We had some minor issues the first night but everything was quickly taken care of. Nice clean cabins. Great location. Hosts were very nice.

Felton is stunning--majestic redwoods, peaceful river vibes... or so we thought. Unfortunately, the property owner had other plans. We arrived Mother's Day weekend hoping for serenity and got a front-row seat to her personal 40th birthday rave. The main river access? Taped off for her party from Friday to Sunday. The peaceful sounds of nature? Drowned out by a DJ and enough bass to rattle the trees from 5-9pm on Saturday. Other guests looked just as confused as we were. Things really peaked when our assigned parking spot was taken by a party guest after we came back from dinner, and the "emergency" contact basically said, "Good luck--there's a party going on." Nobody in the office, of course. The cabins themselves? Think sad summer camp meets thrift store chic--hot, musty, and uncomfortable, with a creaky bed and WiFi that gave up faster than we did. The location has so much potential, but, unfortunately is neglected by an owner who doesn't care about you or your stay. In fact, she passed by my family a few times and did not appear to be friendly. If you're looking for peace and nature, this place might deliver--just not when the owner's throwing herself a bash like it's Coachella. read more

This is a road side motel. Their listing on the travel site we booked through lists Fern River Resort. Their website lists Fern River Resort. Their actual property signage has Fern River Resort Motel. This is 100% a motel, with online photos to upsell it as something nicer. If dreary and sticky are your thing, please stay here. It offers the ambiance of a 1992 Sizzler mixed with the furniture of Aunt Sharlene's storage unit that she won at auction. Is it better than sleeping in a tent on the dirt? Sure. Does management focus on cash in hand over a solid wow experience? Yep. If we knew what we were walking into, we would have had those expectations prior to arrival and rolled with it. This "resort" is sadly a gigantic swing and a miss for those traveling. read more

Well kept, simple cabins in the redwoods. Quiet and clean. Cool cat. WiFi is okay - needed better signal. But this place is for relaxing, not internet use. Very close to center of Felton. Scott's Valley very close. Great location. read more

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We enjoyed our stay here, it is rather casual check in process, cabins have a decent amount of privacy with a nice creek behind property.

There were a lot of things I liked and some I could do without. Positives are the location in the beautiful redwoods with two walking paths down to the river. I could hear the river from our cabin which was lovely. It was also close for jaunts to Santa Cruz and hiking in Henry Cowell state park. We saw other people down by the river but it never felt too crowded. I like the game shed and bonfire pit. Negatives were the super uncomfortable mattress and basically nonexistent WiFi. Cabin 11A seemed particularly bad because it worked okay when I walked to other parts of the property. The wiring in the cabin was old so I couldn't have the toaster and microwave running at the same time. Very dark and dated overall. There's some receptacles for cigarette butts around the property and one of our neighbors was chain smoking next to it putting a damper on enjoying the great outdoors. read more

Only stayed one night. It's a lovely location, very quiet, and there was no delay in getting to our room. The room itself was modest. I got a suite so we would have separate beds/rooms. The cabin is clean, if a bit dated. The bed was comfortable, though a bit stiff. We were in town for a show at the music hall. It was the only place with rooms in the area. I would definitely stay again. read more

Fern River Resort - Creek view - Resorts Near Me - Felton, California

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Celebrated our seven year anniversary here. What a special place. We had no idea how much fun this place was going to be. We happen to love Felton, and wanted to celebrate our marriage in this quaint town. After searching around, we found a place that doesn't force us to book 2+ nights. Located off highway 9, not too far from the main drag, is this oasis, Fern River Resort. Our cabin was so cute! There is a resident cat who showed us the way to the river, and welcomed us the next morning for some pets. We utilized the property play area, had a killer game of badminton, ping pong and horseshoes. Each cabin has a parking space, full kitchen. You can hit up a grocery store and never leave, or some of the local restaurants. I do wish we were able to stay longer, so we could play in the river and relax more, but we're always working and don't have time to chill. If you do, I highly recommend making your stay longer. read more

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This little nestled cozy resort is next to the red wood forest. In fact the cabins are in between some redwoods. The river is so close. At night the river sounds so amazing. It's extremely quiet and it feels like your camping without having to actually camp! The place was super clean and there was even a kitchen. We ended up buying some food in SF. We got to reheat it to perfection and sit next to the fireplace. At night the stars lit up the sky and everything was perfect. I highly recommend the stay. read more

