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Ranch House Dark Skies

Photo gallery for Ranch House Dark Skies

View driving to house.
Living Room with Pool Table and TV
Living area
Kitchen with 2 refrigerators, 2 stoves and double ovens.
Wet Bar and Pantry

Reviews

9.6 out of 10
Exceptional
5 bedrooms3+ bathroomsSleeps 144000 sq ft

Popular amenities

  • Kitchen
  • Washing machine
  • Dryer
  • Free Wi-Fi
  • Air-conditioning
  • Outdoor space

Explore the area

View in a map
Alpine, TX
  • Place, Sul Ross State University
    ‪28 min drive‬
  • Place, Big Bend Regional Medical Center
    ‪28 min drive‬
  • Place, Marfa Lights Viewing Center
    ‪48 min drive‬
  • Airport, Marfa, TX (MRF)

Rooms & beds

5 bedrooms (sleeps 14)

Bedroom 1 Upstairs

1 King Bed

Bedroom 2

1 King Bed

Bedroom 3

1 Single Bunk Bed and 1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 4

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 5 off the deck upstairs

1 Single Bed and 2 Double Beds

3 bathrooms, 2 half bathrooms

Bath 5

Toilet

Bathroom Jack and Jill

Soap · Towels provided · Toilet · Shower only · Shampoo · Hair dryer

Bathroom Main

Soap · Towels provided · Toilet · Shower only · Shampoo · Hair dryer

Bathroom Upstairs

Soap · Towels provided · Bathtub or shower · Toilet · Shampoo

Off Pool Table Room

Toilet

Spaces

Deck or patio
Kitchen
Garden
Dining area

About this property

Ranch House Dark Skies

The Ranch House is located 8 miles south of Alpine and is home to lots of wildlife including mule deer, white tail deer, pronghorn, turkeys and Javelina. We have beautiful views from all over the property of Cathedral Mountain, Mount Ord, Haley's Mountain, McIntyre Peak, and the surrounding mountains. The house is located in a secluded spot on the ranch with trees in the yard. We are located close to Big Bend, Marfa and Fort Davis and the McDonald Observatory. Alpine is home to a Art Walk and Music Festivals.

Perfect for muti-generational families or a retreat for up to 12 people. Extra $15 per night for more than 12 people. Beds for 12 and air mattress for 2.
One of the bedrooms is off the deck by the primary bedroom and has a half bath,
Alpine Hotel Tax of 7% will be added to your quote.
We require a minimum of 5 night stay during Spring Break in March.

Local Activities include
Star Parties at McDonald Observatory year round on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Expanded activities in March for Spring Breakers.

http://www.texasmonthly.com/travel/trip-guide-alpine/

Visit the Alpine Chamber of Commerce for things to do in Alpine. http://www.alpinetexas.com/

Big Bend National Park http://www.nps.gov/bibe/index.htm

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House Rules

Check in after 3:00 PM
Minimum age to rent: 25
Check out before 12:00 PM
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Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17
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Events

No events allowed
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Pets

No pets allowed
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Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector with you on the trip
Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher, a first aid kit and a deadlock

We should mention

A car is required for transport to and from this property

About the area

Alpine

Located in Alpine, this holiday home is in a rural area. The area's natural beauty can be seen at Kokernot Municipal Park and Shipman Park, while Kiowa Gallery and Museum of the Big Bend are cultural highlights. Make sure you get close to the area's animals with activities such as game walks and birdwatching.
View more Holiday homes in AlpineOpens in a new window
Map
Alpine, TX

What's nearby

  • Sul Ross State University - 28 min drive - 34.0 km
  • Big Bend Regional Medical Center - 28 min drive - 34.7 km
  • Museum of the Big Bend - 29 min drive - 35.1 km
  • Kokernot Field - 30 min drive - 36.6 km
  • Marfa Lights Viewing Center - 48 min drive - 68.8 km

Getting around

  • Alpine Station - 28 min drive
  • Marfa, TX (MRF) - 58 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Starbucks - ‬9 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is Ranch House Dark Skies pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

How much does it cost to stay at Ranch House Dark Skies?

