We booked a night stay in the giraffe cabin, absolutely gorgeous! It was a nice spacious space, cozy, with rustic furniture that made you feel at home. They have mini fridge, coffee and dishes to use. The back patio overlooks the grasslands and a beautiful view to oversee the animals. The giraffe bottle feeding was a experience, those babies do not play worth their bottles lol! We then did a safari tour and got up close to all animals, Matt was very informative of the property and animals. There's a few places to eat that are about 10-15min out we recommend Lucy's for breakfast, Milano for lunch/dinner. Thank you Matt for making our stay amazing! read more

See all

This ranch is picturesque with a beautiful pond, dock overlook, covered gazebo and air conditioned barn that will provide every bride with the ability to perfectly size the space to her needs. My daughter saved for her own small (50 person) wedding event after getting married privately during quarantine in 2020. The owners worked with her being a young bride and made her an amazing deal for a Sunday ceremony. The event space was absolutely beautiful and provided the perfect backdrop for her big day. With our small crowd, it provided the absolute perfect amount of ranch ambiance to make it so much more special including Matt personally releasing the exotic animals minutes before the ceremony started so that the majestic creatures were in the background for the vow and ceremony photos. It was incredibly windy and still perfect. The walk down the "aisle" is very long and brides should prepare some way to stage without being seen on the way down. The best experience by far - and one we will cherish forever - was the time that the bride and groom received privately with the giraffe after the ceremony. Matt and his crew were wonderful and fed the animals coaching the couple on how to get the best angles and opportunities for the photographer to take photos of them during this special encounter. What other place can you say vows and then kiss a giraffe. Forget about it - forget about anyone complaining - these people are amazing and making brides dreams come true with their dedication to bring this unique place to Texas. The barn and light system was wonderful, the bar space was huge and the catering area we used was nice and accessible with a side door entry for the company bringing our dinner. Realities of a Ranch Wedding - (WORTH IT) The cabins are a hike down from the event space and also a hike from the parking lot. It would be ideal to provide a courtesy cart for the bridal party - maybe something to add in the future. There are some strict rules on white flowers and nothing on the ground because this is an active animal sanctuary but as long as you respect the grounds and clean up after yourself - this is the best place for your perfect day. The owners are small business families doing their best to "marry" a personalized encounter with exotic animals in an event and BnB spot that is sure to please as they grow and provide more unique opportunities to get inspired by these amazing animals. If you want easy and uneventful maybe this isn't the boring place you seek but if you want a unique experience not found anywhere else - go for it. read more

See all

Great experience! Great fun experience for the whole family plenty of exciting things to do and see. My kids had a blast. We will definitely be back. read more

Absolutely loved everything about Blue Hills Ranch definitely an adventure you would not expect in Texas. The staff were all so friendly, knowledgeable and professional. The room was absolutely amazing. We will positively return and am excited to see the equestrian area once it is complete. Top Notch!! read more

Blue Hills Ranch - 2 week old Zebra - Hotels Near Me - McGregor, Texas

See all

This is truly an amazing experience for all ages! The fact that you get to be up close and personal with animals that you would never normally get to interact with is truly incredible! I didn't realize I could still make core memories at almost 40 years old yet here I am feeling pure excitement like a little kid!!! The staff was wonderful and the owner is super down to earth and friendly! He gets right into the excitement and activities along with you!! Says a lot about how much he cares about the animals and guests and not just the $$$. I am already planning our next trip here to check out some of the new things they have up and coming!!!! The owner's visions of what this place can be will have our whole family coming back over and over for many years to come! read more

See all

Spectacular tour seeing all the animals. The tour guide was a great host, full of information and fun! We will definitely make this a regular visit. read more

Blue Hills Ranch - Had so much fun with all the animals, especially Blue! - Hotels Near Me - McGregor, Texas

I took my friend here for her birthday and we both LOVED it! Staff was extremely friendly and knowledgeable! We really enjoyed the close encounter with the Giraffes and getting to hold the hands of the Otters! It didn't smell bad, at all, so that lets us know they do a great job of cleaning! The baby kangaroo . Soooo cute! I'm already recommending my friends go here! Yay for Blue Hill Ranch! We'll be back, that's for sure read more

Absolutely amazing time. Did the 1 hour tour around the ranch and had a charcuterie board with giraffes. Staff was very nice and knowledgeable, all the animals were well kept and provided for. I would absolutely recommend this for any animal lovers. read more

