American Vintage Barns: Cronan Ranch

CRONAN RANCH

"Love Comes Softly" filming location

16 x 16 barnwood framed photo $75.00

Cronan Ranch ….As far as I am concerned, is the best place in California to ride. It is located off of Highway 49 near Pilot Hill, El Dorado County,

California. Cronan Ranch is the filming site of the sweet movie “Love Comes Softly,” starring Katherine Heigl and Dale Midkiff. I watched the movie after riding at Cronan and was so excited to see in the movie everything that I saw on the ride. There are the dirt roads that the wagons descended down, rolling hills as well as the clear, rushing South Fork of the American River.

Cronan has several different riding trails, upper and lower, winding and straight, in the valley and on the hills. If you enter at the newer section, Magnolia Ranch, there is a trail that makes you feel as though you are actually in the mountains instead of in the foothills. First you cross a small stream (which supposedly still contains gold), then you make a steep climb, on a very narrow winding trail with hair pin turns, that is lined with beautiful, fragrant pines. When you reach the top you have views of the rolling golden or luscious green (depending on the season) foothills of El Dorado County. Then you have the wonderfully noisy, winding American River with kayakers and white water rafters, often in view. From this trail you can either ride down to the river where there are picnic tables and shelter (primarily used by the white water rafters in the summer), or you can go ride up a very steep hill lined with berry bushes, oak trees and the very dreaded and, unfortunately, massive amounts of poison oak, to the upper trails. It is absolutely a wonderful ride. There have been many times that I have ridden on these trails without running into a single soul, probably because I don’t mind riding when it is over 90 degrees outside. I like to think of it as my own little ranch.

The remaining “movie set” still has the original home, burned down barn, chicken coup and horse corral. Someone has set up a little library in the home with books that you can take and replace with another book, using the honor system. There are places available to tie up your horse as well as a picnic table.