Originally founded in the 1950's as a working cattle ranch, the Rincon Creek Ranch was purchased in 2010 by Bill and Gretchen Shirley who spent the next four years transforming it into a spectacular, luxurious, guest ranch. Consisting of 78 acres bordering Saguaro National Park, the ranch has seven, fully equipped guest casitas each with full kitchens, lavish bathrooms, comfy bedrooms, laundry, fireplaces, and sitting porches. The multi-purpose building, Luella-Boomer Hall, constructed to look like an old mission, has a kitchen, bathrooms, massage and exercise rooms, Wi-Fi, Direct TV, library, and a 1200sf great room. With horseback riding, jeep tours, hiking, and golf only minutes away, guests can customize their stay, engaging only in activities of interest, and the availability of in casita dining accommodates any dietary restriction or budget. The breathtaking views and consummate privacy make Rincon Creek Ranch the perfect place for romantic getaways, family reunions, and corporate retreats.
Amazing retreat in nestled in the hills of the Rincon Mountains. We stayed at the Rincon Creek Ranch in February and enjoyed every minute of our stay. Bill and Gretchen are consummate hosts and instantly made us feel right at home. We were greeted with smiles and helpful information and our cabin was ready for us the minute we arrived.
Everything on the property, including our cabin, was immaculate. All our items for our breakfast bundle were in the cabin when we arrived and our delicious cheese tray arrived shortly thereafter.
The surroundings are peaceful and the views stunning. Every morning my husband and I took a walk around the property using the trails they created. It was safe, easy to navigate and offered many animal experiences including birds, a bobcat and horses. It was the perfect way to start each day.
The cabin (we stayed in the Farmhouse) had everything we needed and was the perfect size for our family of four. We enjoyed fires at night and relaxing & reading on the porch.
The kids used the game room for pool and shuffleboard and that too was beautifully set up. They even provided snacks and drinks! It was the perfect place to stay while exploring Tucson.
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Date of stay: February 2021
Rooms
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Room Tip:The Farmhouse was perfect for a family of 4
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Bill and Gretchen Shirley, Owner at Rincon Creek Ranch
Responded Apr 1, 2021
Juli & Family, Thank you for your wonderful review, you kind words and compliments. It has been challenging year to say the least, and we are grateful for all the courageous travelers such as yourselves that have chosen to stay with us. RCR has become a popular choice. The private casitas and expansive property provide for effortless social distancing and the trails and adjacent SNP do the same for our birders and hikers. We are so glad the casita and property amenities met your needs. Our goal was to provide everything one had in their own home, but in a new and spectacular setting. Thank you again for staying with us. Happy traveling! ~Bill & Gretchen
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We attended a friend's wedding at Rincon Creek Ranch (RCR). We stayed in Casa Azul which is one of the 7 guest casitas on the property and is handicap accessible. RCR borders the Saguaro National Park East. You can hike directly from RCR into the park. There is also a small trail (about a mile long) that loops through the RCR. We could not have had a more perfect stay. The hosts (Bill & Gretchen) have thought of everything and the casitas are very well stocked with everything you will need during your stay. The casita we were in was immaculate. I'm very picky about cleanliness and our casita passed my white glove test. It was also very tastefully & comfortably furnished. There is no WiFi in our casita, but our 4G Verizon worked fine. There is free WiFi in the Luella-Boomer Hall (a recreation and gathering room that has a nice kitchen, pool table, TV and plenty of seating. The wedding guests gathered there and were treated to some free margarita, beer and an excellent assortment of finger foods. The TVs in the casitas do not have cable or streaming, but there is a pretty good collection of DVDs available for free inside the hall. The ambiance is very western, but this is not a primitive or rustic cabin. Our casita had a fully equipped kitchen, laundry and a spa tub as well as shower. Although there is a central heater, there is also a wood burning fireplace. Extremely quite & peaceful atmosphere with incredible views of the Rincon Mountains. We plan on returning soon.