Blue Hills Ranch - Giraffe. - Hotels Near Me - McGregor, Texas

Great place for a stay, safari ride and just enjoying the animals. Can't wait to bring others. read more

See all

10 out of 10 I recommend dining with the giraffes. Blue and Google are such sweet boys and the staff is top notch. The staff was willing to accommodate every need we had. We stayed two nights in the Hook Cabin and it was everything we had hoped for. We also feed the many other animals on the Ranch. read more

See all

My boyfriend and I came out for a "swimming with the otters experience" and let me say, this was a top 10 memory I'll keep forever. I was gifted the experience as a birthday present and I've been waiting months for the day to actually come. We got to the location and checked in, waited barely 5 minutes before we were told to come on back. The lady who was helping us was extremely sweet and knowledgeable. She talked about all the different animal encounters they currently have. There wasn't a dull moment in the entire hour of our experience. She used my phone to capture pictures and videos that I can look back on. Before we even left, we both decided this was something we would do again. Thank you BHR! read more

Blue Hills Ranch - Hotels Near Me - McGregor, Texas

My wife and I primarily went for the Otter experience with Otto and Sweet Pea. We decided to add on the safari tour which both did not disappoint. Michael took us on the safari tour and was very friendly and informative. Coincidence that he was raised for a period in Hawaii which is where my wife and I are from. We got to feed most of the animals and interact with them. At the end of our tour, Michael gave us recommendations of things to do and places to eat in Waco. Lilly was with us during the otter experience and wow. My wife and I love otters so being able to play, feed, and swim with them was OTTERLY amazing. See what I did there. Anyway, Lilly was also informative and friendly and provided a great experience for us. Thank you Blue Hills, especially Michael and Lilly for the once in a lifetime experience. read more

Blue Hills Ranch - Hotels Near Me - McGregor, Texas

See all

Animal therapy at its best!!! This is the best place to relax, take in God's natural beauty, and interact up close and personal with some very sweet animals. The entire ranch is clean and well kept and animals seem well cared for and happy to interact. The staff are incredible - very welcoming! Highly recommend!! read more

See all

Received an Otter Experience as an anniversary gift from my husband and it was worth the wait! Booked online in May and they were filled up through beginning of august so just went yesterday. The ranch is easy to find and the check in process was minimal and easy. Staff was friendly and our "hostess" during the actual experience part - Kaylee - was so sweet and knowledgeable! The otters (there are 4, 2 are newer to the facility) were so cute and a joy to watch and interact with. Loved everything about it and wished I could stay all day! Did not tour the entire ranch or anything so can't speak for any other aspects. read more

The day started off bottle feeding the baby kangaroo and month old calf which was a real treat for the girls but the highlight for us was the private ATV tour around the ranch. Our tour guide, Kasey was so knowledgeable about the animals and engaged so well with the girls in such a fun, humorous way, they didn't even realize he was actually educating them.....and yes, I learned quite a bit myself. It's obvious, these folks truly care about these animals and nature in general. It was a great experience - I highly recommend for any and all ages, young and not so young! Be sure to ask for Kasey when you schedule your tour! read more

See all

Finally, a place in Texas where I can swim with otters!! As soon as I found out about BHR, I began trying to book an adventure. In order to stay at the Otter Cabin, you have to book at least two nights, which is not a listed fact anywhere that I could find. Cue me trying and failing to get my preferred date for about 15 minutes. It is a little frustrating that when I called, I was basically just redirected to book via their website I tried to ask the gal who answered about Otter Adventure availability (because that's why I wanted to stay there), and she never told me. She did give me a rundown of *all* the cabins, including the big family-sized ones, despite me saying that it was just going to be two of us and I already knew I wanted the Otter cabin, I was literally just trying to figure out Adventure availability so I could plan a stay... it was almost like she was reading from a script maybe? Anyway, not super helpful or informative (the cabin info is on the website, and very easy to find). So I went back and reserved a booking online, but STILL don't know about Adventure availability and timing. Knowing a general idea of the time would make this a lot easier! I could plan this trip if I knew that!! Please include at least a basic idea??? (do they usually start at 8am? At 3pm? Will I have time before or after to do the Safari drive in the same day, or should I schedule that for another day?) Will update as my reservation progresses. read more

A once in a lifetime experience. The staff was amazing. I would recommend the Giraffe "lunch", it was incredible.

