Baker House-historic ranch home near Kings Canyon

Book a stay at this unique, recently renovated historic ranch house on a 1,200 acre, six generation working cattle ranch. The Big Stump Entrance Station at the north end of the Sequoia & Kings Canyon Nat’l Parks and Giant Sequoia Nat’l Monument is a 30 minute drive. Guests can also explore the Giant Forest & the General Sherman Tree by using the General’s Hwy. The Baker House is conveniently located just a short 10 minute drive off of Hwy 180. Yosemite is a doable day trip from the Ranch. The space Things to Know About the House & Property Meal preparation: Recommend buying most supplies before leaving the valley, local services are very limited Well-stocked kitchen-oils, vinegars, seasonings Propane bbq with grilling supplies, including skewers, steak seasoning Toaster, blender, waffle maker, electric hand mixer, wine bottle cork screw, lemon squeeze, pizza cutter Keurig coffee maker, French Press, coffee grinder No dishwasher Bedrooms Bedroom 1, the “Cowboy Room” king size bed new 12” memory foam mattress room darkening roller shades large walk-in closet luggage rack Bedroom 2, “Olive’s Room” queen size bed new 12” memory foam mattress room darkening roller shades direct access to the bathroom refinished Drexel vanity large walk-in closet luggage rack Third bedroom double/full bed new 12” memory foam mattress private closet luggage rack room darkening solar shades curtains to provide privacy Laundry Washer & Dryer with laundry supplies Brief History of the Ranch & Baker House The Baker House, located on the Baker & Hall Ranch, was the original family home built in 1921 by our grandfather, Chan Baker, on what would at one time become a 12,500 acre ranch. The house was one of the very first modern homes in the mountain area. It was also one of the first homes in the local foothills with electricity, after Chan had a Delco-Light Plant installed behind the house to provide power to the house, garage and main barn. In September of 2022, an extensive renovation was undertaken to restore much of the beauty and integrity of the home. The original, craftsman features of the home were preserved in the renovation, while new upgrades were carefully chosen to modernize the home without losing the home’s unique quality and style. In May of 2023, the Baker House welcomed its first Airbnb guests. Many furniture & decor pieces in the Baker House have been in the family for more than 50 years and have been restored, or are custom pieces built specifically during the renovation for this home. In addition, the majority of the photographs and canvases are of the Ranch, over the past 80 years or from more recently. Most of the newer scenic photographs were taken by our 19 year old grandson who has a keen eye for details. Guest access Accommodations Guests will be reserving the entire 1,300 sq ft main house, except for the walk-in pantry that is used for our housekeeping. Guests will also have full access to the front, backyard, and side yard areas adjacent to the home. Note: When reserving a two-week stay, an additional cleaning fee added to the reservation will be required. At the end of the first week, a time for the cleaners to service the house will be arranged. Typically, the scheduled cleaning time is between 10-3 pm. Guests should plan on allowing 2-3 hours for the cleaners to complete their work. Please ensure that personal items are picked up prior to the cleaning time. Restricted Areas IMPORTANT!!! This is still a working cattle ranch. Guests will be restricted from accessing or using other storage buildings, shop area, barns, corrals, or any other ranch property. Access to any restricted areas is only possible if guests are accompanied by the owners or one of their designated representatives. Accessibility This is an older home and currently does not accommodate accessibility for Individuals with disabilities. Other things to note Children This is an “adult only” listing for individuals 13 years old or older. The Ranch House is currently not setup with childproofing and accommodations for younger children, or outside with a secure yard. *Note: A reservation with children aged 8-12 will be considered, based on excellent guest reviews from your previous hosts. While it maybe tempting to go exploring, all individuals listed in the reservation agree to respect the off-limits areas, unless they are with a Ranch representative. Pets No pets or animals of any kind are permitted at this listing. This includes inside or outside. Domestic Animals & Wildlife It is important that guests understand they are booking at a location known for domestic ranch animals such as cows, bulls, and horses. These are not pets and should never be approached as such. Wildlife animals are around; however, for the most part they avoid us as much as we try to avoid them. We do encourage guests to be alert during warmer months for rattlesnakes. We always strive to keep our yards well-maintained with short grass and as free of any debris as possible. Our family has coexisted on the Ranch with wild critters for over 150 years. Some of the best snake advice during the warmer months is to be aware of your surroundings and look before you