Location: Pismo Beach, Central Coast, California, USA (On a rural mt rd 1/4 miles from Los Padres Natl Forest) View Map
Accommodations: Cabin/Cottage, 1 Bedroom + Convertible bed(s), 1.5 Baths (Sleeps 1-6)
WELCOME TO THE WILDERNESS
If you are looking for a beautiful wilderness setting with incredible mountain views and a very comfortable, brand new customized, cabin cottage to relax in then we want to welcome you to our place.
A DIFFERENT KIND OF VACATION RENTAL
We see ourselves as a very unique vacation rental experience. Our primary commercial is that we are very non-commercial. Our place is not so much an investment, but a way of life for us. The cabin is very remote and less than 1/4 mile from the Los Padre National Forest. We are in the mountains that sit south/east of Pismo Beach.
The cabin is up a remote private dirt road, 6.5 miles from Hwy 166. There is a locked gate on Hwy 166. The locked gate is 15 miles from Hwy 101. The access road is mountainous and is traveled with great caution. In most cases our guest have prefered us to transport them...which we gladly do. PLEASE CONTACT US FOR THE DETAILS ON TRAVELING THE ACCESS ROAD TO THE WILDERNESS CABIN. One of the unique aspects of this remote wilderness cabin experience is that we are available to help with advice, questions, or problems. We live across the property, well enough away to assure your PRIVACY and SECLUSION, yet available if you need us or just want to chat about the area or learn more about the unique amenities. We are friendly and love to socialize – yet have a high regard for your privacy. Our cabin is mostly new and built largely from recycled materials and designed to have a minimal impact on the environment. You will have a wood stove for heat with all the wood you need included (the stove is high tech efficient to minimize pollution and maximize heat output.) You will shower (hot water included)with real filtered spring water collected from our property. (We are happy to show you the spring if you like!) Your power is generated by our customized solar power system. We have a fully equipped kitchen and provide bottled drinking water (all you need to bring is your food! note-if you are a coffee drinker we have an old fashion perculator for the stove top). For a touch of luxury in the wilderness, Egyptian Cotton linens, and towels are also provided. In the interest of getting away from it all, we DO NOT provide satellite TV, though we have a TV and DVD player. We do provide satellite radio, a book and game library and a few DVD’s. There is great hiking in the National Forest. At night if you step outside, you will see stars like you never see around the city – including the Milky Way! Generally, you will hear nothing but natural sounds - at night coyotes in the distance, owls, perhaps if you are lucky, a bobcat or mountain lion.
THE MOUNTAIN ROAD THAT LEADS TO THE CABIN is a WILDERNESS EXPERIENCES. PLEASE CONTACT US FOR THE DETAILS....
WHO WE ARE AND HOW WE GOT HERE
In spring of 2005 Elaine and I left city life in the LA area and decided to pursue our dreams to "live off the grid...". We owned a property in Cuyama but wanted something less desert like, with an easy drive to California’s beautiful coast – yet far enough away from the coast where we can get completely away from it all. At the time we were uncertain whether we could find such a place but were ecstatic when our realtor showed us 40 acres next to the Los Padres National Forest near the northern Santa Barbara/Southern San Luis Obispo county line. The property had everything we had envisioned - and more in a wilderness escape – rare unspoiled mountain beauty, endless hiking/horse/mountain bike trails, abundant wildlife (deer, elk, hawks, road runners, horned toads, bobcats, coyotes and more!), a short walk to the national forest, Native American history, very few neighbors and peace and quiet. We realized that since the Cuyama river has to be forded to get to the property (though it is always easily fordable except after the most extreme of storms) it was unlikely that the surrounding area would be developed anytime soon. Soon after we agreed on a contract with the owner of the property, we gave notice on our jobs and put our Simi Valley house up for sale and off to the wilderness we went!
THE MAKING OF A WILDERNESS RETREAT
When we arrived in June, 2005, the timing was fortunate because there was nothing but a partially open air shack to live in on the property. This was fine for us for the summer but we did not want to spend the winter in these conditions so we got busy winterizing the cabin. We filled in wind and mouse holes, added in insulation, a wood stove and some decoration to make it more homey and got it ready just in time for the first winter rains. Since that first summer, we have completely renovated the cabin, added an 18 foot diameter geodesic dome, a teepee, developed a spring and water storage system, added camp showers and toilets, and added a 30 foot diameter yurt(To check out the yurt site click to the right of the yurt picture below) We received approval for a federal 501-c3 nonprofit status to begin a sustainable educational retreat. Since the land is large and mountainous we have been able to create these structures in such a way that they all are separate from each other to insure PRIVACY & SECLUSION which is not often found in vacation rentals. One of the other features we appreciated about the property (believe it or not!) is that it is out of range of electrical, water and telephone land line utilities. This forced us to develop our solar power knowledge early on to create nice nonpolluting solar systems for both the cabin and the yurt and to be independent of utilities for the first time in our lives.
