FAQ’S
Good to Know
Some general things to know about your visit to the ranch…
Frequently Asked Questions
GENERAL
Ghost Ranch has several hiking trails, two museums and a variety of Outdoor Adventure activities. A Day Pass (free to those under 4 years old, half price for those 5-11, and $10 for those 12+) and complete schedule of Outdoor Adventure activities and tours can be found here. A map with locations of hiking trails can be found at the Welcome Center or here.
COVID is no longer front and center but remains a part of our daily lives. As such, if you are experiencing symptoms or have tested positive for COVID we ask that you do not join us at Ghost Ranch. Masks and social distancing are not requirements at Ghost Ranch but we encourage doing so if it is your preference.
Cellular service is unreliable at the Ranch, though some carriers are better than others. Wi-Fi is offered in several areas on the Ranch, including the Welcome Center, Library, and Dining Hall.
We are glad you are planning to visit the ranch and want to help everything go as smoothly as possible. Because of this, we rely on White Buffalo Shuttle to get our guests to and from the ranch. Kevin Spitzer picks up and drops off at the Sage Inn in Santa Fe. It is your job to reach out to him and schedule your shuttle needs. His phone number is 831.359.8077 and his email is nivek@cruzio.com.
The best way to get to Santa Fe is Groome Transportation. They are very helpful in assessing your flight info and getting you on the right shuttle. Their phone number is 505.474.5696 and their website is groometransportation.com
For more information click here
LODGING
- Private: There is a bathroom in the room that is not shared.
- Shared: There is a bathroom between two rooms that is shared by the occupants of the two rooms. These will only be used for those traveling together. If only one unit is occupied, the second bedroom will be locked off.
- Communal/dorm: There is a communal bathroom in the building (or in a nearby building, for some upper mesa dorm rooms), and participants exit their room to reach these facilities.
Casa del Sol is our spiritual retreat center located two miles off the main ranch property in a restricted area of the ranch. Small-group workshops and retreats are held here, and if your workshop will be here, it will be indicated as such in the event registration information. Most meals are on the main campus while program activities occur at Casa del Sol. Participants without vehicles rely on carpooling with other program participants or the program instructor (or walking – it’s a beautiful 45-minute walk through the Painted Desert!). There is no ranch shuttle to get back and forth from Casa del Sol.
If you are in a self-contained RV in which your pet can comfortably stay, they are welcome to join you overnight in the campground. They are not allowed in any other lodging. Leashed pets are welcome to accompany you as you explore the property, but may not enter any of the buildings. For day guests, leashed dogs are allowed to visit and hike.
MEALS
The Dining Hall serves three meals a day on a fixed schedule. We offer a vegetarian option at each meal. While the Dining Hall offers gluten-free items and vegan dishes at most meals, we cannot guarantee that these options will be available for each meal. Let us know about this need in your registration notes. If it is necessary for a guest to eat a specific diet or if a guest has food allergies, the surest option is to bring personal food items to the Ranch. There are refrigerators available for guest use in a few common/public spaces.
Breakfast is served from 7:30-8:30 am, lunch from 12-1 pm, and dinner from 5:30-6:30 pm. Indoor and outdoor dining tables are available. Meals are sold as a package and cannot be purchased individually.
WORKSHOPS
Check-in starts at 3:00 p.m. and checkout is at 10:00 am on the last day. There is an orientation following dinner (5:30-6:30 pm) on the night of arrival.
Due to the volume of guests, unused meals cannot be refunded or credited.
Lodging is paid by the first person on the reservation. Subsequent guests pay for meals and tuition. A $10 per person housekeeping fee applies to guests over 3.
Early arrivals or late departures outside of the regular program course dates are subject to availability and are billed at the regular overnight stay rate.
When available, you can purchase additional meals prior to arrival. Meals should be reserved two weeks in advance of arrival.
Meals start with dinner from 5:30 to 6:30 pm on the start date of the workshop.
An individual may choose to leave before the end of the program or arrive after the program has started, but we are unable to offer any discounts for days missed.
Guests will receive a welcome letter prior to the start of their course detailing the schedule of their specific course and any field trips, studio time, etc. The following are general schedules; some instructors will choose to alter these hours.
- Weeklong: Many of our weeklong courses follow a general pattern of morning workshop time (9:00 a.m. to noon) with afternoons free or with optional afternoon open studio time and then additional course time in the evenings (7:00-8:30 p.m.).
- Weekend: Our weekend offerings have more course time during the day because of the shorter length of the program. The first course session is usually on the evening of the guest’s arrival, following a ranch orientation. There is typically a course session in the morning on Saturday from 9:00 a.m.-noon, one in the afternoon from about 1:00-3:00 p.m., and again in the evening from about 7:00-8:30 p.m. There is a concluding session on Sunday morning from about 9:00-11:00 a.m.
Please call us to register for a program as a commuter.
TOURS
O’Keeffe’s Ghost Ranch house has never been opened to the public. We do offer walking tours, by bus, or on horseback.