We took a troop of 8 girl scouts to Hidden Haven farms to earn a badge. We had a great time. The owner Cheryl, was super nice, she was not impatient or pushy. She answered all of our questions. She was very hospitable and showed us a great time. We saw rabbits, emus, pigs, chickens, alpacas, horses, cows, dogs, goats and bee hives. We milked goats and harvested tomatoes and pomegranates. Our scouts loved the animals and squealed with joy as they got to try new things, especially the llama kiss and the milking of the goat. I think Cheryl has a true love for animals and it shows in how she shares them with others. Admittedly, it is not perfectly clean or perfectly maintained. If you want that, you should probably go to the zoo. She has an appreciation for the environment. She does not use chemical fertilizers or pesticides. I enjoyed hearing her knowledge and appreciated having another human on this planet that cares about it. I can see this being a totally awesome place in years to come. Everyone has to start some where and I appreciated all that we saw and learned. Also, she had a group of campers there. Wow! They were so comfortable on the farm and with Cheryl. I was totally impressed with the rapport she had with them. They loved it and it showed. I would totally let her have my city kids for a few days of camp and let them learn how to get dirty and learn some hard work ethic. It's most kid's dream to live like that. Our experience was a five. The only reason I didn't give it a five, is because I don't believe the farm has reached its full potential. Cheryl has great plans and a heart for making it successful. read more

Our family adopted Lailah from Cheryl and it's been amazing. Finding a pup that'll match the qualities needed for a service animal is hard and Cheryl had the perfect match for us. She does fantastic work training and even does animal boarding. It's really sad to think that Lailah was on the euthanasia list at the crowded shelters in Riverside County but thanks to Hidden Haven Farms, she's a service dog bringing a better life to our family. read more

Hidden Haven Farms - Just wanting some cuddles - Farmers Market Near Me - Jamul, California

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I took my step daughter for our first time horse back riding and we had a great time ! Cheryl was absolutely amazing and really made me feel comfortable around the horses. I was pretty scared and she stayed with me the whole time . We will be going back for sure :) read more

I took my three cats here for a 5 day stay and they did a great job taking care of them. They are reasonably priced and I highly recommend them. read more

Went there for a farm tour and had a blast running around catching chickens, milking goats, learning about bee keeping, and petting ponies. The groupon said the tour was just supposed to be an hour.. but they were so cool with explaining whatever we wanted, and they even had space for a picnic afterward. Bring cash! They sell tanned rabbit hides (GORGEOUS) for $10 each, FRESH eggs for $5... and they'll let you pet their rabbits, chase the chickens, and cuddle with their goats. I was skeptical, but it's worth the scenic drive out. read more

Hidden Haven Farms - Friendly goats abound at the farm! They'll even teach you how to milk them!! - Farmers Market Near Me - Jamul, California

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DO NOT BUY A GROUPON I bought a 10 person tour for my daughters 10th birthday from "Reader City" deals 6 weeks ago. I promptly scheduled a tour for today 2/10/13. It rained on Thursday (today is Sunday) and I called and left messages & emailed the ranch to be sure we were "still-on".... NO RESPONSE. Today - day of the party, with kids on there way to my house, I received a call that our party was cancelled. REALLY?! 2 hours before a kids birthday??? Why didn't she call me 48 hours ago???? Or even 24???? My initial contact with Cheryl (owner) was shaky at best. She wasn't responding to initial emails and misplaced info I was required by her to send. I should have read the YELP reviews... TERRIBLE! read more

This is NOT a full-on 90-minute trail ride. More like Horseback Riding 101. Which, for my sister and I was A-okay. I did not expect that I would be learning how to clean a horse's hooves! So, it depends what kind of riding experience you're looking for. It's great for beginners or newbies. You must sign a waiver and you must wear a helmet. read more

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LOVED IT! I went with my husband, and we had a great time. It was a great deal for the money. It is tucked back in the hills of Jamul, so be prepared for that -- it is off a dirt road (it's a farm, for heaven's sake!); everyone there was really nice. Our guide, Brittany, was awesome, and very knowledgeable. The owner, Cheryl, was incredibly nice, and we had a good long talk about chickens, farms, etc. We went on a trail ride and groomed our horses. I loved it -- there are a ton of animals, from chickens to guinea fowl to llamas to goats to pigs to horses to cows to ponies. . . you get the idea. They also have extensive orchards and beehives. I would DEFINITELY go back, and I can't wait to be able to take my kids there, as well. read more

