Come visit the wilds of French Corral, where an oak and pine forest meets the epic South Yuba River
Windsong Ridge Village Campsites
Windsong Ridge is an evolving homestead on 25 acres of oak, pine, and manzanita woodland about 30 minutes outside of the historic gold rush towns of Grass Valley and Nevada City in Nevada County, CA. The property overlooks the iconic South Yuba River canyon and is 100% solar-powered and off grid with excellent cell coverage (Verizon and T-Mobile). Come be serenaded by the wind chimes throughout the property. Enjoy sitting by a fire and you may hear the coyotes in the distance after a day of swimming, hiking, paddling, site-seeing or attending one of the many festivals held throughout the year in town. We are LGBTQ-friendly!
We have developed two short-term rental spaces: one is a beautiful and large very private camp with pad for a high clearance van, RV and/or tent in Manzanita Rock Meadow with plenty of room to spread out; and Laughing Buddha is a slightly more developed site that is closer to our main compound with a gorgeous deck a van or RV can back into to or where you can pitch a tent
Both have piped water and composting toilets (for poo only - please pee on the land so we can maintain our exquisite Humanure System!) Laughing Buddha has electricity.
Hike the adjacent trails on public lands or enjoy hiking trails in the state park along the Yuba River
Bring your kayak or paddle board to Englebright Lake at any time of year
In less than two hours, you can visit Truckee, Lake Tahoe, or the Sierra Buttes/Lakes Basin areas and much more
In town you will find a variety excellent restaurants, farmers markets, live entertainment and wildly popular events throughout the year
We’ll be happy to help you plan your visit! (Start here.)
We are at 1800 feet, therefore the summers are hot (sometimes in the triple digits), and winters are mild (snow is a surprising event at this elevation). The nearest grocery stores are Holiday Market in Lake Wildwood, about 20 minutes away and there is a convenience store in North San Juan, about 15 minutes away, in case you need to make any last-minute supply runs. For more variety, visit Briar Patch Food Coop or SPD Markets in Grass Valley and Nevada City.
About Us
We are Galen Ellis and Shaun Quirk, two friends who met when Galen, the property owner, needed support and guidance to develop the land in line with sustainability and regenerative principles. Galen has been here since 2019, having purchased the land after both her kids were off to college when she wanted to live more simply and in a deeper, more intimate relationship with the land. Shaun, a builder/engineer specializing in permaculture design (https://www.merakidesignbuild.com/), has been living here as a resident advisor and co-creator of systems and structures that support these values. The land has become a real sanctuary for us and others that have spent time here and is in a continuous process.
We welcome visitors who want a quiet and private experience of this broader wilderness area, as well as those who want to engage with us.
We live in the main “compound,” where the property has several structures including a yurt, utility shed, studio, barn, greenhouse, raised garden beds, an outhouse, and a bathhouse.