, which provides a dangerous threat to the community. Areas of the ditch are fifteen to twenty feet deep and can be seen when the ditch is empty of water, but cannot be seen when the ditch is full of water. The ditch may look like it is only two to three feet deep in some places, just because it is so extremely narrow, but these, in fact, happen to be the deepest places of all. This alone is a very dangerous threat since the water would probably pull you straight under if you fell in.
The storm water moves at extremely high speeds, such as forty to seventy miles per hour in a fairly large winter storm. The water has been seen way over its' banks in the past before, and as the number of homes in Concord being developed continue to increase, so does the amount of stormwater flowing in the ditch, due to more residents washing their cars in the street, and the water flowing down the storm drain, for example. This example not only increases the amount of water flowing in the storm drain, but also pollutes the water due to the soap from washing the car.
Ranch Staff have been fighting the City of Concord over this storm drain issue for the past three years, but seem to have gotten nowhere with the City on the issue. The City thinks that it is no big deal that they are illegally dumping storm drain water onto Chestnut Ranch without an easement or the legal right.
Ranch staff have recently contacted the El Dorado Middle School Law Works program about the issue and they seem to be very interested in it since it involves their neighboring community. Law Works is a community campaign by youth that works to make their community a better place. The Law Works program has recently been writing the City letters on the issue and seems to be making some progress.
Ranch staff along with the El Dorado Middle School Law Works have also taken the issue to the Concord Neighborhood Alliance in need of support. The Concord Neighborhood Alliance is a group of individual residents and homeowners associations that work together as a large group of residents to fight the City of Concord on their topics. Ranch Staff hope that they can solve the issue soon.
At the present time, Ranch Staff strongly recommend that everybody stays as far away from the drainage ditch as possible. Ranch Staff does not want to see or have any injuries from the storm drain ditch, as could occur very easily. Two kittys from the new Kitty Village recreation at The Ranch have previously drowned.
To find out more information about the La Bonita Storm Drain System, please click here!