step, sit down, turn anything over like a log or rock, or reach into anything. Since snakes may become more active in the cooler evenings, be especially careful walking around outdoors at night. The house has four outdoor security lights, and flashlights are available for guests to use. Supplies The host will supply some basic items in limited amounts for short stays, including but not limited to the following: 28 qt/26 L Igloo Ice chest Paper plates, cups, and bowls Plastic utensils-forks, knives, spoons Toilet paper, Kleenex, paper towels Napkins Hand soap Bath soap Laundry soap-Costco Kirkland Pods Laundry soap-Tide Free & Gentle Pods Bleach, Shout Spray, Dryer Sheets K cup Coffee pods, regular & decaf Tea, Hot chocolate Assorted sugar & sweetener packets Stevia & Raw sugar packets Ketchup, mayonnaise & mustard Creamer packets Biscotti Assorted Breakfast or Protein Bars Cooking supplies: olive oil, baking sprays Spices & seasonings commonly used Pepper, salt, garlic salt, salt substitute Vinegars: balsamic, cider, rice Aluminum foil, plastic wrap, ziplock bags Disposable aluminum pans 9”x 12” Bottle & reusable straw cleaning brushes *If you are booking a longer stay or anticipate a higher need for some items, please plan to supplement the provided supply since we are not in close proximity to a store to replace items easily. Dishwasher **Be aware: The house was built prior to electric appliances, and does not have accommodations at this time for a built-in dishwasher. Guests are expected to leave all used dishes in a thoroughly cleaned condition at the end of their stay. A supply of paper plates, bowls, cups, and plastic utensils are provided for guests in the upper cabinet to the right of the kitchen sink. Shoes or Footwear Kindly remove your shoes, especially hiking or snow footwear, by either door entrance, or use the provided shoe booties that are placed in the designated baskets close to each entrance. This request will help keep the cleaning fees lower, and gravel will not be tracked into the house. Smoking Absolutely no smoking or vaping inside the house! Smoking is permissible in the yard or gravel area; however, please place used cigarettes in an appropriate fireproof container. Let’s keep the yard nice for the next guests. Wood fires Inside: No indoor wood fires, candle burning, or incense burning is permitted. The fireplace is not functional at this time. In place of a wood fire, there is a display of battery operated candles that are set on timers to come on in the evening that provide a beautiful glow. *Note: We ask guests to not alter the candle settings. If candles do not illuminate, please notify me, and I will be happy to set a time to stop by and check the batteries. Outside: At this time, no wood or charcoal fires outside are allowed at the Baker House. This rule is primarily due to the fire restrictions set by CalFire for our area, and our area being recently included in the higher fire risk area. This also applies to the use of fireworks, which are not allowed by law in our area of Fresno County. Fireworks are not permitted in the Fresno County Foothills east of the Friant Canal, which is the area that includes the Ranch. Early Check in or Later Checkout Times Although we will try to be accommodating, requests for early check in or later checkout times may not be possible due to scheduling of other bookings or cleaning schedules. Be sure to confirm that an early arrival time is an option with the host prior to your arrival. Cell Service Cell service can be spotty in the mountains, especially after leaving the Hwy 180. At the Ranch, Verizon seems to work better, while AT&T may not have service. Enabling Wi-Fi calling on your phone settings, or contacting your provider to setup Wi-Fi calling is a good option. Most all of our guests have had the ability to use text messaging on their phones. Power Outages Occasional power outages & internet disruptions can occur in the mountain areas, primarily due to inclement weather, high winds, fire danger, or maintenance. If we are notified of a scheduled outage, we will try to let you know before your arrival. However, with most outages, we do not have control of these occurrences and the outage occurs unexpectedly. A backup power source has recently been added to the property to provide power to the house incase of an outage with PG&E, which is the provider of electricity in our mountain area. In the event of an outage, the on-site power source will allow guests to use the Internet, tv, lights, fans, heater, microwave, refrigerator, and water. Guests will not be able to use the air conditioning, washer or dryer, and oven during outages while on the generator. Important: Either my husband, myself, or a Ranch Helper will need to access the backyard area to connect and power the house during an outage. Until the generator is started, cell and internet service may not work. If you try to contact us, please understand that your messages may not go through to us immediately. As soon as we are aware of an outage, we will contact you about powering up the generator. Note: Our home is on the same power line, so if we are on the Ranch, we will also be out of power just like the Baker House.