As of 25 Mar, 2026, prices found for a 1-night stay for 2 adults at Ranch House Dark Skies on 30 Mar, 2026 start from S$651, including taxes and fees. This price is based on the lowest nightly price found in the last 24 hours for stays in the next 30 days. Prices are subject to change. Choose your dates for more accurate prices.

How much is parking at Ranch House Dark Skies?

On-site parking is available at the property.

What time is check-in at Ranch House Dark Skies?

Check-in begins at 3:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Ranch House Dark Skies?

Checkout is at 12:00 PM.

Where is Ranch House Dark Skies located?

Situated in a rural location, this holiday home is within 20 miles (32 km) of Sul Ross State University, Big Bend Regional Medical Center and Kiowa Gallery. Museum of the Big Bend and Kokernot Municipal Park are also within 20 miles (32 km).

Reviews

9.6

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Learn moreOpens in a new window
Rating 10 - Excellent. 58 out of 77 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 18 out of 77 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 1 out of 77 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 77 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 77 reviews

9.8/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Check-in

9.8/10

Communication

9.8/10

Location

9.6/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

Verified

10/10 Excellent

Vikash R.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Everything was great - instructions were clear, amenities were as communicated and the kitchen/toiletries were all well-stocked. Great space for group trips to state parks/local hikes, will stay again when we come back next!
Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2026
Verified

10/10 Excellent

joe n.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Our host was great. She answered every question that we had and the house was just as great as advertised. The kitchen was well stocked and we never encountered any problems. Our family loved it. Thanks for all that you did.
Stayed 5 nights in Dec 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Jack C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
The accommodations were excellent. The water pressure was great, plenty of hot water. Te surrounding views were truly beautiful. The directions to the house were spot on.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2025
Verified

8/10 Good

Janice R.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Had everything we needed. Kitchen was well stocked.

Wish we could have spent more time at the property but had to spend time at Big Bend.
Stayed 5 nights in Mar 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Jamie W.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Fun family house

Really enjoyed the layout of this house! It was perfect for a family. Great location for a west Texas spring break!
Stayed 5 nights in Mar 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

James C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Ranch House

Very relaxing and oh so quiet! Well equipped and plenty of hot water. We had a great time in the area and trip to Big Bend. Reccomend Spicewood restaurant in Alpine!
Stayed 5 nights in Apr 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Christopher B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Quiet and Secluded

The house was amazing and had all that we needed we had complete privacy and the dark skies were amazing. Recommend and would stay again.
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

vallery m.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

PERFECTION

this is our second stay here.. love this place.. kitchen is great, lots of room for everyone..
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2022
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Kareem S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

So incredible

A beautiful spot. Perfectly situated for all the West Texas spots. We thoroughly enjoyed fires under a brilliant night sky.
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Nathalie S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

civilization in the middle of nowhere

very comfortable and big house! I will recommend anytime!
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Candice R.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Awesome!

Beautiful property with plenty of solitude
Stayed 4 nights in May 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Jody B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

The stars are bright deep in the heart of Texas

We enjoyed a lovely stay on the Ranch. The kitchen was set up perfectly. The property is amazing. We had a great horned owl visiting nightly. Thank you for sharing your home with us!
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2021
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Candis G.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Family getaway for Dads birthday

My Husband and I along with our two grown sons and each of their spouses with all three of our granddaughters stayed for three nights and four days. It was a great house with plenty of room for the nine of us. Everyone had space and privacy in the evening but we were all able to gather during the mornings and the day in the large common areas and enjoy quality family time together. Worked out great. Gorgeous scenery and wildlife. Highly recommend this place.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2024
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great Experience

We had such a fun time at this property! With 4 adults, and 4 boys, we walked the property, shot tin cans, fished, played pool, cooked together, and had a fire in the fire pit under the stars. One of the water heaters went out while we were there, and the owners quickly responded and had it replaced the next day. We highly recommend this interesting and unique property!
Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2020
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Erica C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Wow! What a fun stay!