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Absolutely Love Here!! Our family celebrated Christmas Hard and each family got their own cabin close to one another. It was a Wonderful time and the staff was amazing. We visited Redwoods near by and made memories that will last forever. read more

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The family and I have stayed at some beautiful places on our travels, but the Fern River Resort is easily in our top 5. The Fern River Resort is nestled the Santa Cruz mountains in the tiny hamlet of Felton. It is surrounded by giant redwood trees that provide a beautiful backdrop to our lodging experience. We arrived around 4 p.m. on Sunday and were greeted by Beth. Such an awesome person. We booked cabin 15 known as "The Lilac". Now if you prefer seclusion from the other guests, cabin 15 is what you want. It sits off on its own opposite the other cabins on the resort property. It is spacious with two beds, a kitchenette and, a very large bathroom. Your view from The Lilac is of the beautiful and lush event space that is on the resort property. The only downside, is you kind of get trapped by the sprinklers between 7 and 8 a.m. The Lilac has a small tv mounted in the corner of the room. It is almost mounted too high to be practical. You have two options for WiFi. One is free and the other is $5 a day. I recommend spending the $5 a day to get the faster more stable signal that will allow you to stream movies/music on all your devices. The Fern River Resort is a great place to use as your headquarters for exploring the area. Yes, you're in the woods and it may seem like you are far away from civilization, but you are only 7 miles from Santa Cruz and all points beyond. The town of Felton, which is where the resort is located, is less than a mile down State Route 9. Roaring Camp Railroad is about a 10 minute drive. In fact, you can hear the whistle of the steam engine from the resort. The town of Felton has some restaurants and a SafeWay market. If you want to go grocery shopping I recommend going to the New Leaf Community Market. They have a great selection of wine, food, and baked goods. With the exception of one individual who I suspect at some point in his life had a badge and carried a gun, and probably still thinks he does, most of the locals we interacted with were nice. read more

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The Fern River Resort needs to upgrade both its facilities and staff. Please check their cancellation policy closely before you book. My room smelled strongly like urine, the furniture was way beyond "well worn", the bedspread was stained and stinky. The grounds and location are beautiful. I made every attempt to contact the owner with my concern's before writing this review with no response. read more

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We went a few months ago, absolutely beautiful place and well taken care of, and just 20 minutes out from Santa Cruz!

We really enjoyed our stay here for our anniversary. The resort is a wonderfully pretty, peaceful spot in the redwoods right near Henry Cowell park and about 15 minutes from downtown Santa Cruz. You are tucked in between old redwoods and the river is an easy walk from your cabin. It was very clean, with extra precautions taken for the pandemic such as an easy contactless check-in and check-out. We stayed at a time when the full "use" of the resort was limited i.e. no communal fire at night or bean bag toss game, etc , but to be honest that was not up our alley anyway. Our ADA approved cabin #15 was plenty of space for 2 people. Besides two double beds, it included a large bathroom , mini kitchen and dining area. The price was right for my stay. I only had one tiny irritation which was a confusing sign on the dish towels, it appeared to threaten a charge if I didn't use certain towels? Hmm..I will include the photo. In all, we loved our 1 night at the resort and my only change i would make is to extend the stay 2+ nights to be able to fully relax in the redwood-sy cabin environment. read more

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My family and I have now stayed at the Fern River resort three years in a row. Once during a very hot summer, and twice over the winter holidays. All three visits were in the same cabin. The cabin was immaculate, clean, and beautifully furnished on all three occasions. The kitchen is fully equipped, with a Safeway market just minutes away. We drove in from San Francisco, stopped for groceries, and set up like a second home for four days. The resort itself is stunning, with beautiful river views. Nearby restaurants are charming, inexpensive, and very friendly. Our kids absolutely love Fern River. We plan on returning every year for as long as they're open. 10/5 stars. An excellent value. read more