Wow, where to start? The total lack of communication? The lack of care and cleanliness of the animals? Total lack of signage to lead people to the end of the long dirt road? The lack of organization when offering services to the public? I live in Jamul too, not far from this place. I bought a 'weaner' pig from Cheryl this year. For its age it was under weight, plus it came with a nice case of mange for me to take care of. I rescued it from one of her 10x15 enclosures that was nearly entirely mucky (NO, pigs DO NOT like that all the time). It's now happy roaming a 1/4 acre paddock with another pig. That's the last time I buy anything from her, and I would never sell her an animal knowing where it's going. Disgusting and pathetic are how I would describe it. Not a place I would want to send my kids to learn about farming, ranching or in all honesty anything other than how NOT to run a business/farm. It's more like a sad petting zoo. Makes me want to open my own farm/ranch to the public to show people what it's really like. Hmmmm...... read more

GREAT time had by all ! ! We absolutely loved everything! They are out in the sticks. It is so nice and peaceful at Hidden Haven Farms. The horses are so nice and easy going. My daughter rode Patrick, Christalinda rode Amber and Cat rode Christal. We got to groom and brush them and walk them in the corral. Monica, our trainer, taught the girls to mount the horses and then they went on a nice ride. Cheryl is so nice and showed us all over the farm. We saw chickens, emus, a llama and some hog wrangling! read more

I haven't even been to this place and I already know the customer service is horrible. I bought a two groupons for an hour horseback riding trip. When I call the number to make a reservation the voice message says to email them. I have emailed them 4 times already and still have no reservation. The best response I received suggested a better date to schedule my reservation. When I wrote back and asked her to book it, I got no response. And AGAIN emailed her after 3 days asking her to confirm. Still nothing. My groupons are going to expire in October and am not sure I'll have the time to schedule it after August. Thanks for nothing hidden haven farms. Your customer service sucks. read more

We bought a groupon for a one hour trail ride that was actually about 15 minute walk around the property. There was no trail. I saw that Cheryl responded that the trail ride length depends on experience but you would think more experience riders would have a shorter ride not longer since they can command the horse better. When she called us back to see how it web and if we found the place I said the ride was not an hour and she said oh we're you late I said no and she was like oh well i am still driving. That's not the response someone who owns a business should give to keep clientele. Especially when people drive an hour to get there. My opinion is its not worth it there are better places in Julian and Ramona. read more

If you are someone who has some horseback riding experience and want to go on a fun trail ride this is NOT the place to go. My boyfriend purchased the GROUPON for the "90 minute horseback riding" experience for my birthday. I was VERY excited to go on a 90 minute trail ride. Well, i left feeling pretty disappointed. The farm itself is very pretty and DeeDee, one of the ranch hands was very warm and welcoming. She showed us around the farm and we looked at the different animals. All very enjoyable and relaxing. Now for the disappointing part. First off, i want to say that I am no expert but i've been riding horses most of my life and have taken lessons so I consider myself to be fairly experienced. Before mounting the horses, Cheryl (the owner) did some basic horsemanship education. Then, one by one we were allowed in the corral to lead our horse in a circle, practicing voice commands "walk" and "ho" with our horse. We did this for probably about half an hour total as we each were called over to mount our horse (the entire process was VERY slow). Then once we were all saddled up (there were a total of four of us) we continued to walk around the corral practicing "walk" and "ho" with our horses. Finally, when we were able to walk out of the corral my horse probably walked about 10 feet and reached down to eat some hay (this inevitably happens with "trail" horses"). DeeDee came straight over and attached the lead rope to my horses bridle and lead me away. Well, as it turns out she led me the entire trail ride! The trail ride itself probably lasted about 20 minutes as it was just up the path and back again. Honestly, i felt like i was on an adult pony ride!! If you have never ridden a horse or are a child then i think this would probably be a great experience for you and a good way to ease in to riding a horse. If you have any experience and want a real trail ride save your money and go somewhere else. read more