PLEASE CONTACT US ABOUT TRAVELING THE ACCESS ROAD TO THE WILDERNESS CABIN.
We look forward to sharing our place with you!
Randy and Elaine
Vacation Rental Features
- Amenities
- Linens Provided
- Off Street Parking
- Wood Stove
- Beds
- Queen Bed
- Convertible Bed
- Entertainment
- TV (No Cable/Satellite)
- DVD
- VCR
- Video Library
- CD Player
- Stereo System
- Private Hot Tub: wood burning/solar hot tub. Red wood hot tub filled with water from our spring
- Kitchen
- Full Kitchen: Oven is not available in the cabin.
- Cooking Utensils Provided
- Refrigerator
- Microwave
- Outdoor Features
- Gas/Electric BBQ Grill
- Deck/Patio
- Balcony
- View/Location
- Mountain View
- Other Amenities
- Eco and sustainable friendly. We are 100% solar and "off the grid" Water is from our spring on the property. We have camp sites available with electricity and hot water.
- Suitability
- Pet Friendly
- Kid Friendly
- Smoking Not Allowed
- Activities (on site and nearby)
- Golf
- Tennis
- Shopping
- Sightseeing
- Restaurants
- Rafting
- Kayaking
- Sailing
- Boating
- Waterskiing
- Parasailing
- Shelling
- Swimming
- Snorkeling/Diving
- Surfing
- Windsurfing
- Biking
- Mountain Biking
- Wildlife Viewing
- Hiking
- Fishing
- Rock Climbing
- Fitness Center/Gym
- Health/Beauty Spa
- Racquetball
- Basketball Court
- Antiquing
- Cinemas/Movie Theaters
- Live Theatre
- Museums
- Horseshoes
- Miniature golf
- Horseback Riding
- Other Activities
- The mountain road that leads to the Cabin is a wilderness experiences, Contact us for the details.
Rate Details (In US Dollars)
Rates .. $190/night .. $1,140/week (7th night free)
Rates for Holiday's will vary.
Rates for events and monthly stays are determined on individual circumstances.
One night stays: weekends add $80/ weekdays add $50
(For one night stays you can have two full days if no one is checking in)
The rates are based on 4 or less people ~ contact us if there are more than 4
PLEASE CONTACT US FOR THE DETAILS ON ACCESSING THE WILDERNESS CABIN
Note: Until confirmed, rates are subject to change without notice.
Credit Cards Accepted:
Map & Owner's Profile
Year Purchased: 2005
Why the Owner Chose Pismo Beach
WHO WE ARE AND HOW WE GOT HERE
In spring of 2005 Elaine and I left city life in the LA area and decided to pursue our dreams to "live off the grid...". We owned a property in Cuyama but wanted something less desert like, with an easy drive to California’s beautiful coast – yet far enough away from the coast where we can get completely away from it all. At the time we were uncertain whether we could find such a place but were ecstatic when our realtor showed us 40 acres next to the Los Padres National Forest near the northern Santa Barbara/Southern San Luis Obispo county line. The property had everything we had envisioned - and more in a wilderness escape – rare unspoiled mountain beauty, endless hiking/horse/mountain bike trails, abundant wildlife (deer, elk, hawks, road runners, horned toads, bobcats, coyotes and more!), a short walk to the national forest, Native American history, very few neighbors and peace and quiet. We realized that since the Cuyama river has to be forded to get to the property (though it is always easily fordable except after the most extreme of storms) it was unlikely that the surrounding area would be developed anytime soon. Soon after we agreed on a contract with the owner of the property, we gave notice on our jobs and put our Simi Valley house up for sale and off to the wilderness we went!
The Unique Benefits at this Cabin/Cottage
THE MAKING OF A WILDERNESS RETREAT
When we arrived in June, 2005, the timing was fortunate because there was nothing but a partially open air shack to live in on the property. This was fine for us for the summer but we did not want to spend the winter in these conditions so we got busy winterizing the cabin. We filled in wind and mouse holes, added in insulation, a wood stove and some decoration to make it more homey and got it ready just in time for the first winter rains. Since that first summer, we have completely renovated the cabin, added an 18 foot diameter geodesic dome, a teepee, developed a spring and water storage system, added camp showers and toilets, and added a 30 foot diameter yurt(To check out the yurt site click to the right of the yurt picture below) We received approval for a federal 501-c3 nonprofit status to begin a sustainable educational retreat. Since the land is large and mountainous we have been able to create these structures in such a way that they all are separate from each other to insure PRIVACY & SECLUSION which is not often found in vacation rentals. One of the other features we appreciated about the property (believe it or not!) is that it is out of range of electrical, water and telephone land line utilities. This forced us to develop our solar power knowledge early on to create nice nonpolluting solar systems for both the cabin and the yurt and to be independent of utilities for the first time in our lives.