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Stayed in Cabin #12. The facility and the cabin were kept up very well and everything was very clean. The bed was a tempur-pedic style mattress and very comfortable. Didn't have any issues with any of the appliances. I would highly recommend this place to anyone who is looking for a cozy place to stay in Felton. It was very close to the Henry Cowell Redwood State Park and close to plenty of local restaurants to eat at. The staff were also really friendly as well. read more

this resort is enchanting ! we absolutely love it ! magical , peaceful, romantic ! we loved it ! take my word ! read more

Fern River Resort - Resorts Near Me - Felton, California

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My fiancee and I spent two nights here at Fern River for our 5 year anniversary. Everything was perfect. We stayed in the Presidential Cabin #14. This cabin is the largest one on property as it comes a master bedroom, kitchen, living area, and another separate bedroom. Cabin #14 can sleep up to eight people, so we had plenty of space all to ourselves. We felt very safe here. Check in and check out was completely contactless. They even let us check in early because our cabin was ready early. All the cabins are nicely spaced out and clean. They also come with a BBQ grill on the patio. The entire property is beautiful and well kept plus it is right behind a river. It was the perfect way to spend our anniversary during these times. We will have to look into more weekend getaways at Fern River. read more

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We had a misfortune of staying at this place during our trip to Northern California in August 2021. It was such a disappointment! I don't even know where to start with the list of issues. I will just list them in no particular order: - the room was tiny , dark, dingy and had an moldy and stuffy smell to it the entire time we were there. The had to keep the windows open to be able to sleep - the shower had black mold in it and was so tiny that there was barely room to stand up inside it, forget it if you want to bend down to wash your legs -the shower head was broken and the water was spaying in the wrong direction and made a puddle outside the shower - the fridge was in very small and broken so our food kept falling out and there was no ice on property - there is no dog policy for this property, but the owners had a dog that kept barking late at night and early in the morning as they kept it outside and the dig barked at anything that moved - the cabin we were in is located next to the shed and it was very noisy place that made it difficult to relax - on their website they promised blackout drapes and free toiletries for the bathroom- none of the existing. Drapes were dirty and see through which made it difficult to sleep and forget the free toiletries. - towels in the bathroom were VERY old and no longer white due to wear. - the dishes and silverware in the kitchen were mismatched, chipped and very old as were pots and pans. I don't even want to remember the drinking glasses. - on top of that they required guests to empty trash and wash dishes and change their own linens or there would be an additional charge The only thing that was good was location- but it has nothing to do with anything human made. The redwoods are beautiful and the little river that this dump overlooks made the stay bearable. Also by the time we checked in there was nothing else available as it was the busy season. Please do not buy the hype and the promises that their website makes, this is not a Resort, at most this place is a motel with a good location. read more

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In August 2018 we began searching for an outdoor, forested wedding venue where friends and family could stay on site. We're happy it led us to Nicole and her excellent staff at Fern River Resort. Our wedding there in August 2019 was beautiful and all guests left happy. The venue has different locations which can all serve different purposes. We opted to have our ceremony in front of the river, cocktail hour in the garden in front of Cabin 11, our reception on the lawn, and dance floor in front of the gazebo. It would be easy to change things up and make them feel your own. Their outdoor kitchen was well equipped for our big burger and hotdog rehearsal dinner and for us to bake 20 pies for our wedding dessert. There were ample spaces throughout the property for teams of our friends and family to do wedding prep activities. We hired the venue owner Nicole as our day-of coordinator. She was great to work with--communicative and professional. Throughout the night, she kept things running on time and worked with us and our other vendors to improvise and adapt when it was needed. Her help was invaluable--we didn't have to worry about anything and were able to fully enjoy our wedding. The staff at Fern River Resort were willing and able helpers throughout the weekend. Thanks especially to Joe the handyman. You know someone is dedicated to his job when he drives to the property at 1 AM to make double-check that the sprinklers are turned off so our tables don't get drenched! We rented all 15 cabins Thursday-Saturday. Our guests were very pleased with the cabins exclaiming that they were more spacious than they had imagined they would be. Nicole patiently satisfied our requests for certain cabins to be extended on Wednesday and Sunday nights. For a three night stay, it averaged to about $200 per guest. Very reasonable! Nicole made it as easy as possible to reserve and pay for all the cabins. If you're looking for a venue where you can live out your summer camp wedding wishes, look no further! We can't wait to visit Fern River again for a stay at one of the cabins and a chance to relive all our wedding memories. read more