This place is a dump and absolute joke! I made the mistake of buying a two day farm camp for both of my kids 4 and 7 years old. It was a two day all day camp out in the boonies in Jamul. Not only did they not ask for proper paperwork--allergies, etc.--that should have been my first clue--but they wouldn't let my 4 year old call us to come and pick him up! The woman kept telling him after lunch, after the hike, etc. until he burst into tears and a mom there was nice enough to give me a call. The chickens are dirty and full of poop--and the kids are busy picking them up... It was not geared towards kids--a lot of talking and not enough "hands on". So needless to say we left early the first day and didn't dare return for day two! The woman took days to return emails prior to the upcoming camp. One which included are there any forms I need to fill out for the kids? I cannot stress enough to anyone how bad this place is! I have never written a yelp review in the past, but I couldnt pass up a chance to warn every person out there. Please do not subject your kids to a place like this.... read more

We took a farm tour and I HIGHLY recommend this for families with young children. (We had a 1, 3, 5, and 6 year old with our group.) Drummond (our guide) showed us the bee collection and some of the agricultural property before moving onto the horses, cow, hogs, (enormous!), piglets, goats, guinea fowl, chickens, rabbits, etc. He was filled with great information, and he explained everything in detail and answered all questions. I never felt rushed or like we were part of some sort of money-making operation. Drummond really helped us understand how animals live, what farmers do... FABULOUSLY educational for the kids AND adults!! Every step was very interactive - kids could feed, pet, touch. The highlight was definitely watching the suckling newborn piglets. So amazing to see up close! Oh, and last but not least, there are decent places to get food for kids (nothing fancy, but clean - e.g., Subway, a family restaurant, etc.) about five minutes out from the farm. read more

We took our daughter on the farm filed trip which was offered through Plum District. It was said to be steal at 75$, but it seemed like something of a ripoff even at that price. While it was fun to see the animals, the "farm" is actually just a few pens. Our tour guide was a very nice, but very immature 15-16 year-old girl, who used some inappropriate language around our 4 year-old (nothing crazy: butt face, stupid etc.). We were told that we could only bring 10 ppl. and that everyone counted, children and adults, but only the kids, of which there were 2 and only one was old enough, were allowed to ride the horses, which was not stipulated in the deal. The owner was not very welcoming or kind although the rest of the staff seemed to be. In short, it seemed like a racket. Save your money and the hour long drive from San Diego. There are better ranches to visit and better ways to spend an afternoon. read more

This was the lousiest experience possible. I had to request my money back from Groupon... Because I recieved a refund I give it a one star, otherwise I would have given it zero stars. HORRIBLE!!! read more

I have to back up Carina E.'s experience almost word for word. We bought a Groupon for 90 minutes of horseback riding. Both of us have been horseback riding quite a bit before, so we were hoping for some quality time on beautiful trails. Instead we spent 60 minutes brushing, cleaning hooves, saddling them up, and then walking them around a corral. When we finally got on the horses we "rode" about 20 feet to a patch of weeds and plants where we heard a 10 minute presentation on plants and wildlife. The entire time our horses were trying to eat and go off the trail and wouldn't respond to any of our leads. Once the talk was done, we were each led around the corral in a circle (with a guide pulling the ponies by a rope). It was literally an adult pony ride. The girls were super sweet and friendly, but we were so upset that we drove 70 minutes to help them care for their horses and be led around in a circle. Such a waste of time and gas. They need to be clear on these deal descriptions and on their website EXACTLY what their "horse riding experience" entails, otherwise they will never have repeat customers. We literally feel scammed, and I'm just glad we didn't pay full price. On the other hand, if you're bringing kids and want to show them what taking care of a PONY is like, this is the place to do it. read more

Cliff was an amazing guide! Really passionate about the farm and extremely knowledgeable! He took us around showing us the animals and making us feel comfortable despite the constant streams of urine and odd emu noises. Also, can't forget assistant guide Bear who greeted us by laying in front of our car with a huge smile on his face when we got there! Really fun experience, and a breathe of fresh air from the mundane city life! read more