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Date of stay: December 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Bill and Gretch... S, Owner at Rincon Creek Ranch
Responded Jan 6, 2020
M&J, Thank you for your wonderful and thorough review! We truly enjoyed having your group at the Ranch for C&E's wedding. We're happy the group was able to fit in time to enjoy the many amenities of the Ranch, but still focus on the main event. The Ranch is located on the far southwest end of Tucson against Saguaro national Park east, but we are only 20 minutes from most eastside locations, and via I-10, only 30 minutes from downtown. We're just fortunate enough to be located in the still relatively secluded Rincon Valley. Thank you again for your kind words and compliments. Best Wishes for a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year. ~Bill & Gretchen
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We can't say enough good things about Rincon Creek Ranch. The owners are warm and helpful. The casita was perfectly appointed with fresh eggs, everything you need in the kitchen, perfect large bedroom, washer and dryer, and the bathroom, WOW. Bill and Gretchen did not scrimp on construction and have thought of all your possible needs in advance. The property is located next to Saguaro Park for hiking and views. The bird feeders are fully stocked so there is always something to watch while relaxing on the porch. This place is the perfect getaway; relaxing, chill, quiet, and peaceful. Who could ask for anything more?
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Date of stay: April 2021
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Bill and Gretchen Shirley, Owner at Rincon Creek Ranch
Responded May 11, 2021
N&D, Thank you so much for your kind words and compliments. We are so glad the casita and property amenities met your needs. Our goal was to provide everything one had in their own home, but in a new and spectacular setting, and since we are more of a “boutique” property, we wanted to provide nicer things and higher end construction details. It means a lot to us when guests tell us they appreciate our efforts. We are very fortunate to share a border with Saguaro National Park and have access to their trails. It means a lot to us that you enjoyed all of the casita and property amenities and were able to just kick back and relax. Truly a welcome respite after the last twelve months. Best wishes to you both. Thank you for choosing to stay with us and Happy Travels. ~Bill & Gretchen
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I chose this location for a New Year's small-venue wedding and I couldn't have been more pleased with the atmosphere, the beauty, and the service from the couple who own the ranch. I had my choice of outdoor locales for the ceremony, all of which were stunning, even in the less colorful month of January. Many of our friends and family stayed in the casitas, which are all individually decorated, fully outfitted, southwestern-style "homes" suitable for short and long-term visits. In addition to their own individual styles, each of the casitas has their own fantastic view of the mountains and wildlife. You will be completely comfortable indoors with a fireplace, fully fitted kitchen (bring your own food; there is no restaurant), washer/dryer, and sanctuary baths that are vacations in themselves after every adventurous day you spend in the Sonoran Desert and nearby mountain ranges. There are handicap accessible and family friendly casitas, as well as more intimately located casitas for those wishing to be more isolated than usual. There is also a large clubhouse that can be used for indoor events, if desired. I I just cannot say enough about the property and its owners, who went the extra mile to help plan our ceremony, provide maps and "things to do" during our stay, and made sure we all knew that guests had access to national park land trails adjacent to the property at no cost. Overall, the entire place is amazing in its southwestern simplicity, design and cohesive beauty. From the moment of our arrival we felt an instant camaraderie with the owners and other guests as a natural extension of the ambiance. We will go back again and again! You MUST check their website and give Bill and Gretchen a call! Please do not show up unannounced to view the property. They run the entire place themselves, so they really need to make an appointment to see you!
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Date of stay: January 2020
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Bill and Gretch... S, Owner at Rincon Creek Ranch
Responded Jan 28, 2020
C&E, Thank you for your kind words and compliments. We are having more and more small intimate weddings at the Ranch, and they are truly the way to go! What a beautiful ceremony you had, and how wonderful that so many of the guests were able to share the event over a multi-day stay, and take in all the local Southern Arizona attractions and Ranch amenities. Thank you for acknowledging and accommodating our schedule. There is a lot going on behind the scenes as the owner/operators of the property, and we want to make sure we are able to give our full attention to visitors, so we have to things by appointment, especially during the winter months which are peak tourist months in Tucson. We truly enjoyed meeting and interacting with you both and your wedding party, and also enjoyed the guests that were out only for the day. We're very happy you chose Rincon Creek Ranch and wish you the very best for long and happy lives together. ~ Bill and Gretchen
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Bill and Gretchen have indeed carved a “ little slice of heaven” in the Sonoran Desert East of Tucson. Our casita was beautifully appointed with European influences, comfortable beds, large bathrooms, fully-stocked kitchen (even farm-fresh eggs and a bottle of wine), and tasteful furnishings & decor. Bring your own food or drive 5-10 minutes to dine out. This haven offered privacy, peace, and quiet. Remote, yet within minutes of good restaurants and grocery stores, etc. Hike into Saguaro National Park by walking several steps down the road to access the trail.