My daughter and I booked the dining with giraffes and feeding baby camels on February 19th...what an excellent experience for us! The ranch is gorgeous and Valerie is the sweetest tour guide/host. Google and Blue are the sweetest souls..it was so much fun sharing our charcuterie board with them. The animals are so well loved and it shows. I can't wait to go back and stay! read more

See all

We secured a animal Safari and dining with the giraffes experience for our 3 yr old granddaughter. It was an amazing experience and should be added to peoples things/places to see list. The staff was great, knowledgeable and friendly. Truly enjoyed our experience...only recommendation would be schedule maybe spring or mid fall when it's not 108 degrees, lol. But it was an awesome experience! read more

The woman who did the atv was great and answered all the questions. the pictures online are way better than the place in person. the giraffe is behind a fence. The man in the house, who owns the dog was rude standoffish, other wise cool establishment. read more

My sister and I did the otter experience and had THE BEST time. It was a dream come true. And we got to see other animals, including kangaroos! read more

Blue Hills Ranch exceeded or expectations! The staff was wonderful. Dana was our guide. Her knowledge and passion for the animals was incredible! Naomi rode along as a new hire, and it was nice to hear her asking questions to gain the knowledge she needs. Dana went above and beyond to get every animal to come up to us so we could interact with them. I highly recommend Blue Hills Ranch to everyone of all ages. We will definitely be going back! read more

See all

Bought The Otter Experience for my wife and daughter. They had an absolute blast! The guy from the Ranch who was with them guided them and explained the otters' behaviors very clearly. They haven't stopped talking about it! Highly recommended. read more

Lots of fun. Easy reach from Waco, Texas. We were able to see and feed a variety of wild animals.

Experience of a lifetime! I was in Texas visiting my family, and came across an opportunity to swim with otters and do a mini safari that I couldn't pass up. I knew it would be fun, but never in a million years did I expect how amazing it really was! The otters (Otto and Sweat Pea) were beyond words amazing. Of course you know getting to meet, pet, sit with and 'swim' with them you know will be amazing, but truly it was all that and some. You are told up front the dos and don'ts of being with these sweet animals to keep them and you safe. You guide will make sure to take photos and videos for you, so that you can really take in the experience... which let's be honest even as it is happening you won't believe it. The safari portion is pretty epic too. Your guide drives around the ranch while being told about all the animals, their mission, how they started, their plans for the future and at the end we got to meet the new baby camels (SO CUTE) and go pet Google and Blue the resident Giraffes. Meeting and petting the animals was beyond belief. Stuff that dreams are made of. As an avid animal lover I could go on and one. The only thing I would ever have to say that wasn't positive is that I wish there was more minutes in the hour for more time with the animals!!! The staff at Blue Hills Ranch was so friendly and knowledgeable, and they have great gifts you can buy to remember the day! DO NOT wait to book your experience, get down there! read more

This place was amazing!! Not sure how people don't give it the review it deserves... had an amazing time with my wife and 4 yr old daughter, our friends stayed in the other cabin when we did. BEAUTIFUL scenery and setting just 1hr 30 min from DFW. Clean, well furnished cabins and amenities. Would go back in a second for some time away from the hustle of the city. Feeding Blue the giraffe and seeing the pot bellied pigs were our daughters favorite... plus getting to spend some time with friends while surrounded by nature was priceless for all of us. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! read more

10/10 experience!! This was such an amazing experience I could do it all over again! We got to pet and feed so many animals on the safari and the giraffe experience was unreal. They serve you champagne with a beautiful charcuterie while feeding the giraffes !! We flew from california to Waco just do to this. read more

Blue Hills Ranch - Hotels Near Me - McGregor, Texas

See all

Best time ever!!! We did Giraffe charcuterie and the safari. Would recommend adding the otter swim. Next time we are staying in the Zebra cabin. read more

Blue Hills Ranch - The best experience. - Hotels Near Me - McGregor, Texas

See all

I brought my boyfriend here to play with the otters for our anniversary, and it was amazing! The whole staff was very warm and the otters, Otto and Sweet Pea, were insanely cute and friendly. We were given a baggie of shrimp to feed the otters, and could choose to sit in a hot tub with them or in their enclosure. This was worth every penny. If you love animals and are looking for something really special to do, you should absolutely go to Blue Hills Ranch! read more

Blue Hills Ranch - A picture of Sweet Pea having dinner - Hotels Near Me - McGregor, Texas