The first time I visited Hidden Haven Farms, I thought where am I going? When I saw the horses and the myriad of farm animals I was hooked.....turned off my phone and said to self: wow, how peaceful it is out here. The ranch dogs greeted me with wagging tails and the owner, Cheryl said welcome cowgirl! in a real, genuine way. As a red tail hawk flew over head she explained we were next to the very southern end of the Cleveland National Forest. We went on a tour of the place and I spied llamas, an emu, baby pigs, chickens, ducks and more. The horse experience was cool 'cause I learned how horses think, act, how to bond with a horse thru grooming, and all the saddle and bridle stuff. Cheryl really knows her horses and showed me how to put on the tack and then I got on a sweeeeet horse..All my jitters went away as her voice told me what to do. I felt so calm, safe, and happy that I tell my friends- it's so worth the drive! Then I find out I could have gotten married on horseback!.....sigh....oh well, there's- my birthday & anniversary coming up soon. Going back with friends. Casual, laid back, sweet, rustic FUN place! read more

I was there this week to help a friend fulfill a bucket list item by milking a cow. We were shown around the ranch by Dede. And Cheryl was very accomadating with the request we had of cow milking. Dede was very nice and catered to our background being animal people. We thought the cutest thing was looking at all the week old piglets they were adorable. For going there and doing what we did I would give them 4 stars. On the fact that there is always room for improvement . My friend said the udders felt like what fingers without bones would feel like. Like i said previously there is always room for improvemnet whether it be having more animals to interact / be hands on with for school groups or doing other things to improve the overall quality of the ranch/farm. Overall had a great time! Thanks Cheryl and Dede read more

I went to this farm for a horse back riding. I found, what i though it was a great deal, on groupons.com. The farm is great, lots off animals an the person working there was very nice. I was disappointed about the horse back riding experience, the groupon said it was a 90 minutes ride, but we really did a 15 minutes ride only, that was the most boring horse back riding ever, super slow ride/walk, super short ride and they don't give you a chance to do anything just get in the horse and let them walk the horse. read more

My son did a 2 day camp here last summer and it's all he's talked about since. This is a real, working farm, not a froofy/frilly one - I mean there is dirt, dirty animals, animal poop, spiders, etc. it's legit. If you want your child to really learn, this is the place. My son rode horses, slipped the pig, milked goats, made goat milk ice cream, picked peaches, and collected chicken and duck eggs. The staff works really hard to give your child an authentic experience- and they are very kind. If communication with them is a challenge, it's because they are working. This place is worth it. My son can't wait to go to this camp again this year. read more

I bought a groupon for horseback riding and want to take my little sister there. I called three times and still have not gotten a response. Base on the reviews above, I won't miss much by not going. It was a waste of my money buying that groupon. If the customer service sucks BEFORE you even get there, I can't imagine what it's like once you are there. Very disappointing to say the least. Not all groupons are good to get. read more