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I was very surprised by how nice this place is. Most reviews suggest it is outdated, and I expected as much, but with the exception of the bed comforters, everything was clean and seemed pretty new to me. My family stayed in Cabin #15. The comforters did seem dated and old, but seemed clean. It struck me that a lot of upkeep was being put into the place. They have a nice river you can walk down too and you are sleeping amongst the redwoods. Town is nearby and plenty of cheap food options are there. The only knock I have, other than the comforters, is the 30 day cancel policy. That is a long way out to make that call in this day and age. Still, outstanding location, nice property, and in the heart of the redwoods. We will be back. read more

Arrived Friday afternoon for a three-night reservation. Cabin was clean but very dated, perhaps a bit dreary. Not long after we had settled in, fierce winds began whipping up and rain pelted the ground; within an hour, the power went out all over the resort. The manager's quarters, above the office, however, were brightly lit and we sat in the oppressive dark, abiding the relentless drone of their generator. We waited for some one to check on us, at least to drop by to see if we needed anything. No one came. By 4:00 the next day, as the power was still out, I approached the manager's office to cancel our third night, as it remained uncertain when we would have electricity again. I was told that their policy was that once a reservation was made, it could not be changed, and even if I was able to cancel the third night, they had no one to clean the cabin the next day. After much back and forth, the manager finally agreed to split the cost of the third night with me. In a remarkable twist, the power came back on an hour later. The next morning I received a call that it was past 11:00 am and we needed to be out of the room, as it had been booked for that afternoon! I was uncertain how the situation had gone from being a rigid enforcement of the three-night agreement to shuffling us out to provide for a new tenant. And what about having no one to clean the room? All in all, this was a pretty bleak experience. We left that morning, feeling that the management seemed to be more interested in cold profit than having a good relationship with their guests and ensuring their comfort and safety. We won't be back again. read more

I loved our little cabin (studio cabin #1)! It had everything we needed for a very relaxing getaway to the redwoods and was so conveniently located (Henry Cowell, Roaring Camp, Bigfoot Museum...plus Safeway and such). If you go into it expecting a 5 star resort, you'll be disappointed. If you go into it expecting your family friend's funky but lovingly cared for cabin in the woods, you'll be over the moon like I was. I enjoyed it enough that I hope to return and suggested it to my coworker as a getaway with her family when it gets warmer (though I will say the heater worked quite well!) In terms of things I read about in advance and was worried about: -Our cabin was technically near other cabins, but out one side window we just saw trees and if we looked down, a shed. Out the other side we just saw the trunk of a GIANT tree. Out the front windows we saw (through a tall bush/short tree) a small grassy area and some cabins across the way. -The staff seemed perfectly nice, though like most hotels my only communication with them was picking up and then dropping off my key - not really room for rudeness there honestly. -Yes, there was some signage in the cabin but nothing totally odd or that interfered with my relaxation. Don't catch the place on fire or clog their pipes basically haha read more

Fern River Resort - Walking along a path to the river along the property. - Resorts Near Me - Felton, California

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We just came back from a 4 day/3 night stay and loved it!!! We stay in a similar style cabin in the Elwell mountain so o has my expectations in check but this was even better!!! We were in cabin #8, right by the river access. The cabin was spacious, everything worked. We made use of wvery appliance in the kitchen but for the tea kettle and every worked great. We also brought charcoal and grilled one night. We loved the river right there for our toddler son and everything was nearby. We went to roaring camp, boardwalk and Davenport. Not sure if I'd pay the summer rates, but for what we paid it was more than worth it!!!' read more

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Never a bad stay here. Been coming here almost every summer for 35 years. Phone off. TV off. Just the sound of the river and birds. It has evolved from a horse stable to a wedding resort but still has the kid friendly, family fun charm with the game courtyard and fire pit still there. Thank you for keeping it a great place to stay. read more

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We came to this cabin it was super cute and me and my family were so exited. It started with bad Wi-Fi we kind of understood because we were in nature but then the first night the power went out. Not for too long only for about 30 minutes. The next night the power was out all night since 5:30 and we left because it never turned on in the day so in the day we decided we were going to switch cabins and they came too our door saying that they let somebody else stay in there and they would not refund us. When the power was out, there was my sibilings who were crying because of no power. This experience was really bad and it seems like the power goes out a lot. They also said that there was a lantern under the sink we looked in all the cabinets and there was no lantern so we were in the dark with our phones dead. This was not a good experience. Do not go here read more

