The Historic O’Keefe Ranch is back in the nick of time.
After a long, hot and dry summer, and the more than 80,000-hectare wildfire burning nearby, the ranch is open for one more week.
The ranch was quick to open its gates to those ordered evacuated by the lightning-caused White Rock Lake wildfire — and their animals — until they too were ordered to vacate due to the fire’s proximity on Aug. 15.
That order was downgraded to an alert three days later, but the ranch remained closed to the public and its events postponed or relocated.
“It’s been a very chaotic couple of weeks from moving animals and people in, to moving animals and people out,” the ranch said in a social media post Aug. 15.
Now, the ranch will reopen for one week, the last of the season, from Sept. 1-5 between 10-4 p.m.
“Unfortunately, the animals are still on vacation and the mansion tours are still on hold, but we have lots to see and do in the first week of September.”
Entrance is by donation and guests can explore the corn maze, enjoy music, score some goodies at the General Store, interact with role-play artists, wander the grounds, run the trails and check out select historic buildings.
Pro-tip, the ranch said, bring a picnic to really enjoy the grounds.
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