This house has so much character and was such a fun place to stay! My kids loved exploring all the rooms and the outside property. When we woke up to 4"+ of snow, we were in heaven! The outside area was like a winter wonderland and we chose to stay and play rather than go to Big Ben that morning. The house was clean, comfortable and very spacious. I'm somewhat picky normally, but I loved this house! We hope to visit again in the future! Thanks for having us!
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2020
Archival

10/10 Excellent

Mikki M.

Fantastic!

Thank you so much for a wonderful experience! The home was stocked moreso than any other home we've rented before. (5 homes per year on average). Very clean and very cozy despite the abundance of square footage. Thank you for such an awesome time!
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2016
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Ron C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Perfect blend of rustic comfort

Wanted a place to stay where we could comfortably house 8 people, be relatively near Big Bend NP and Alpine, and enjoy a natural setting. This property provided all of these things very well.The home was very cozy and well-appointed for relaxing, spending time together in share living areas (there are two), having family meals, getting a hot shower, and having a good night's rest. It is out in the country up a well-maintained gravel road that can be driven by any normal car and the views of surrounding meadows and mountains are spectacular. There's a large second story port ideal for enjoying daytime and starry nighttime views.The host was exceptionally responsive and helpful--probably the best I've ever rented from. I would highly recommend her and this property to anyone looking for this type of natural but comfortable experience.
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Stephen M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Spacious Family Retreat under the Stars

Plenty of space, comfortable beds, multiple living areas, bedrooms and bathrooms for our family gathering. Large kitchen with an electric and gas top ranges!! Double ovens…plenty of cooking supplies. The pool table provided great fun, as our family engaged in a tournament that the reigning Patriarch won! The only negative would be the long gravel road from hwy 118 to the house. In a truck, no worries. In a sedan, one must take it slow, but completely manageable. We highly recommend this VRBO.
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Robert R.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

West Texas Vacation

We were a group of nine adults visiting the area for hiking and sightseeing activities. The property was great! We visited the Fort Davis National Historic Sight which was excellent. Across the street was the Rattlers and Reptile museum which was also a great activity as well as the Overland Trail Museum which was just up the street. We hiked the loop trail above the Historic Fort Davis which provided spectacular views. The Chihuahuan Desert Preserve has some wonderful hiking trails and an excellent Botanical Garden. The home was two miles off the highway near Alpine and it was large enough to accommodate our group. The home was clean, well equiped and very quiet!! This is a great place to stay and easy access to lots of outdoor activity options!
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2023
Verified

8/10 Good

Clemencia B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Alpine Revisited

Picked this property because of number of bedrooms, amenities, location and proximity to town for our group. Looked great in photos. In actuality, ranch house is lack luster and encountered safety issues in outdoor spaces. There could be much better maintenance of outdoor areas. Kitchen could be stocked with paper towels and table napkins. Hand soap dispensers in some bathrooms with little or no soap. Views of the mountains are nice.
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Daniel Z.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great property

The property worked very well for us with such a large group. (9 people) It was a drive to BBNP, but it worked for us. Remember everything it is a drive out there. The property is very centrally located in between all of the things to do around the area. We went from McDonalds Observatory and all over BBNP. We did some hiking on the property. The kitchen was fully stocked. Lots of extras in the house such as toilet paper, paper towels and trash bags. Did not have any issues with the property at all. Would highly recommend the property for anyone with a large group.
Stayed 5 nights in Mar 2024
Archival

8/10 Good

Renee & Amber L.