Owner's Map of Pismo Beach
This picture was taken our 1st year on the land. We were reading the instructions for constructing a Tipi that we had just purchased. We lived in the Tipi for many months. Last year the elements totally destroyed the Tipi. We plan in the near future to purchase several Tipi's and have them for guest at the yurt. We have learned a lot about how to preserve a Tipi since that 1st year.
Property Photos
- There are breath taking views in all directions - Central Coast of California Accommodation
- There are many beautiful views from the deck of the cabin - Central Coast of California Accommodation
- Check out our 30ft yurt & campground site by clicking other sites - Central Coast of California Accommodation
- Back porch of the cabin ~ see more pictures on our personal site
- Luxury in the wilderness~Egyptian cotton linens Yes! we have hot water for baths
- The center island has unique custonized tile.
- Bedroom has a rustic bowl sink, private half bath and a pillowtop queen size bed
- Cozy dining area with small library and game shelve
- The hills are covered with spring wildflowers
- Back porch looking towards Santa Barbara California
- The flying basenji ~ Dogs are always welcome ~ They love it out here!
- Beautiful sunsets and sunrises~For our website click more photo's on this page
- The wildflowers went crazy this year!!
- I finally heard the Road Runner's call...it is not "Beep Beep"
- It is magical when you get the rare opportunity to see the Elk.
Guest Comments (6)
First (6) of (6). View all comments
Vacation Rentals by Owner Listing #166977
There have been 13533 visitors to this page since the counter was last reset in 2008.
This listing was first published here in 2008.
Date last modified - June 29, 2009
Positive Rating
Fun in the Wilderness Rob Steph and Pooches Garden Grove, CA Review Submitted: May 27, 2009 Date of Stay: May 2009 We had a great time staying at Randy and Elaine's cabin. If you are looking to get away from it all and enjoy peace, quiet, hiking, bright stars, and relaxing solitude we highly recommend. Some of the highlights: wood burning hot tub; wilderness trek with Randy and Elaine - they have a cool 4 person ATV and can drop you off in the national park so you can hike back to the cabin; pooch friendly - our 2 medium size dogs had a blast and were welcome guests; lots of places to explore near the cabin for short walks; wild life - we saw deer, butterflies, frogs, toads, lizards, snakes(1 non venomous gopher snake), rabbits, and birds; nice views from the cabin deck; star gazing at night is fun from the deck or hot tub; and eco-conscious living - they did a great job with their own solar powered electricity and the cabin itself is built from recycled materials. Other notes - the 6.5 mile dirt road to the cabin definitely requires a 4wheel drive, but if you don't have one the owners can give you a ride. Kitchen is pretty complete with gas stove, refrig, microwave, dishes, etc. They also have a new gas grill for outdoor bbq. Randy and Elaine were very nice and went out of their way to show us the property and surrounding area. Recommended for: Adventure Seekers, Sightseeing, Families with Teenagers, Romantic Getaway, Pet-friendly
Positive Rating
Alex and Elena , San Jose, CA
Positive Rating
Hi Elaine & Randy, Sterling and I want to thank you both for a wonderful stay. The yurt was everything we hoped it would be! And the evening sky was exactly as you had described it. We did see every ounce of the Milky Way! We also appreciate the personal attention you provided. Like you, we believe in living sustainably and you should both be proud of what you two have accomplished up there! We aspire to living as sustainably as the two of you and we want to thank you for sharing both your knowledge and expertise with us as well as the tour of your property. We only wish that we had more time to see the hidden waterfall. The cabin is beautiful! The transformation is something truly amazing. We look forward to staying again and would highly recommend your hospitality to anyone looking for an authentic & comfortable off the grid experience. Sterling & Saundra P.S. I put together a slide show of our road trip/yurt experience. Turn up the volume so you can hear the music.
Positive Rating
Thanks again for sharing your beautiful place! It was very rejuvenating! I've shared your website with a couple friends who do yoga / meditation retreats, so perhaps I'll be back before too long. Best, Christina
Positive Rating
Elaine & Randy, We're still thinking about you guys and your piece of paradise as we slowly readjust to the cruel world. We thank you again for everything you did to make our stay enjoyable especially the guided tour to the fish refuge. Love, Erika, Shawn, & Bill
Positive Rating
Kirsten Schaffer , Los Angeles CA