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Date of stay: March 2021Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Bill and Gretchen Shirley, Owner at Rincon Creek Ranch
Responded Apr 10, 2021
Lureofthelake, Thank you so much for your wonderful review! we are so glad you enjoyed your stay and the amenities offered in the casitas and on the property. We're glad you were able to enjoy some of the sights and attractions of Southern Arizona. Best Wishes and Happy traveling! ~Bill & Gretchen
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I was lucky enough to be invited on a girl's weekend and even luckier that the location was Rincon Creek Ranch. The casita we stayed in was welcoming with its red and colorful farm look. The fresh eggs from the ranch chickens tucked in the fridge in a cute baseket were just the start of an amazing attention to detail that was throughout the casita and made our stay more magical than we could have imagined.
From the Friday evening happy hour with Omi's cookies, and you have not had butter cookies until you have had these, to the wood for our fire and the coffee beans and grinder that gave us fresh coffee daily, to the wonderful views of the desert and mountains., this place is a little bit of heaven.
We were so settled in that we did not get out of our PJ's until around 11am, lingering over coffee and catching up, and then headed out each day to hike and explore. Dinners were filled with the warmth of our fire, great food we made in the fully appointed kitchen, and card and board games supplied by our hosts. Oh, there may have been a bottle of wine or two there as well.
I can't say enough about Rincon Creek Ranch and I am looking forward to bringing my Fiance for a stay in the coming months. It was love at first site for me, I am sure it will be for anyone who visits. Bill and Gretchen will make sure!
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Date of stay: January 2020
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip:anyone of the casitas would be amazing. We were in a two bedroom but there are singles too.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Bill and Gretch... S, Owner at Rincon Creek Ranch
Responded Jan 16, 2020
Khakijo, Thank you for your wonderful, thoughtful review. Rincon Creek Ranch has become quite popular for girl's getaways lately! And, what a terrific group of ladies in your group! We are so glad you enjoyed the amenities we have to offer, and we are glad you were not only able to hang out and relax, but enjoy all of the hiking on the property and into the bordering Saguaro National Park as well. We look forward to seeing you on a return visit. Thank you for your kind words and compliments. Best wishes for a terrific New Year. ~ Bill and Gretchen
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My husband and I had the best 6 night stay here. We rented the casita because of the feature of having a full kitchen. Bill and Gretchen have outfitted the casitas with amazing attention to little details that make for the most comfortable, cozy retreat. The bed was very comfortable; the bathroom has a nice shower and bathtub; the living room is comfortable to relax in and the kitchen was perfect for preparing all of our own meals. We ended up extending our stay an extra night just so we could have a full day to just hang out at the casita and take advantage of the beautiful hiking in the Saguaro National Park right out the front door. We are already looking forward to our next visit!
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Date of stay: February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Bill and Gretch... S, Owner at Rincon Creek Ranch
Responded Feb 14, 2020
C&G, Thank you for your wonderful review! We really appreciated chatting with you during your stay and getting such valuable professional insight. Although we undertook our venture because we truly enjoy meeting guests and providing them the best in hospitality that we can offer, it is also comforting to know that our timing was fortuitous. We are glad you were able to take in some of the many sights and attractions Southern Arizona has to offer, and also found time to just kick back and relax. We wish you the very best and look forward to seeing you again! Happy Traveling, ~Bill & Gretchen
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Rincon Creek Ranch is a beautiful place. Bill and Gretchen were very even doing research for us for us before we arrived to let us know what would be open on Christmas Day. We are from the east coast and woke up early every day. It was beautiful watching the sun come up over the mountains. Our casita was spotless when we arrived, and had everything we needed for our stay--including farm fresh eggs for breakfast. We very much enjoyed walking the trail around the ranch every morning and we enjoyed the community room in the evening where was watched football, and played pool.
Thank you Bill and Gretchen for sharing your beautiful place with us.