We had a Groupon for this place. We started trying to make an appointment in May and didn't actually get an appointment until November. They never answer their phones, they're unresponsive to emails, and when you finally do get a response to the 4th email you've sent they're not helpful or appropriately thorough in their response. We showed up for our appointment 10 minutes early and arrived at a closed gate (mind you the appointment setting email said nothing about a closed gate or any instructions on how to get there, where to park, or what to expect). We weren't sure if it was the right place because there was no sign on the gate. The address on Groupon was actually for a house a couple feet before the gate so we go to the house. The guy there says no, to go to the gate and open the lock that was on it but not actually latched. (He didn't confirm if he actually was part of Hidden Havens or not). So we open the gate and finally arrive to a tiny farm with a trailer and a few picnic benches that have a sign above saying "Hidden Haven". There are lose dogs and chickens running around, but no people. I like animals, but I don't know this dog and it doesn't know me. I don't know if it's going to be protective of the territory and bite or what. Finally after about 15 minutes of waiting in the car we brave the dog who turned out to be very nice and friendly. We walk around the farm looking for someone, calling out "hello" as loud as we can. No answer. So we wait. An HOUR later that guy we talked to earlier shows up and asks if the trainer is there. ... ... really? You think we're hanging out in our car here an hour and fifteen minutes after we asked you if this was Hidden Haven because she's here and being helpful? We politely tell him no and that we've been waiting for an hour. He makes some calls and finds out from a third person that she "had car trouble" and will be at least another 30 minutes before she gets there. (Hard to believe considering how far out in the middle of nowhere it was). They asked if we would mind waiting but being as that would mean that she wouldn't even get there until an hour and a half after our appointment (plus set up time/signing waivers/etc, the hour ride we were supposed to have, and another 45 minute drive to civilization) we just didn't have the time to spend another 2 hours on something that should have been wrapping up at that time. When you run a business or even a "home business" like this you need to be prepared for your clientele. She (or someone) should have been there at least 30 minutes before our ride getting everything prepared for us. Guy that lives at the actual address should expect for people to show up as his door asking him where to go and not be rude. If she really did have car trouble SHE should've been making calls to us, to the guy, etc. as soon as she had the trouble to let us know, not waiting until your customer contacts you wondering where the heck you are. I have gone on a lot of riding tours in the past and have interacted with lots of home businesses like this one, but this was just down right disrespectful. How dare you insult me and waste my time. I understand that sometimes things happen and cars break down, but when they do a responsible person makes the effort to tell anyone who they are supposed to be meeting that they will be late. And a business person does what they can to make sure that their customer's are not left waiting out in the middle of nowhere for over an hour. If you want to deal with an inept business who doesn't return phone calls, rarely responds to emails, doesn't answer questions, and leaves you hanging then this is the place for you. If you want to actually enjoy livestock, enjoy a horseback ride, or simply interact with a competent business, look elsewhere. If I could've give a half a star I would've. The only good things about this place where that the dog was friendly, they had a variety of different livestock, and the surrounding mountainside was pretty. read more

CAUTION to Parents of kids attending Hidden Haven's Farm Life Camp. My child just attended the 3-day Farm Life Camp earlier this week and I am compelled to inform parents of a few things to consider before sending your child to this camp. But first, I will say that that the leaders (teenage girls) who interacted with the kids were sweet, well-meaning and knowledgeable about horses so the riding portion of the camp, which takes place after lunch each day, went well. The kids also enjoyed milking the cow and holding the numerous chickens that run about the property. However, with that said, I'm sorry to say that I would not recommend this camp. Upon arrival on day one, there seemed to be no organized check-in and no adult to explain who was in charge or to explain how the day would go.....the owner Cheryl, whom I later met, was very nice but was busy doing other farm chores like sealing her trailer deck or watering trees and would occasionally shout over to the teenage leaders telling them what to do next.....the whole thing was a bit unsettling but the kids were so excited to be there and since this was a farm life camp after all - I tried to stay positive and decided to stay a while to see how things went. I never did become completely comfortable with leaving so I ended up staying for the day (so did several other parents), for part of the second day and all of the third day....all the time trying not to be too critical...my concern about leaving was mainly about the loosely enforced buddy system to keep the 20+ kids from wandering off alone into other unsupervised and potentially unsafe areas of the farm. If that was my only concern, I may not be writing this...BUT the kicker for me - and this is my first negative review ever - had to do with the way the kids were put to work the entire morning of day three cleaning the animal cages and pens. I would have been fine with 15 - 20 minutes of mucking a stall or two to allow the kids a little experience with real farm life, however this was hard work that went on for almost 3 hours until all the manure from the chicken coop, cow pen and horse pens were raked and shoveled out, including scrubbing a small duck pool and the water basins for all the animals. The kids were hands on doing all this very dirty and dusty work and were told numerous times to pick up the pace because only after all the pens were clean would they get to do a craft then riding in the afternoon. And, at water breaks and at lunch, hand washing was not suggested nor enforced.....I tried to help in that area and I even got in there and mucked just to help get the job done...I'm not germaphobic and I'm certainly not opposed to hard work but this seemed unhealthy and too much for a kids camp for ages 3 and up. Lastly, some of the camp activities that were listed on the website just didn't happen like goat shearing, llama grooming, emu feeding, egg collecting and pig slopping. read more

