Camatta Ranch, with its private 2,300-foot, tan-colored paved runway, is a delightful fly-in destination for visits ranging from half a day to a weekend.
Located in San Luis Obispo County on the flats of the Camatta River Valley, this working cattle ranch and exotic zoological park welcomes guests with true Western hospitality. Whether visiting for just a few hours or overnight, be prepared to leave your city-slicker persona at home and relish the sights, sounds, and — yes — the smells of a homey, 32,000-acre ranch.
The runway is oriented 30/12, and the best no-wind approach is generally a left-hand pattern for landing on Runway 12. There is a green windsock and a generous parking area at the approach end of Runway 30. Field elevation is about 1,360 feet mean sea level.
Since there is no fuel available, be sure to arrive with enough fuel in reserve to get home or to another airport, and be aware that there are no runway lights at the ranch, so plan your arrival and departure for daylight hours.
Although the ranch began as a Spanish land grant in about 1846, current owners Bob and Diane Morrison bought in to the country lifestyle in 1978 after successful careers dedicated to the care of animals. Bob was trained as a veterinarian, and Diane has academic degrees in zoology. Along with their family, the Morrisons became ranchers in order to earn a livelihood while establishing a refuge for several species of homeless exotic animals. A bit later, Lazy Arrow Outdoor Adventures began to provide guests with a place to escape from the hectic activities of the modern world and travel back in time to a simpler way of life.
Therein lies the true appeal of Camatta Ranch.
In addition to enjoying a real cowboy lifestyle, which includes horseback riding, hayrides, fishing, roping, milking, and scrumptious outdoor barbecues, a visitor to Camatta can stroll among many types of domestic and exotic animals. Over the years, the Morrisons have provided a haven for Biff the water buffalo and Andy the antelope, along with dozens of other types of different animals. The barnyard and pastureland family consists of wild turkeys, wild ducks, Canadian honkers, quail, Nubian and Alpine goats, Russian boar, Watusi and Brangus cattle, eland (large African antelope), muntjaks (small Asian deer), Navajo and Jacobs sheep, buffalo, sika and fallow deer, nene (grey-brown geese), and peacocks.
Guests are free to wander around the spread or take a guided tour in a golf cart. It's easy to build up an appetite for a real ranch breakfast or an afternoon barbecue in the comfortable, sheltered grove of giant valley oaks. Children of all ages can enjoy petting and feeding some of the exotic animals.
At the day's end, the tired and very relaxed visitor can retire to one of the three cozy guesthouses in the main complex. Others may choose the solitude of horse camping a bit farther away from the ranch.
Lazy Arrow Outdoor Adventures, the hospitality side of Camatta Ranch, is run by Bob's brother Mark and his wife, Felicia Morrison, whose aim is to pamper their guests so much that they feel like members of the extended Morrison family. Be sure to ask Mark to show you his collection of antique farm implements and other unusual items from California's agrarian and industrial past.
Lazy Arrow's motto says it best: "If you long for the simplicity and informality of days gone by, let your soul relax and take in all the surrounding beauty of the Camatta Ranch."
Camatta Ranch is a private airstrip. Pilots who wish to visit the ranch need to obtain a reservation and sign a liability waiver before landing. To make a reservation or get more information, please telephone the ranch at 805/238-7324; fax 805/238-3644; e-mail [email protected]. Pilots should note that the airstrip is three miles from the ranch's headquarters and has no facilities. Transportation to the ranch headquarters will be arranged for pilots with reservations.