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Date of stay: December 2020
Rooms
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Bill and Gretchen Shirley, Owner at Rincon Creek Ranch
Responded Jan 5, 2021
D&M, Thank you for your kind words and compliments. We are very fortunate to have a property that allows our guests to get away, stay secluded with distance galore, and yet enjoy stunning views and private hikes directly into Saguaro National Park, or around or 100 acres. We're also glad you were able to take in a little recreation in Luella-Boomer Hall. We are always happy to answer any of our guest's questions and provide as much information as we can prior and during their stay. We really enjoyed chatting with you during our daily chores. Thank you so much for staying with us! Best Wishes to you both for a prosperous and healthy 2021! ~Bill & Gretchen
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Spent 4 lovely nights at this beautiful ranch that combines peace and quiet with sophistication. Casitas are nicely designed and thoughtfully appointed. Hosts Bill and Gretchen were friendly and very helpful about suggesting places to eat and things to do. One of our favorite hikes during our week in Arizona was right off their property into Saguaro National Park. Each casita has a porch where I spent lots of relaxing times watching the many birds. Only criticism is no Internet in the casita. That's not ok in 2020. The site's wireless service in more public areas was spotty at best. Some guests might consider that a benefit!
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Date of stay: March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Bill and Gretch... S, Owner at Rincon Creek Ranch
Responded Mar 26, 2020
K&B, Thank you for your review, compliments, and suggestions. We agree completely on the need to provide WiFi at the casitas and not just in our community building/area. We appreciate most people's desire to unplug, but are also keenly aware of other's need to stay connected. Extending or providing WiFi connections at the casitas has been a top priority. We've had several providers give us proposals, and we hope to get it into the budget soon. Presently, just like every hospitality business, we are facing unprecedented loss of revenue, and since vacationing in Arizona is seasonal, and COVID 19 has arrived in our peak travel season, we can only pray that next fall will be better than normal to help offset our losses. We are grateful that we have not had the crisis level that so many of our regular guests and friends from the coastal areas like New York, Washington, and California have had to face. We have checked the WiFi in our public areas and were not able to find any reception problems. We have many guests that have at least one person that must work out of LBH almost full time during their stay, and we have had business retreats that hold their meetings and online business in LBH. We're happy you were able to enjoy the amenities that we do provide, and were able to enjoy massages, and utilize our trails and adjacent SNP. We really enjoyed meeting you both and chatting with you during your stay. Best wishes to you both during these trying times. Stay safe, ~Bill & Gretchen
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We had an amazing five night stay at Rincon Creek Ranch. I was recovering from a difficult medical condition and arrived apprehensive and unable to even carry our own luggage. Bill and Gretchen were so incredibly kind. She gave us a warm welcome and sent Bill to greet us at the gate. He led us on a lovely unmarked road and over his private bridge since the creek was pretty high. After a brief welcome in their foyer, Bill led us up to our Casa Amarillo. He unhesitatingly helped us unload our rental car including four big bags and four bags of groceries. The casitas all come with a nicely appointed kitchen. We were very pleased with the basket of fresh eggs. We enjoyed making our own scrumptious meals since we had stopped at Trader Joe’s on our way there.
The bathroom is very elegant. It has a huge tub and an amazing custom shower. The bed was very comfortable and totally private. We had a lovely fireplace and our own supply of dry mesquite firewood.
Bill gave us a great rundown of the hiliking and other outing opportunities. We were able to walk across the driveway and found the Saguaro National Park gate just 10 minutes away.
I was able to start out with an easy 3 mile hike. After a couple of days we worked up to a 5 mile loop. The park is very remote and peaceful. Hiking there each day, we only ran into other hikers once. We had the place to ourselves!
Bill and Gretchen are wonderful hosts. They dropped by to check on us each morning. They even invited us to an amazing dinner party catered by their private chef. We met and got to know a number of their friendly neighbors from the Coyote Creek community.
If you are looking for a lovely, serene stay in a natural paradise, you will not be disappointed by Rincon Creek Ranch. We will definitely be back. Thinking of inviting our adult kids to come there for a family reunion!
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Bill and Gretch... S, Owner at Rincon Creek Ranch
Responded Feb 8, 2020
J&S, Thank you for your wonderful review! Although having a creek bisect your property is beautiful and provides an incredible wildlife habitat, it was problematic until we finally got our bridge completed. It is a cool drive through the "preserve". We are thrilled to hear that you are on the road to recovery, and were amazed at your steady progress during your stay. The party was an incredible success, and we were happy you could join us! Chef Kyle Nottingham did a superb job as always, and the RudyRalis band provided awesome entertainment. We wish you the very best for continued recovery, and a happy & prosperous New Year. ~ Bill & Gretchen
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There are more places to choose from in the Tucson area.
LOCATION
United StatesArizonaTucson
NUMBER OF ROOMS
10
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Yes, it offers wheelchair access, reduced mobility rooms, and facilities for disabled guests. For specific inquiries, we recommend calling ahead to confirm.
