Cedar Island Ranch

Kari Bagnall

2024-04

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Christina S

2024-04

PROS: I will be returning, the time and location was just right. We went in April 2024 and it was not busy, the sites were spacious, I stayed in #9 right off the water. We used the dog park, dog off lease beach area, and dog leash are - we walked for miles along the beach and watched cattle and horse just roam around free. I never saw cattle wade in water before and it was just so entertaining to watch them clump through. Shells washes up gave us looks of gifts (free ones too which is a plus) to take home. I was bummed I did not get to the ride the horses due to the weight limit but I got to look at them and visit daily. Felt very comfortable with my large size dog at this campground. The best part was the Ferry to the Ocracoke opened up and I have to tell you, the ride over in my Jeep there and back, along with driving my Jeep on the beaches places this place on my "redo list". I overslept the day of my check out and they were understanding and let me pack up and leave late without added stress and anxiety.CONS: No fast food, no food at all, not even hotdogs or soft/serve ice cream or scoops of ice cream. That was my MAIN issue that the store lacked swag, food, and there was no hot foods to eat. The dog park was nice for my large size dog, nice trees within the dog fenced area too even though they locked it down on our 3 day because of maintenance.

joy Mitchener

2024-04

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John Thomas

2024-04

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Margaret Boynton

2024-01

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Jennifer Buongiorno

2024-04

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Brian Hughes

2023-12

Completely enjoyed our stay in a suite, the camping and RV looked nice with full hookups and the bathrooms and showers were well kept in that area. I really enjoyed the horseback riding and touring the feral horses and cows and riding on the beach. The room was excellent and apparent that new investment is doing a fantastic job!Rooms: Very clean and comfortable, the suite was well equipped.Noteworthy details: I enjoyed the beautiful and relaxing views, kayak ride was enjoyable too!

Stephanie Paris

2023-12

We stayed here for the Pirate Jamboree on Ocracoke - was very convenient, right at the ferry station. This was one of our favorite spots we’ve ever camped. We were in lot 4 and could see sunrise every day out our back window. Only negative was bugs - but mostly flies and gnats. Not unbearable, but you can tell there are stables nearby. Overall a wonderful place!Noteworthy details: There’s a private beach where you can have ring fires and horseback rides.

Christopher Neal (CN Photography)

2023-12

We needed a place to stay to catch the 730a ferry to Ocracoke Island and this place couldn't be more perfect. Very clean, modern rooms located right beside the ferry terminal so we didn't have to get up too early. I was even able to get a few dark sky images of Orion over the sound just after we arrived. Just made my long trips to Ocracoke much easier.Rooms: Clean and modern

Cheyenne Collins

2024-04

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Glen Myers

2023-10

This place is a hidden gem! We stayed in the hotel and were absolutely delighted with it. Bed was comfortable, room was clean, and the AC was wonderful, and very quiet in September after Labor Day! The staff was very pleasant and helpful! The fishing was great, the location was great, it was very cool to walk a very short distance to take the ferry to Okracoke Island for a day trip! Definitely won’t be our last trip there!!! It’s pretty remote so take some food and a method to cook it in the parking lot, a grill and a flat top worked great for us!!!! To the staff, after hearing some negative feedback from earlier, we are absolutely delighted and will be back!

Elisa Wright

2023-11

Adoreably renovated motel rooms, quiet and restful, clean and wonderful staff. They have carefully brought life back to a place that was abandoned for years. Would definitely recommend.Stayed in the pet friendly king motel room. There was a pet pack just for the pup and a fresh, clean scent throughout the room. It is obvious the owner cared about the renovations with well handmade shelving and a well maintained bath.

Carina Adams

2023-10

My family and I stayed at the Cedar Island Ranch following our visit to Ocracoke Island on a trip for our mom’s 50th birthday. We found the hotel staff to be very accommodating and friendly. Our room had two bedrooms, a living room, and a kitchen and it was all very neat and clean. The location with its proximity to the ferry and the ocean views were really nice too. The highlight of our trip was absolutely the sunset horseback ride with Jeremy as our guide. He was charismatic and very knowledgeable about the horses. Overall, it was a great stay, an awesome oceanside view, and a memorable experience riding horses on the beach with an excellent tour guide. Would absolutely recommend a stay here to anyone visiting the Outer Banks!

teresa sells

2023-11

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Nancy W

2023-10

We took a 90 minute beach horseback ride with Cowboy Jeremy, who was an excellent guide and a real cowboy! Matched my friend and I with the perfect horses for our experience at riding. Really beautiful with a water crossing, so many birds, wild horses and believe it or not, feral cows! Jeremy was funny, informative and friendly! Too bad he’s from Oklahoma(inside joke)!! Horses are well cared for and the scenery fantastic! Highly recommend!