We had a fabulous time at Blue Hills Ranch. The property is stunning and we stayed at the beautifully appointed Zebra cabin. The owner, Matt, and his entire staff were wonderful and their hospitality was top notch. We did several of the animal encounters including bottle feeding the giraffes (Blue & Google), the kangaroos (Scuba Steve & Irwin), and on the Safari ride we were able to feed and interact with zebras, emus, wild mustang, mini donkeys and so much more! We will definitely be back! read more

Blue Hills Ranch - Baby Google - Hotels Near Me - McGregor, Texas

See all

My mom treated me to the otter experience for my birthday and it was the most magical thing of all time!! Everything was stellar... the staff, the facility, the encounter, the memories!! We were greeted upon arrival by a number of staff who were very friendly and explained all of the necessary information. For the actual experience I felt that they did an excellent job of explaining what was going to happen, how to interact with the animals, how to keep the animals safe, how for us to stay safe, and lots of excellent background information on the animals history and scientific facts. Our guide was so great too... she asked if I'd like pictures and videos taken and used my phone throughout the experience. I'm so glad she took so many photos and videos... it's still hard to believe I got to do it. I felt the time we got to spend with the otters was really generous and worth the price. Everything was at the animals pace and how they wanted to interact with us... but it was such a relaxed setting that they seemed very comfortable with us and I really got a chance to appreciate how incredible they are! Absolutely recommend!! read more

What a diamond in the rough! Literally an amazing animal sanctuary in the middle of the country! We came here after seeing some videos on TikTok and had a wonderful time! We fed a baby giraffe his morning bottle of milk and then went on a tour of the entire grounds. We were alone the whole time and had such amazing personalized service. It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience for us, visiting from Los Angeles. The animals have so much room to run and were so friendly to come up for snacks and share their love. We had an amazing time and would highly recommend a visit and any of the experiences you can book. They even have cabins and RV spots if you can swing more time and stay on site. Wonderful staff doing wonderful work! read more

Such an amazing experience. 10/10 would recommend. Very hands on and the staff was very friendly and helpful.

Nothing but accolades for Blue Hills Ranch. Not only is the concept an amazing idea but the hospitality and general vibe of the whole area is incredible. The staff was very friendly and always extremely helpful, they were incredibly kind and our tour guide McKenna was spectacular. The cabin my mom and I stayed (Giraffe Cabin) was so cozy and we often found ourselves just relaxing in the well furnished mini-home. It was very clean and the design was perfect. I highly recommend going through as many animal experiences as possible. We bottle-fed giraffes and kangaroos, saw wild horses and cows, and had a super adorable Saint Bernard greet us every morning. Our stay was amazing and we will definitely be coming back, highly recommend this to anybody. read more

See all

I took my mom and niece to Blue Hills ranch to celebrate my nieces 21st birthday. All three of us are animal lovers and I thought I would take a chance by booking a weekend in Waco and going to the ranch on Saturday. It exceeded my expectations. The staff was fantastic and getting the opportunity to hear more about Matt's (the owner) vision was inspiring. The variety of animals was also incredible and the opportunity to interact and engage with them was awesome. From the mustangs, to the pigs, giraffes, baby kangaroo and otters.....we will definitely go again!! Big kudos to Matt for not turning this ranch into some cheesy sanctuary or pet zoo of some sort. read more

We had a great time celebrating my grandson's birthday. The staff were great, especially Casey who guided us. We never felt rushed and it was a delightful experience! It's worth the drive from DFW. read more

The employees treat you like family. We were treated very well and I can't wait to go back. Swimming with the otters was so much fun and taking the jeep tour to see all the animals and feed them was great. I loved waking up and looking out the window and seeing all the animals grazing right outside our RV. read more

We had a fabulous time on our safari!! The guides were awesome, very knowledgeable of the animals, allowed us time to take pictures and ask questions. Can't wait to go back again!!! read more

This place is an absolute dream. The giraffe experience is everything in the pictures on their website and more. The kangaroo feeding was adorable and the owner and his staff are amazing. The cabin we stayed in was beautiful and creative. Waking up to cows and wild mustangs in our backyard was pure happiness. The only negative part was leaving that beautiful ranch. We cannot wait to visit again! read more

As one of the most popular wedding photographers in the Dallas/Waco area I see a lot of venues and I must say Blue Hills Ranch really stands out! There are so many beautiful picture locations around the property and the venue owner is so awesome to work with! I highly recommend this venue! read more

See all