Forty-six years ago, Carol Voelleger was a young mom of three, looking for a safe, fun vacation spot for her family. After a bad experience at a public park, her husband suggested Ensign Ranch, a 320-acre property about two hours outside Seattle.
“I was skeptical from the time we left the house to when we drove through the gates and on to the ranch,” Voelleger related. “All it took was one incredible experience. We’ve never stopped coming back.”
The Ensign Ranch got it start when the previous owner had financial problems, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints purchased the land. It was designated a recreational property, one of five like it in the region, and opened to the public for the purpose of providing safe, affordable, outdoor recreation. The 320 acres is open year round and remains a hidden gem in Washington.
In addition to families, non-profit groups also use the Ranch.
“We host dozens of non-profits because the Ranch combines family fun with facilities for meetings,” said Larry Hollows, the Ensign Ranch Manager. Between 18,000 and 20,000 guests use the Ranch every year.
One frequent organization to use the facility is the Boy Scouts of America, who brought 1,500 scouts to the Ranch for a national Jamboree. Other groups include the Tai-Kwondo clubs, metal detector clubs, llama and other livestock clubs, many school field trips and the largest single-adult conference in the Northwest, now on its thirty-sixth consecutive year at the Ranch.
Thomas Olson, the coordinator of the multi-state singles event until this year said over a thousand single adults, with or without children, come from Canada and the western states.
“The proximity is a draw for the singles, many who have families,” Olson explained. The Ranch is also affordable, a key factor in a tight economy. “The Ranch doesn’t mark-up goods or services, so an hour-long horseback ride is six or eight bucks instead of twenty-five or fifty.”
That’s a big benefit, or in the case of Voelleger, grandkids and their friends, who also sought different locations for their annual gathering.
“Family vacations have included Mexico, Disneyland, Hawaii and other places, but the children always want to come back to the Ranch.”
Part of the reason is the diversity of activities for all age groups. In the last four decades, Ranch activities evolved from a single zip line and two rope swings to a giant water slide, swimming at a man-made lake, fishing, canoeing, mountain biking, hiking, snowshoeing, sledding, cross-country skiing. When that’s not enough, guests like Voelleger take advantage of the large lodge to invent their own fun.
“Our boys build snow caves in the winter,” she related, “then come back to the lodge where another son, who is a DJ, put on a dance for the entire family and friends.”
The Lodge sleeps forty-five, has a commercial kitchen and can be rented out, along with the cabins in either side. “We bring in our own food, and if we run out, we go to the Trading Post that doesn’t mark up any food,” said Voelleger, still in awe after decades.
It’s not surprising that Hollows can cite dozens of families and groups that make Ensign Ranch an annual destination.
Spots go fast, so Carol learned to call the first of September when reservations for the following year open. Guests at the Ranch are asked to abide by a set of rules that guests maintain a safe family atmosphere by not drinking or smoking. Dog lovers will be disappointed that the Ranch doesn’t allow dogs, and non-family groups must have a non-profit status. Despite those rules, with its amenities and family-friendly atmosphere, the Ensign Ranch won’t be hidden for much longer.
To make a reservation or for more information, call the Ensign Ranch, at 509-656-2344 or email ensignranch2010@gmail.com