I would recommend this place to anyone. We stayed in cabin 6 for 2 nights with me, my husband, and my 4 year old. We had plenty of space for all of us to sleep and enjoy our time there. The staff was very friendly as well. The place was very clean I could not complain about that. They leave you a binder with all sorts of information for your stay as well as things to do in the area. The walk to the river was nice my son really enjoyed throwing rocks at it. We came prepared for the kitchen but it had most of what you needed. It was a good family environment we had some neighbors that were visiting from the UK and they were nice and polite and had some great conversations. We never even heard them make a noise in the adjoining cabin. We are definitely planning on returning l. read more

Fern River Resort - Resorts Near Me - Felton, California

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This cute little resort is a perfect getaway. There are board games, volleyball, and tetherball available to entertain the kids. The cabin is super cute and cozy. The internet will not work inside the cabin, I know not everyone will mind, but if you need to connect for any reason, your best luck is to step outside near the volleyball court for best internet service. The resort is located near a lot of hiking trails. Grocery stores and local restaurants are nearby. My kids loved it here as well. read more

The beds are very small, if your partner is tall, his or her feet will hang off the bed. Queen beds only! You can barely see the river. I had booked another cabin with them before I stayed this time and tried to cancel. They charged me 10% to cancel 9 months in advance. Their cancellation policy is not clear. And the staff looks irritated if you have a question. I might suggest another place to stay. read more

I booked a cabin as part of a wedding party. The wedding got canceled. Unfortunately, as you'll see if you read through the rest of the reviews on this page, the management is super unaccommodating of extenuating circumstances - whether it's fire, medical, or personal - and only cares about hanging on to their cash. I only wish I'd stumbled upon this page before I made the decision to reserve a room there. But hey, maybe if you're reading this, you'll be smarter than me. read more

I really wanted to love this place, but I have to be clear: It's pretty much just run down to the point that it's a little depressing. It's not funky in a quaint way. It's drab. It's the kind of place where you feel if somebody would just put some money and love into it, it would be amazing. But nobody has for YEARS. The floor is a hideous green linoleum, there is only one rug in the cabin to warm it up. The shower is tiny and seriously made for people that must be 5 feet tall. And there are all of these notes everywhere threatening fees if you mess things up, which is weird, because everything is super cheap and rundown. The notes make it feel extremely stifling and negative, and on top of the drabness and ANTS - okay fine this is the forest, we'll let the ant thing slide - it's depressing. Good price. Great location. Nice deck. And honestly, I will probably come back with my kids simply because it's a decently priced place in a great location. But I have to give an honest review and state that this place is definitely nothing special. Hopefully I just stayed in a shitty cabin? I don't know. If so, I'll update my review. read more

Stayed in Cabin 15 this holiday weekend and LOVED the grounds. (We booked another stay in a different cabin with a river view before we left the place, so I'd say we love it here.) Realize this resort was built in 1928, so no...there is no air conditioner. It is immaculately maintained, quiet, and accommodating to those who want to sit around on the porch, smoking and drinking wine, while watching nature be it's awesome self. If you want to stay here, book in advance because they are pretty much always full up. read more

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Beautiful hospitable family run resort in the redwoods near a state park. We were so happy to stay here for a week, and everyone who works at the resort was considerate, helpful, and efficient. The perfect spot to stay if you mean to relax and cook. Overlooking a little beach on the river and near many hiking and mountain biking destinations. The town of Felton is just up the road and the drive to Santa Cruz is super easy. so glad we found this place! Thanks Martins!! read more

Fern River Resort - Set in the peaceful grove of big redwoods - Resorts Near Me - Felton, California

