Half Moon Ranch

The setting is absolutely stunning, and the house is comfortable and has character. We were only two people, so we didn't use all of the available space, but I am sure the house would work well for a larger group. The only issue we had was a plumbing clog that apparently had been an issue before. On our final morning, the sinks and one toilet all became seriously clogged. We called the caretaker, who was very nice, and who said he would immediately contact someone about repairs. All in all, it was a lovely place to go for a getaway.

Half Moon Ranch is magical. Its beautiful setting is inspirational! The only thing that kept me from giving it an excellent rating is that some of the cabin needs some TLC, and for $150 a night, there should be no problems at all. I put the blame squarely on the Forest Service, which does not employ enough caretakers to adequately maintain the properties. The caretaker, a really swell guy named Donnie, has over 10 widely-dispersed properties to maintain, and given that workload, it's inevitable the some things might fall by the way-side.

Here are my tips for a great stay at Half Moon Ranch:
1. Come in the fall, winter, and spring. After May, the weather is too hot. The cabin doesn't have a swamp cooler, so you are dependent on the EXCELLENT cross-ventilation from open windows. The heat builds up during the day, and the cabin can get uncomfortably warm in the late spring-summer-early fall.
2. The kitchen is well-stocked with cooking and eating utensils. Don't bring any. You will need wine and water glasses though, as those were in short supply.
3. We swept and mopped all the floors on our departure. It's clear that people don't do this enough, after all, who wants to do housekeeping on vaycay, but it's nice for the next guests.
4. Respect the wildlife. The pond is a crucial watering hole for skunks, deer, javelina (who will attack dogs), birds, and other wildlife. You're in their home. Respect them.

The beds are comfy, the water is hot, the views are SPECTACULAR of the night sky. Come and expect to want to return.

Half Moon Ranch is located in a beautiful Cochise Stronghold. It is peaceful and serene. I highly recommend it.

The wildlife, especially the birds are spectacular. Not to mention the views and the nearby trails. All contribute to a wonderful experience. The cabin is spacious and clean and well stocked.

Very nice

It was a beautiful night to be staying in a historic ranch house. The fireplace was wonderful! We enjoyed the little pond and saw many varieties of birds.
My only complaint was the fact that people before us had not cleaned the bathrooms and they were Nasty!!!!

Very nice. Comfortable beds, lots of room and close to trails. Beautiful views. We will stay for longer next time.

It was pathetic!
we reached there at around 6pm from pheonix. Entering the cabin completely disappointed everyone as it was unmopped , dusty couch with stains all around, bathroom were too stinky, bedrooms, forget about them. we called them to send any cleaning staff , for our disappointment they said, “you can leave or stay”!! We ended up becoming their cleaning crew and slept on the floor after mopping them clean. Gas grill was out of gas and untidy to use. Its nice location but double check if it was cleaning before you book it! Lot of stuff needs cleaning and fixing. No A/C as well. No ceiling fans. Watchout for insects inside the cabin!

Don't forget mattress covers!!! Insure you pack all of your trash out. When we arrived the trash receptacles were full (bear boxes). It's a great old home with 'a lot' of history. "Many" years ago I actually worked for K&M Pump & Well Service and repelled down the old well (under the windmill) and place an electric pump. Wonderful experience.

A great under-the-radar cabin that makes for a perfect get away from society and cell service. As stated in the details, the cabin can sleep up to 10 and allows 4 cars (not 2) as identified by material in the kitchen area. For our stay the main activity areas were predominantly the kitchen area and the living room area. The kitchen area has everything you'll need for cooking. Outside cooking I recommend bringing your own propane tank otherwise there is a fire pit that can handle cooking as well. The living room area has two futons that can be pushed together to enjoy games; the fire stove works although you have to play with the flue just right otherwise smoke fills the room. I rated this as 4 out of 5 because of how dirty the cabin was before we arrived. The previous attendees had dogs and were all over the furniture and beds plus decided to walk around the house with dirty shoes. We spent a good initial portion of our time vacuuming, sweeping and mopping to clean up after them - not good. Also bring your own bed sheets. These beds don't get cleaned often, if at all, and are dirty. Overall once clean the cabin offers a perfect location to witness the backdrop of the cochise mountains for early sunrise and sunset; probably the best parts of the day. Nearby is a continuously running stream where you can take a walk to have time to yourselves and explore.