✔ Pool Table, Wine Room, Theatre Room & Wood-Burning Fireplace
*NOTE: Cabin has 2 garages utilized by maintenance for work and equipment *
RIVER RANCH: A true second-home, opened only for the winter months (November through April). Meticulously kept with soaring ceilings, a big dining room table and mountain touches all over. Master King bedroom, pool table and TV Entertainment room are upstairs with a main level King bedroom (that feels like a master) and one King bedroom downstairs next to your Wine Tasting Room! The exterior deck is giant with glass rails to allow 180-degree views over the farm. River Ranch sits on a knoll, up a private driveway so is more private from the rest of the farm, however, our full-time caretakers do utilize the garage as their home base and storage.
Farm Location: Sugar Grove, NC: (20-25 mins to Boone)
— 3 mi or 5 mins: Dutch Creek Horse Trail, Watauga River & Trash Can Falls (swimming hole);
— 5 mi or 10 mins: Cove Creek Store/Grill (made-to-order sandies or missed basic groceries);
— 8 mi or 15 mins: Mast General Store & Valle Crucis;
— 10 mi or 20 mins: Downtown Boone, Banner Elk Winery, Over Yonder Restaurant & Watauga Lake;
— 15+ mi or 25-30 mins: Hawsknest Tubing / Ziplines, Sugar Mountain Skiing & Boone Golf;
— 17-20 mi or 30-40 mins: Tweetsie Railroad, Blowing Rock, App Ski Mtn, Moses Cone & Tanger Outlets & Gamekeeper Restaurant;
— 20+ mi or 45 mins: Grandfather Mountain & Rough Ridge Overlook; and
— 35-45 mi or 60+ mins: Linville Falls / Linville Caverns (what a Day Trip!)
Why Guests Love Mountain Magic Resort
✔ Unique farm stay experience
✔ Rare amenities you can’t replicate
✔ Perfect for creating core memories
✔ Peaceful, private, and truly different
Who Is Our Typical Guest?
✔ Small Families & Couples
✔ Nature Lovers & Animal Lovers
✔ Adventure Seekers
✔ Perfect for All Ages
What Animals are at the Farm?
✔ Plenty of Goats & Bunnies, for sure!
✔ Pig & 2 Ponies
✔ Entire Aviary of Colorful Birds
✔ Wild ducks and escaped bunnies all over
* Our Farm is home to 5 vacation rentals that share all of the amenities! If this one isn't the right fit, ask to see all of our cabin rentals and farm stay experiences:
FARM/CABIN RULES:
— Dog Friendly. One Dog Max. 25 Pounds Max. $75 Fee. If you have a larger or more dogs, please inquire before booking.
— Max 6 guests (maybe we can allow an extra kid or two)
— No Extra Visitors Allowed to visit the Farm other than approved guests staying in the cabin.
— No Holiday Day Arrivals or Departures.
— Bring veggies if you want to feed the animals (no corn or sweet feed allowed).
— Winter Access: No steep inclines to and from town, however, your driveway is at an incline (you could technically walk if needed). We will be 4x4 required in the event of a major snowstorm or iced over roads, please come prepared.
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Starry Nights Lodge, Beautiful Views, Hot Tub, Firepit, 15 mins from Boone
Starry Nights Lodge, Beautiful Views, Hot Tub, Firepit, 15 mins from Boone
Pets allowed: dogs less than 23 kg per pet (limit one pet total)
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Smoking
Smoking is not permitted
Important information
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has indicated that there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property
Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher and a first aid kit
About the area
Sugar Grove
Located in Sugar Grove, this cabin is in a rural area and on the waterfront. Beech Mountain Resort and Sugar Mountain Resort are worth checking out if an activity is on the agenda. Land of Oz and Turchin Center for the Visual Arts are also worth visiting.
Buckeye Recreational Center - 15 min drive - 15.8 km
Watauga Lake - 16 min drive - 19.3 km
Banner Elk Winery - 21 min drive - 19.5 km
Beech Mountain Resort - 22 min drive - 18.6 km
Getting around
Abingdon, VA (VJI-Virginia Highlands) - 80 min drive
Restaurants
Beech Mountain Resort Cafeteria - 31 min drive
Beech Mountain Brewing Co. Taproom and Grill - 31 min drive
First Chair Coffe Shop - 29 min drive
Poppy’s Coffee shop - 30 min drive
Frazier's Tavern & Grill - 29 min drive
Frequently asked questions
Is River Ranch Farm Stay with Petting Zoo Ziplines pet-friendly?
Yes, this property allows dogs (limit 1 total) with a maximum weight of up to 23 kg per pet. Some restrictions may apply, so please contact the property for more details.
How much does it cost to stay at River Ranch Farm Stay with Petting Zoo Ziplines?
