A Weekend at The Sevier River Ranch & Cattle Company

The Sevier River Ranch and Cattle Company is a vacation rental located in the southwest Utah town of Hatch.  I discovered this great property while looking for a place to stay on our first pandemic road trip to Bryce Canyon in the early summer of 2020.  It’s a working cattle ranch, but most of the buildings have been converted into rental units – 6 different units of varying sizes. 

Almost immediately after arrival that first time, Mrs. TT recognized its potential as the perfect spot to gather our somewhat large combined family. She immediately began planning a return – with everybody.  Renting out the entire Ranch for a large group took a lot of planning, but she was intent on making it happen.

Fast forward to August 2021.  We did return to the Sevier River Ranch for a second time. This time with 24 people, all ready for a long weekend of hanging out, interspersed with excursions to explore the natural wonders in the surrounding area including the spectacular Bryce Canyon National Park.

Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links.  If you buy something after clicking one of these links, I may earn a small commission.  This does not cost you anything extra and helps support this blog.

The Ranch

The Sevier River Ranch sits on 280 acres overlooking a valley with the Sevier River winding below, and the small town of Hatch in the distance. Guests share the property with about 100 head of cattle. During our first visit, several of those hung out in the large grassy area near the main buildings. During our second visit, they had been moved out into a different section of the ranch for grazing.

The largest rental unit at the Sevier River Ranch is the 3-bedroom, 2 bathroom main house with a large enclosed deck off the back and a large outdoor deck on the side.  

One of the buildings has been converted into three separate rentals each with kitchens.   

Two smaller units have been constructed on a ridge with spectacular views across the Sevier River Valley below.

As I mentioned, we came with 24 people, and the Ranch accommodated us all. There were almost enough beds for everyone.  Only three kids ended up on air mattresses.  When renting out the entire property to a single group, the owner does allow campers and tents.  Consequently, even larger families could figure out a way to gather at the Sevier River Ranch.

The property includes several areas for large groups to gather and for kids to play.  There is a fire pit where we would spend every evening. The large deck at the main house was a favorite of the adults.  And the kids loved running around the large grassy backyard behind the house and the adjoining pasture.

What To Expect in Hatch

Hatch is a small town of 150 people.  It’s located in between two of Utah’s great National Parks – Bryce Canyon and Zion. This puts the Ranch in an ideal location. Hatch itself is somewhat limited in services – three eating establishments and a gas station/convenience store.  For groceries and a larger selection of places to eat, Panquitch (pop 1800) is 15 minutes north.  

Eating in Hatch

Here’s a quick look at where to eat in Hatch:

Outlaw Saloon

The Outlaw Saloon is where you’ll find the best food in Hatch.  We ended up eating dinner here several nights, and I was quite impressed with the quality. The BBQ Chicken Sandwich was huge, with large chunks of juicy chicken, bathed in BBQ sauce.  The Grilled Chicken Salad was an impressive mound of food.  The Saloon is also well-known in the area for the quality of its steaks – with the meat sourced locally.  They even have a cook-your-own-steak option with a common grill in a back room (you get a discount on the price if you cook your own).  Note that this is a 21 and older establishment, so you’ll need to order take out from here if feeding the little ones. 

Sevier Coffee Company

This is a great place to get coffee in the morning, but they also serve fresh-made breakfast burritos and breakfast sandwiches through the early afternoon. 

Hatch Station

Hatch Station is a small motel and restaurant featuring family friendly food like pizza, chicken fingers, burgers, etc. 

Galaxy Diner 

During our first trip to Hatch we had a good burger at the Galaxy Diner.  However, we were told by the locals that the diner didn’t open this season due to difficulty finding staff during COVID. 

The Many Sites Around the Ranch

In a large group like ours, everyone obviously had different ideas about how to spend their time while staying at the Sevier River Ranch.  But there is no lack of variety in things to do.  Some elected just to hang out at the Ranch and relax. Others ventured over to Bryce every day.  Some drove down to Zion and Kanab.  I made it a point to explore Red Canyon this time. We would all go off on our various expeditions during the day, but return to the Ranch and gather as a group around the fire each night.

Bryce Canyon National Park

I have said before on this Blog that I consider the Bryce Canyon Amphitheater to be Utah’s most spectacular site.  Bryce Canyon National Park is 25 minutes east of the Ranch.  In addition to all the scenic views from the edge of the Amphitheater, other highlights include the Queens/Navajo Combo hike down through all the Hoodoos, and the more family friendly Mossy Cave Hike.  Click here for my more detailed accounting of Bryce Canyon National Park

Plenty of organized tours and activities can be found around Bryce Canyon through services like Viator. Here’s some examples:

Zion National Park

The east entrance to Zion National Park is 50 minutes south of the Ranch.  Zion is Utah’s most popular National Park,  AllTrails.com rates it as the best National Park in the US, and it’s also the third most visited National Park in the country. 

In a word, Zion is simply Majestic.  If driving to Zion from Hatch, the first hike after entering from Zion’s east entrance is the Canyon Overlook Trail.  You can click here to read all about this Zion Canyon Overlook hike. Or click here for my more detailed accounting of all that Zion National Park has to offer. 

Red Canyon

Red Canyon is located just 10 minutes north of the Ranch.  I had driven through the canyon many times in the past on the way to other places, but had never taken the time to stop and explore.  This trip, I made it a point to spend some time hiking in Red Canyon, and it did not disappoint.  It features a lot of the same geological features as Bryce Canyon, but can be enjoyed without Bryce’s crowds.  Click here to read more about our afternoon hiking in Red Canyon.

Kodachrome Basin State Park

Kodachrome Basin is another great alternative if looking to escape midday crowds at Bryce.  It’s located about an hour away from Hatch, and sits 30 minutes east of Bryce Canyon.  It gets its name from the vibrant colors that reflect off the rock walls at the end of the day. It’s also known for its monolithic rock formations called sedimentary pipes.  Click here to read more about hiking in Kodachrome Basin State Park. 

Cedar Breaks National Monument

Cedar Breaks is located about 40 minutes west of the Ranch.  I had hoped to visit Cedar Breaks during this trip, but we ran out of time.  It shares a lot of similar geology with Bryce Canyon.  It features a large, deep, eroded limestone amphitheater sitting at 10,000 feet.  I plan on seeing it next time we stay in the area. 

Kanab

Kanab is a popular destination in southern Utah near the Arizona border.  It’s about an hour south of Hatch.  Some of our family ventured down to Kanab and spent time sand sledding at Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park. 

The Kanab area is also famous for its high concentration of slot canyons. Here’s a post from another trip when we drove UTVs to Peek-A-Boo Slot Canyon and went canyoneering in another slot canyon.

Tips For Reserving

We have now stayed at the Sevier River Ranch on two different occasion – renting out a single unit once and renting out the entire property a second time. It’s a great spot for both road trips and family reunions. In fact, it is an ideal place for a family gathering! And it’s very reasonably priced.

Reserving the entire place though requires a lot of forethought. We called the owner in mid-winter 2021, and at that point, only two weekends were available in summer/early fall season for booking the Ranch in its entirety. So plan well ahead!

If booking individual units, it’s easily done through the standard booking sites like Booking.com (clicking this link takes you directly to the Ranch’s listing). If you would like to rent out the entire place, then it’s best to contact the owner Gordon directly at 808-265-3421.

And even though this post may read like it’s sponsored by the Ranch, it’s not. We’ve just had good experiences at the Sevier River Ranch and the location really is perfect. And so of course, I have to share what I’ve learned! All opinions are my own.