West Texas family vacation

This large country home was a comfortable place for our family of 9 to rest & unwind over New Year's week. It's many living spaces allowed us to spread out for games, movies, conversations, reading, & rest between trips to Big Bend parks & nearby Fort Davis. The fully stocked kitchen offered all we needed for preparing family meals. The home owners were warm, helpful & easily accessible to answer all our questions. Much thanks to them for their hospitality! The only real negative we experienced was the hassle of having to haul away all our own trash at the end of the week (2 car loads!), a problem they are planning to resolve. Beside that, we would gladly return.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Stephanie B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

In the middle of no where but only 15 minutes from civilization

This property worked well for our stay. It was definitely isolated, but not hard to get to a grocery store or restaurant. We spent a day in Fort Davis and enjoyed the Star Party at McDonald Observatory. We also enjoyed exploring the property. The only downside is that my parents, in their 70s, had to use the room with the small bed off the kitchen. Otherwise they would have to share a bathroom with our kids or use the tight spiral stairs to get to the other rooms. There is a lot of space, but only one main floor master/king and it shares a bathroom with the two twin beds. Still, we would stay again. Very well stocked.
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2020
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Rishaal J.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Excellent !

Property was located between Big Bend National Park and the McDonald Observatory , approx. 1.25hr to the park. Located off the main road, very quiet not a single car to be heard which made for good disconnect time. Star gazing was great, outdoor balcony provided a good viewing deck. House itself was a little confusing at first given its been renovated in parts but after a walk through it was fine - large kitchen, plenty of hangout space across the 3 lounges - we used only 2 - and enjoyed the pool table and dart board. Kitchen was very well stocked with, we did use both cooktops at times. Bathrooms were adequate, clean and well stocked also. No cellular coverage, we switched to calling over wi-fi. Host was responsive, need to follow driving and check in instructions that get emailed to you - GPS map was not accurate. Great stay overall, we would do it again if in the area.
Stayed 5 nights in Mar 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Alicia C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Peace and Quiet Under the Stars

We wanted to get away to the dark skies to celebrate my husband's 40th and my father in-law's 75th. This home was the perfect setting to relax and take in the serenity and wonder of west Texas. The home has plenty of space, is very comfortable, and had everything we needed. It felt more like visiting a family member's home. Unlike some other rentals that are sparsely decorated and don't have enough kitchen utensils, this kitchen was well stocked and even has two stoves which made cooking for 8 people a breeze, and every room in the house is functional and comfortable. The kids loved the loft room off the upper deck which is great as a play room and has quite a collection of movies, although we had such fun in nature we didn't really have time for movies. The game room is awesome with a great pool table and dart board. We loved sitting out on the patio and roof top deck to look at the stars. The property is absolutely gorgeous and you'll only hear the sounds of nature out there, no light pollution, no noise pollution. It is an absolute dream, we had a fantastic time and would highly recommend to anyone looking for a quiet base for your Big Bend Adventures. Close enough to Alpine to enjoy the small town feel, and it's centrally located to make day trips out to Balmorhea, The McDonald Observatory and Fort Davis, Marfa, and Big Bend National Park. Rennie was super easy to contact, although we never needed anything because the house is that great!
Stayed 4 nights in May 2023

About the host

Hosted by Rennie Meriwether

Host profile image
The Meriwether Family has deep roots in the Alpine area. Our Great Grandparents settled on ranch north of town and then bought another ranch south which is called the Double Diamond Ranch. This is where you will be staying. We have been doing updates on the house with our rental income to enhance the house for our guests.

Why they chose this property

The ranch house is secluded with dark skies for stargazing. Walking around the property and from the patio and deck are amazing views. It is a working cattle ranch and you might see cows and horses on the road to the house depending on which pasture they are in during your stay.

What makes this property unique

We provide everything you need in the kitchen including 2 ovens, 2 stoves, 2 refrigerators and pots and pans. We provide a crock pot, air fryer, coffee maker and blender. Pantry items such as coffee, tea, sweeteners and spices.

Languages:

English
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