Barbara Mooney

2024-04

We had an excellent time camping here. Friendly staff, quiet, clean campground. Horseback rides on a beautiful beach. Well mannered horses. Pet friendly. Definitely will go back here again and again.... Highly recommended!!March 2024.We have now been camping/horseback riding here 4 times since previous post. My granddaughter and I had an amazing horseback ride on the beach with Cowboy Jeremy. He is very professional, friendly and knowledgeable about the area. It was a beautiful day for a beach ride!Still highly recommend to anyone who has ever wanted to ride on a beach. Awesome time!

Rae Bennett

2023-12

We camped at Cedar Island Ranch so we would be close to the ferry. Lara was sooo helpful and friendly! She treated us like long lost friends! She MADE our stay!Walkability: Loved being able to walk to the beach!

Les Smith

2023-10

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June Llindamood

2023-05

This was my second trip to Cedar Island Ranch & the first time horseback riding. Everyone was very friendly from the office to the barn! Our guide, Jess was awesome & for an extra bonus cowboy Jeremy rode along! Rooms were clean, fresh & comfortable. I have plans to go back again when it's a little warmer to try myself at kayaking. Thanks to all the staff for an enjoyable time!

Deborah Lloyd

2023-08

We went on the 90 minute trail ride with Cowboy Jeremy. It included a water crossing which was pretty cool! The scenery was gorgeous…the entire ride was along the water. We are horse people and you can tell the horses are well cared for and happy!

Hillary Holbrook

2023-05

My daughter and I did the beach ride that is 90 minutes long. Our guide was Jeremy, Pale Rider, and he was fantastic. He had lots of things to tell you but also there were moments of silence so we could appreciate the quietness of the area. The first thing we saw when taking off for the ride was the wild horses grazing. We got to see them pretty darn close on the way back as well. It was so much fun and we are so happy that they keep knowledgeable people around and have stable hands too. You can tell they actually groom the horses. We are horse people, but it is not hard to tell when horses aren't groomed or they don't see a farrier enough. The horses looked well taken care of and they knew their jobs. Safe and beautiful. Jeremy was great!! And so were the two other guys that help "unload" people and get the horses ready. I can't see it working without all of them!

Jacqueline Imbody

2023-09

I booked a trip for August 12 for my birthday. I was informed of the cancelation agreement of no refunds after I booked my day. That is also how I was informed that the only restaurant on the island was shut down. As well as the laundry facilities also being down. We called today to get more information and was then informed that their is a fishing tournament that weekend..no over flow parking. The probability of seeing wild horses was also slim to none VIA THE TOURNAMENT. I decided to cancel it being that I'm 4 half hrs away and to top it off its $150 for 1 person to ride a horse. I was then informed after I canceled that they would be keeping my money. I was told their was nothing that could b done. My experience was ruined b4 I even went. I have had better customer service at a gas station downtown. Would not recommend.So the general manager replied to my review and told me to call. Just like it took over a week to respond. I did call and he did not call back. Im now reporting this to my bank for a fraudulent charge. They will not give you your money back even at 3 weeks in advance. This place is a run by a bunch of crooks and I highly advice to seek camping and or vacation elsewhere.

Maureen Grippa

2022-05

We stayed in one of the newly renovated condos and it was fresh, clean, and very comfortable. The beds were perfect. The living room and dining area very welcoming. The appliances were all new and in great working order.We also brought our horses and so enjoyed our rides on the beach. A great location since you are riding on the sound so no crashing waves - perfect introduction for young or first time horses! Beautiful views of Sunset and Sunrise! Very tranquil and peaceful. Our horses settled in right away. We kept them in the large paddock which kept them separate from other horses. We brought food which worked out great - the restaurant was not open when we were there.Lastly, Dori and all her staff were truly delightful to deal with - always asking if we were comfortable or needed anything...We will be back - great fun in a casual setting...

Annie Nunn

2023-06

We stayed at the motel last night and although the location was ideal to catch an early ferry, the room looked nice until we went to get in bed. Our bed sheets had hair all over them and the comforter was FILTHY. It looked like someone threw up on it. It was absolutely disgusting. And nobody available to get us anymore blankets/sheets. We ended up sleeping with no blankets because they were so filthy. On our bed and the bed our kids were sleeping in. My sister and her husband found a fingernail in their bed. We won’t be back, super disappointing.

Krystal Strength

2023-08

Unorganized and rude. Called the previous day for reservations, followed thier request for our horses papers, but they never called back. We called numerous times. We assumed all was good. Drove 4 hrs to the campground only to be told when we got their that the coggins for my horse from my Mississippi vet was not acceptable because it did not have a water mark like a North Carolina coggins. So if you are coming from out of state with a coggins that does not have a watermark(?) DO NOT BOTHER! We travel with our horses a lot and have never had such a ridiculously uneducated encounter with a barn manager who is super rude, came in yelling instantly. HIGHLY DO NOT RECOMMEND.* Just a side note: they have "wild" horses running around without any testingIn response to you trying to smooth over your lack of customer service, it was not less than 24 and no one told us anything about a manager being off till we got there. And you only answered 20 min before we got there, we had made numerous attempts to contact you..poor bussiness management followed by more rudeness with your trying Insult my intelligence with your sideways remarks about protecting wild horses, I am definitely a supporter of that, but also a supporter of keeping my own horse safe