As of 1 Apr 2026, prices found for a 1-night stay for 2 adults at River Ranch Farm Stay with Petting Zoo Ziplines on 11 Apr 2026 start from AU$519, including taxes and fees. This price is based on the lowest nightly price found in the last 24 hours for stays in the next 30 days. Prices are subject to change. Choose your dates for more accurate prices.
How much is parking at River Ranch Farm Stay with Petting Zoo Ziplines?
On-site parking is available at the property.
What time is check-in at River Ranch Farm Stay with Petting Zoo Ziplines?
Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.
What time is check-out at River Ranch Farm Stay with Petting Zoo Ziplines?
Checkout is at 10:00 AM.
Where is River Ranch Farm Stay with Petting Zoo Ziplines located?
Situated on the waterfront, this cabin is 4.2 mi (6.8 km) from Watauga River and within 12 miles (20 km) of Watson Island and Watauga Lake. Apple Hill Farm and Buckeye Recreational Center are also within 12 miles (20 km).
Reviews
8.6
Excellent
Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
My husband and I spent our Anniversary here we had a nice time. We enjoyed playing and feeding the animals daily.
We stayed 1 night in starry liked the fact we did not have to climb steps to acess it. We stayed 2 nights in the Luxury home up on hill. Very clean, well kept. We enjoyed the theatre room. We were disappointed we could not use the fire place we wete looking forward to a fire, but we still had a nice time.
The home was very cozy, you can tell it is of quality build and love went into the nice vacation spot. Our grandkids would like it. Bed was comfortable.
I recommend the property.
Thank you Connie for sharing ❤️ your spot with us.
Manuel T.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2023
Response from VrboOwner on 24 Jan 2024
So happy you enjoyed Starry Nights and our estate home (for anyone reading this, we have 5 cabins at our petting zoo farms of different rates and sizes) - just an FYI: The fireplace is wood-burning, just remove the candles in there to switch the ambiance! So happy you came and so happy you had a memorable anniversary!
We paid for a 3-bedroom house and upon arrival we found out that the 3rd bedroom was in an unventilated basement with no windows for exit in case of a fire. Furthermore, there was a refrigerator down there full of rotting food that the owners left behind. The owner said it was out job to take the time out of our day and clean the room so that someone could sleep in it. We filed a complaint with the local building department, and they are going to look into the illegal bedroom.
Filed a complaint with VRBO as well as with the owners and neither were willing to refund any portion of the stay for the inconvenience.
Please do yourself a favor and don't let the looks fool you - The owners are nasty money hungry people.
Jared N.
Stayed 6 nights in Dec 2021
Response from VrboOwner on 12 Sept 2024
Responding to bad reviews is always difficult...
It was never about the money, but about the principle of holding the weight of a bad review over a host's head if they don't succumb to ridiculous demands. You unplugged a mini-fridge and some petting zoo veggies went bad, creating a smell. As opposed to cleaning it yourself or bringing it to the attention of the caretaker (you said "calling a caretaker would have been too much trouble and should never be expected of a guest!") and instead you blocked off the lower level for an entire week, dealt with the smell, lived only upstairs and then asked for half of your money back, AFTER you departed without ever telling anyone of a 5-minute fix issue?" No thank you, please leave your review.
Side note: You didn't have a problem when you asked to add a night before your stay and we volunteered to discount it? This is not a money hungry environment, it's a refuge to thousands of families every year that want a memorable mountain experience. Our thousands of reviews across multiple platforms for our 5 cabins speak volumes.
Stop looking and book this place for your vacation. I cannot imagine having found a better place to spend a few relaxing days in the mountains with family.
The outside property is beautiful and there’s so much for children to do. I would return for this reason alone. It’s an easy drive from Boone. There’s plenty of space for the family to spread out and fun stuff for the adults as well: home theater, hot tub, grill, fire pits, pool table and ping pong. Every room has a comfortable king size bed.
Now for the things that can be improved. The kitchen, laundry room and all the bathrooms need to be updated. 2 of the 3 showers are so small that we all used the master shower. And there’s too much of the owner’s personal stuff around - we felt like visitors instead of renters. The pillows in two of the rooms need to be replaced and extra blankets needed for cold nights. The fireplace has candles in it so not usable. An exterminator is needed for the ladybugs and stinkbugs upstairs and spiders in the basement. The third bedroom is in the basement with no way to escape in case of fire. The upstairs bedroom should have a closet available for me to hang my clothes. The nice brick firepit out back needs to be cleaned out and chairs provided to enjoy it. The house itself has real potential, but it’s not quite up to the standard of other VRBO cabins I’ve rented in this price point.
Angela S.
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Terry N.
29 Mar 2026
Terry N.
Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2026
About the host
Hosted by Connie Trivette
Why they chose this property
When you step foot onto this property, you will know why!
What makes this property unique
Trout stream, ponds, hiking trails and "spare no expense" type luxury.
Languages:
English
Premier Host
They consistently provide great experiences for their guests