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I was so impressed by every aspect of this resort! When we arrived, the key was ready for us to pick up and the lady that met us was super friendly and helpful. Cabin #8 is situated right on a babbling brook that you could hear from the deck. Surrounded by birds tweeting and towering redwoods. The cabin itself was absolutely spotless and included everything we could possibly need as far as kitchenware and coffee accessories were concerned. There is cable TV and wi-fi (verizon worked flawlessly). Memory foam bed, the pullout couch was clean and came with plenty of bedding. We brought some firewood, made a campfire in the community firepit and enjoyed s'mores. The resort is perfectly located - it's remote enough, but not too remote as there are cute restaurants and a grocery store about 10 minutes down the road in Felton. We had dinner at the Cowboy Bar & Grill, which was super cute and the food was delicious. Henry Cowell State Park is also right down the street and we took a short but amazing 0.8 mile jaunt through the redwoods ($10 to park). The next day, we visited the Mystery Spot, the Boardwalk and Capitola. I was just so super impressed by this place. If you have the opportunity, do not hesitate to stay at least one night here! read more

Pros: Nestled among the trees, rustic and cute. Great fire pit with free wood. The river is soothing, but the furniture sucks. Cons: Expensive. No pool or spa at this price point is a non-starter. Weird room layout (the microwave was tucked in the closet, making it hard to use; the fridge was tucked down low & small). Tied-down remote for the tv, c'mon... This is a rustic place but too expensive, and the cars & trucks on Hwy. 9 can get noisy, too. Been once, but probably won't return. read more

I'm only giving 4 stars because there was no A/C in our cabin so the first day was pretty hot. We fixed it by setting up some fans and leaving windows open so the rest of the time was fine. Other than that it was great! We stayed with other family members so having the cabins close together was great! Also our kids loved being right on the river. And I loved that it's not far from the Redwoods but also close to a Safeway when we needed to run out to get supplies. The kids also really enjoyed the tether ball, ping pong table and game closet. They have a fire pit so we roasted s'mores on our last night. It was perfect. Would definitely recommend this place to other families. read more

Fern River Resort - Fern river - Resorts Near Me - Felton, California

We are so happy we chose Fern River for our wedding! It was absolutely beautiful and having family and friends together for a whole weekend made it extra special. read more

Recently stayed at the Fern River Resort based on reviews and online photos. Unfortunately, photos can really be deceiving. The cabin was cute and clean, but it was almost touching the cabin next door. If you are expecting to escape from the hustle bustle and want privacy and quiet, this is NOT the place to stay. The decor in the cabin was tired, the outdoor patio furniture plastic and our view of the river was blocked by an unsightly fenced garden area that wasn't shown in any of the online pictures. If you want a river view, don't select "stand alone" cabin #7. You won't see the river, but you can see right into all your neighbors cabins. It was convenient to Roaring Camp, but we probably wouldn't ever stay there again. read more

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Great place with friendly staff. We are staying here for the weekend and rented the presidential cabin #14 that can fit 8 people. When we originally called to book we wanted a cottage for 2 people but they were all booked up so we took this one hoping that our experience would make up for the fact that we had to rent a bigger cabin than we wanted. Boy it sure did. This place is very beautiful and easy on the eyes with tree's, ferns and lots of plants. We live in the city so this place is a perfect get away for us. Our cottage is beautiful and clean. It has a full kitchen and BBQ grill right on our back porch with charcoal ready to go. The bathroom is clean our bedroom is clean the extra room is clean and our bed is super soft and comfy. There is a bon fire pit and a volley ball net. It's definitely worth the money we paid and we definitely will be coming back when we need another get away. Living in the city we are surrounded by building's and noise. Out here we are surrounded by nature and peacefulness. Thank you Fern River Resort for having us and for having and awesome clean & quiet place surrounded by nature. We had a chance to look at the competition down the road, a place called Timberland Resort and man that place was surrounded by pavement and looked really getto in comparison to this place. We are glad to have chosen Fern River Resort. read more

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Such a nice little place to spend the weekend before a wedding at roaring camp railroad. The cabins are nice and cozy. We stayed in the biggest cabin which sleeps 8-10 but It only had 1 bathroom, not enough for 5 bridesmaids and a bride but we made due. The cabins were fairly clean but could use a good deep cleaning of ceiling fans and cobwebs. Not enough TP and there are no pots n pans for cooking at all. The river is just a short 2 minute walk and Henry Crowell State Park is not far at all. It would be nice to come in the summer for the weekend. The black cat is very friendly and just makes himself at home before disappearing. read more

Fern River Resort - Smells like a campfire - Resorts Near Me - Felton, California