Yoojin S.

ABSOLUTELY A DREAM. My heart melts in cuteness and affection for these alpacas. It's so amazing and inspiring to experience Renee and Rich's ranch of happy and peaceful alpacas, dogs, and more! We scheduled a time to see the alpacas and we just chilled with the alpacas for almost 2 hrs! Renee was so kind and patient, answering our questions, and sharing about the alpacas. We learned so much. From the hustle of the bay area culture, this was a true alpaca sanctuary therapy. We bonded the most with the playful alpaca babies who let us pet them if we distracted them with food! Definitely come with friends to be surrounded by alpacas in such a peaceful environment. Before coming, request an appointment on their site and definitely read about their story and familiarize yourself with their alpacas! Because you'll get to be surrounded by the alpaca girls and their alpaca kids and get to know their names, their age, and their charms.

Rita V.

If you are near Watsonville, I highly recommend you visit R2 Hillside Ranch!! This is such a hidden gem! I was looking for some fun family activities when I encountered their yelp page. All visitors must make an appointment first by contacting Renee via email Hello@r2hillside.com. I decided to use their website to contact them. Renee responded to my ranch tour request pretty quickly, and provided a tour arrival time. In another email, I received additional instructions. It is very important to text Renee 30 minutes before your arrival, so she can open any gates and be available. My whole family absolutely loved the whole experience. Renee is so accommodating and she answered all of our questions. All of her Alpacas and Mules are just beautiful!! My daughter really enjoyed feeding the alpacas, especially the baby alpacas. We definitely learned a lot about alpacas during our visit. All of the alpacas are so sweet and gentle. It was just amazing to be able to walk next to an alpaca. Even though Renee doesn't charge for this ranch tour, donations are definitely appreciated. It was very easy to donate using Venmo, since the QR code is near the gate. I learned that the donated money goes toward their feed (hay). Thank you Renee for your generous hospitality. You gave my family such a memorable experience.

Anna-Lisa D.

I won a visit to R2 Hillside, but even if it wasn't a gifted visit, I would still be saying the same thing...don't miss out on R2 Hillside for some Alpaca fun. Renee was wonderful, so knowledgeable and friendly, she really helped us feel welcome and comfortable. The Alpacas are obviously adorable. We happened to visit the weekend after they were sheared but still got to feel their soooo soft fiber. Highly recommend this Bay Area local spot for families, date days, or just because!

Chirstina M.

My family and I had such an amazing experience at the ranch. We got to feed the alpacas and mules. Definitely an unforgettable experience. The owners were very friendly and shared lots of information about the animals Would recommend everyone to visit the farm themselves!

Jennifer L.

R2 Hillside ranch was an amazing experience! We had such a blast petting and feeding all the alpacas. We came in August after they were sheared so they weren't as fluffy looking but omg still SO soft. Renee showed us the ropes and answered all our questions ranging from alpaca facts to ranch life. She was so friendly and the perfect host. The experience was scheduled for one hour but we stayed for almost two! Sometimes the alpacas will nibble on your fingers and it's sooooo cute. We not only got to play with the alpacas but also the ranch dogs and mules! Would come here again 100%.

Vickie N.

"A" is for Alpaca! Alpacas are smaller than llamas and rarely spit at you . Pine needles are one of their favorite treats--kinda like eating candy! Their wool is super soft and freshly shorn alpacas resemble poodles . At this ranch, the baby alpacas aren't skittish and don't mind being pet while snacking. These creatures are very curious and although friendly appreciate having their space respected. All of the alpacas are adorable, but I was partial to the elegant and sleek "Ava" who lounges under a shady tree wearing her fluffy Chanel neckwarmer. At 19, the herd's Grand Madame was too busy being fabulous to munch on pine needles! Haha! Getting this close to alpacas is a rare occurrence. Many thanks to co-owner Renee for her warm welcome; my daughter can't wait to come back to say hi to her new friends . If you live in (or you're visiting) Santa Cruz County, the R2 Hillside Ranch is a hidden gem!

Jess W.

We came here as a part of our friend's bday celebration and it was so much fun & relaxing! There were 4 baby alpacas that are nursing and some of them let us pet their neck while eating. Overall it was cuteness overload. The host was super friendly, chatted with us, and even showed us their puppy. We had a pleasant experience and would highly recommend!

Henry W.

If you have a child who loves animals and have never been to an alpaca farm, you have got to visit R2 Hillside Ranch!! At this ranch, my wife, daughter, and I were able to be up close and personal with 18 alpacas for a whole entire hour! During this time, we were able to pet the alpacas and feed them pine needles. All of our questions were answered by Renee, the owner, making the entire experience very educational! Renee was very accommodating, friendly, and made the entire time a super memorable one. Our appointment was at 4pm. Upon arrival, Renee prepared a basket of hand sanitizers, wipes, and another basket of pine needles for us. She gave us a quick introduction and proceeded to let the alpacas into the feeding area. It was a sight to see the 18 alpacas come in, as prior to this, we have only witness at most 3 alpacas behind a gate. My wife, daughter, and I had a blast hanging around the alpacas. Because the alpacas do not have top teeth, when they feed on the pine needles, you have to make sure to hold onto the branch tight because they use a pulling motion to separate the needles. When we ran out of pine needles, we went back to the basket and got more. During the entire 1 hour, even though we kept on feeding the alpacas, there was still a lot more pine needles in the basket when we were done. Also, throughout the adventure, Renee took candid photos of us from her phone and sent it to us after we left!! Afterwards, Renee gave us 2 apples to feed the 2 mules on the ranch. I learned that mules can not reproduce and the way to tell a mule apart from a horse is the ears. Mules have longer ears from a donkey and the size of a horse! I highly recommend that you bring your family to R2 Hillside Ranch to visit the alpacas! The time you spend with these soft, cute, cuddly alpacas will be one you will forever cherish. 5 solid stars!!!!!

Indre B.

Great place to meet alpacas ! They are so gentle and friendly ! The owners are amazing ! I took my 6 year old twin girls and they absolutely loved it !!! Totally recommend it!

Had a blast. My 3 year old loved feeding the alpacas. It's a super cute spot with lots of space to look around. We will be going again

Verely W.

Go! Just go! This is a surprising place with genuinely wonderful hosts. It's surprising because it's so close but it feels like you are actually somewhere far away ie Peru. It's surprising because these alpacas are so gentle and social (unlike lamas they do not bite and will not spitting if you follow the rules) And it's surprising because the host made everything so easy and so welcoming for kids. The only hard thing was to convince them it was time to leave. They had soooo much fun feeding the alpacas and observing them roaming around. And yes, it's free which is a bonus. That said it's impossible to leave without leaving a donation. Bottom line: go! You'll be amazed!

Ronda C.

What a fun tour! We really enjoyed seeing the alpacas on the ranch. The owners, Renee and Rich Rogers are so nice. They seem to love having tours and telling interested people about their passion--alpacas. If you get really lucky, they may even have a baby alpaca in the herd when you get there. So cute! They also have a online shop with lots of alpaca-related items for gifts or to treat yourself. Such a fun day!

Lisa R.

I loved my time spent with all the alpacas! The owners were very nice and accommodating too. I definitely want to come back!