This farm is so hidden that we were not able to find it...neither several families from our school, people who found it had blast, but cells do not work there, maximum texting, they do not reply right away, only within 24 hours, in e-mail within 3 days... read more

We had a great tour at Hidden Haven Farms this morning. Bought a coupon and took our family of four (two kids, ages 3 and 4). Google maps took us right to the dirt road no problem, and when we followed the dirt road all the way to the back there were a couple of signs pointing us the rest of the way. Although there were no crops growing when we visited the amazing variety of animals more than made up for it. We saw horses, emus, pigs/piglets, a cow, goats, chickens/roosters, turkeys, ducks, rabbits of all ages, and a llama. The gentleman who guided us was delightful. Although he's responsible for most of the farm work he never seemed rushed or on the clock, took his time and seemed genuinely happy to engage us and our kids with stories and hands-on experiences. Although our kids are wary of most animals they were willing to climb in the pig sty to see the piglets up close, give the cow a back scratch with a plastic rake, help milk a goat, feed the chickens, pat a turkey, collect eggs, pat rabbits, and hold a 1 week old baby rabbit. The farm is a real working property and it's not designed to be fancy or high end, but we didn't expect that so were very happy with what we found. (If we wanted fancy and shiny we would have gone to the zoo). They clearly work hard to make it a good experience. We picnicked afterward in a nice spot they provided with tables and a lattice shade, complete with a hand wash station. I read in another review someone complaining about the condition of the pigs. Although I'm not a farmer by trade I did work on a ranch for years, and at this property I saw no evidence of poorly treated or maintained animals. They were well fed and watered, had space to move about, clean and dry pens, and shade/shelter available. Overall happy and healthy animals. The only reason I gave them a 4 star instead of 5 is that their communication is spotty at best. The owner Cheryl seemed very sweet but was not prompt at returning emails and calls, when she returned them at all. I was persistent though and everything worked out, for which I'm grateful because we had a great day at the farm! read more

I took my daughters here after purchasing their Groupon. My girls absolutely loved it, and Cheryl was very nice when we were there. The girls wanted to return during their Spring Break, and she had promised me that she would give us a deal, I just had to contact her. So, I emailed her as Spring Break was approaching...no response, emailed her THREE times, NO response. Sad because although it is a far drive from LA, we were willing to go down there because of the experience the girls had. Experience was great....customer service need a lot of work. read more

We got the farm field trip for ten and used it for my daughter's tenth birthday. As soon as we got there (awesome ride through mountains) we were informed that our trip was cancelled. We supposedly got a call the day before but we didn't. It turned out that it wasn't our trip that was cancelled and got out of the car. A very kind man led us around. The kids had a blast. They got to hold bunnies, pet dogs, feed horses, etc. We were really happy with the tour. Despite the mix-up, we still had an awesome time with the man that showed us the farm. read more

My husband and I took our daughter to the farm. We had a very fun time with our tour guide, Cliff. He was very kind and generous to show us many different animals. My daughter saw a three day old bunny up close and personal. We also saw, horses, chickens, more rabbits, emus, pigs, ponies, etc. We were able to pick and buy eggs right from the farm. If you are going, I suggest you call the 949 number to contact the owner. It is difficult to get a hold of her. The farm is also tucked far away but our GPs was successful in helping us find it. It is an adventure. read more

Hidden Haven Farms recently hosted our 5th grade class from Benchley-Weinberger. The students had a wonderful time! The kids enjoyed collecting eggs from the hen house, feeding the pigs, and learning about bee-keeping. In addition, they learned about how and why a turkey's heard turns colors and the above the beak grows and shrinks depending on the turkey's response to stimuli. the children also saw a billy goat in action, head-butting anything and everything! Quite an experience for a bunch of city kids! Cheryl, our host, was phenomenal with the students! This is a MUST field trip for all ages. We will definitely be returning next year! read more

I had purchase an hour of riding lessons for my daughter (she just turned 5) and loved the experience. Further drive than I had thought, but the weather was nice and didn't mind much. After the lesson, Monica, who's a great instructor let my daughter brush the smaller pony and showed us around the farm. It is a very peaceful atomsphere and my daughter enjoyed so much, we are thinking about taking lessons once a month. read more