Heather Papinchak

2023-05

We stayed at the motel for two nights in December. The room had been recently renovated with fresh walls, ceiling, and flooring. It's a work in progress though, as the bathroom still had painted block walls with older fixtures and tile. There was a mini fridge, microwave, coffee maker (with coffee), and soap/shampoo dispensers. No wifi (at least that we could find), blow drier, closet, iron,or facial tissues. Unfortunately, we were unable to get the TV to work. Beds were comfortable although there were some mystery stains on one of the sheets. The room was reasonably clean with a bit of debris behind the toilet. Housekeeping missed a dirty towel from the last guests hanging on the back of the bathroom door. Speaking of towels, there were only enough for two, but there were three of us. This was remedied with a visit to the office the next morning, but since we arrived late and they're not staffed after 5:00, we had to share our first night. There were a few things that would have made our stay more convenient. A door mat would be nice as this is a beach location and sand gets tracked everywhere. There was a broom and dustpan thankfully. The microwave tended to slip around a lot. We had to hold it in place in order to press any of the controls or open the doors. A grippy mat would easily fix this. The metal brackets that supported one of our mattresses were set too wide and protruded from the side of the bed. We all have bruised shins to commemorate this. The shower was rather anemic in our room because the water was not fully rerouted from the faucet. So when the shower was on, half the water was unfortunately still coming out of the faucet. Since we are used to baths, this was fine. Water was not as hot as I would have liked. Our shampoo dispenser was empty when we arrived. On the positive side, staff was extremely helpful and responsive, and we were able to extend our stay a night at the last minute. The location is incredible with its natural beach and wildlife. The rate for our room was very reasonable, especially considering its proximity to the beach. Our additional night came at a reduced rate because of a sale they were running. This is our second visit to Cedar Island Resort. We stayed at the campground in August and enjoyed it a lot, although water at the campground was not nearly as good as the motel- very hard and bad odor even with a filter. Horseback ride was pricey but enjoyable. The sunsets and sunrises can't be beat, and beach had warm, clean shallow water for kids. This is an unspoiled, non-commercial, natural area. The ferry is literally right there, and it's very inexpensive to ride to Ocracoke and beyond. If you're looking for a more commercial and busy environment, check out Ocracoke or take a drive to Beaufort. The nearby restaurant is OK- slightly overpriced for the quality of the food. Since this was our second visit, we came prepared with plenty of food that we could just make in-room. This place is probably not for everyone. Read the reviews and have realistic expectations. If you want a flashy, busy, boardwalk-y beach experience with tons of options, go somewhere else. If you like peace, beautiful nature, camping, and no-frills fun, give this a try. All in all, I would recommend this place, both campground and motel. It's clearly a work in progress as there are some unfinished areas, but the price and location make up for it, and I believe improvements are ongoing.

Valerie Pope

2023-05

The perfect getaway.This was our second trip in a couple of months and it's just amazing. We give an especially high review for our recent horseback riding tour guide, Jeremy. He was phenomenal, and his knowledge is unprecedented. When we return to camp and ride again, we will request a ride that he will guide. He explained the horses in detail as to their specific traits and matched riders up with horses based on those traits and the rider's experience. In light of the recent new management, I hope they make it a point to hold on to the very valuable employees they inherited from previous owners. They will be the ones who keep customers coming back. Jeremy definitely falls into this category. He made us feel right at home and conversation while riding was easy. Thank you, Jeremy for making our visit special.We enjoy the serenity and the beauty of this location. It's the perfect location for peace and quiet. We rode our e bikes down the island and just soaked in the beauty of Cedar Island.We enjoy the island store with it's " if we don't have it, you don't need it" attitude. Looking forward to our next visit.

stephanie filbert

2023-05

Today we had our experience with Cedar Island Ranch. Our group had the opportunity to travel independent of any other riders. Let me tell you, I made a few blunders scheduling activities on our trip, but the horse back riding brought the smile right back from the kids to the adults. The horses were very well groomed and cared for. Jeremy, our guide, knew them well and explained each horse to each rider. Jeremy was a fine blend of knowledge and humor. It was a pleasure to have him as our guide. We did not have a chance to see the wild horses or cattle, but the ride was still a wonderful experience. Thank you Cedar Island Ranch!

Erin Clements

2023-09

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Anthony Terwilliger

2023-07

If you're coming for the smell of the ocean water and hearing waves crashing than this ain't it.More for older couples with not much to do besides relax.Any shopping/real food is a hour away.NOTE:Swamp lands so got DESTROYED by mosquitoes.Walked about 2 miles down counted 135 washed to shore dead jellyfish. Not to sure if it's a seasonal thing but my goodness it was insane.