River Street Ranch

About River Street Ranch

River Street Ranch is a petting zoo at 31791 Los Rios Street in San Juan Capistrano, California. It sits in the Los Rios Historic District, which the ranch's website says dates back to 1775, across from the River Street Marketplace. The ranch describes itself as "the heart of hands-on fun for all ages" and says it is the only petting zoo in South Orange County. It is not accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

According to its Our Story page, the ranch has been family owned and operated from the beginning, and the Almquist family and their partners now carry it on. The page says the family lives in San Juan Capistrano and is involved in the town through church, school, philanthropy and business. The ranch says most families need about two hours for a visit, though guests are welcome to stay all day.

Exhibits and habitats

The ranch's home page gives a count of 80 animals. Species named on its website are horses, guinea pigs, rabbits, goats, sheep, pigs (including kune kune pigs), chickens, a llama, an alpaca, llampacas and an emu.

The attractions page describes the main animal areas:

• Guinea pig pen. Visitors can pet and feed the ranch's guinea pigs.
• Goat and sheep pen. Visitors can pet, feed and brush goats and sheep.
• Feed baskets. Baskets of fruit and vegetables can be fed to guinea pigs, rabbits, pigs, goats, sheep, llama and alpaca.

The ranch says visitors can feed apples to the alpaca and llama and watch the emu stretch her neck for carrots.

Rides and activities

Beyond the animal pens, the attractions page lists pony rides, train rides and mini tractors for ages 3 to 10, mini excavators for all ages, and a mining area where visitors pan for gemstones, fossils and treasures. A Western-themed playground has four slides, climbing features, a bridge and an underneath play area. The ranch's website also mentions a coffee shop. The attractions page says ranch hands walk alongside children on pony rides, and the FAQ notes that the kiddie train cannot accommodate adults.

Two party pavilions are available for celebrations, and the site has pages for field trips and camps.

Animal care

The ranch's FAQ describes some care practices. Guinea pigs and rabbits are taken off exhibit to a temperature-controlled room when their pens reach 82 degrees or fall below 60 degrees, and the ranch suggests calling ahead to check whether the guinea pigs are out. The rabbit and guinea pig pen is cleaned every Thursday, with the animals usually back by 11 a.m., and the ranch notes that not every animal is available every day because of rest needs or enclosure maintenance. The ranch says it gets its guinea pigs only from shelters, rescues or breeders, and that guinea pig adoptions are available by email inquiry. The FAQ notes that rides are subject to maintenance and weather, and that only service animals are permitted on the premises, and not inside animal enclosures.

Planning your visit

As listed on the ranch's website, River Street Ranch is open weekdays and weekends from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with last entry at 3:30 p.m. Admission and membership details are on the ranch's website; the FAQ notes that memberships are nontransferable and require a valid photo ID. Parking is not on site: the FAQ points visitors to public parking at Paseo Adelanto, Los Rios Park and a parking structure with a Verdugo entrance, and refers to the City of San Juan Capistrano's parking map. There are two on-site restrooms with baby changing stations. No on-site restaurant is mentioned; the ranch lists restaurants across the street at River Street Marketplace and Rodeo River Street, and downtown within walking distance.