Apartment

The Family Wagon (Sleeps 4)

Photo gallery for The Family Wagon (Sleeps 4)

1
2
3
4
5

Reviews

9.8 out of 10
Exceptional
1 bedroom1 bathroomSleeps 4

Popular amenities

  • Dryer
  • Washer
  • Fireplace
  • Parking available
  • Barbecue grill
  • Air conditioning

Explore the area

Map
Melrose, FL
  • Mike Roess Gold Head Branch State Park
    ‪11 min drive‬
  • Gold Head Branch State Park
    ‪11 min drive‬
  • Santa Fe Lake
    ‪19 min drive‬
  • Gainesville, FL (GNV-Gainesville Regional)
    ‪37 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

1 bedroom (sleeps 4)

Bedroom 1

1 King Bed and 1 Single Bunk Bed

1 bathroom

Bathroom 1

Toilet · Shower only

Spaces

About this property

The Family Wagon (Sleeps 4)

Luxury Covered Wagon Animal Experience #2 at a Sanctuary for Farm Animals You can Interact With!
We welcome you back in time to a simpler life here at our beautiful, peaceful farm animal sanctuary where you can unplug from the demands of work and daily life. Relax and enjoy the peace and tranquility of a private, country stay. If you love animals and nature, a stay at our sanctuary for rescued farm animals is perfect for you!
You'll be staying in a unique, comfy, stunningly beautiful, luxuriously appointed REAL covered wagon! Wake up in the country surrounded by the sounds of nature and friendly farm animals. You won't find anything like it anywhere else.
The covered wagons are a country escape with beautiful scenery, a pond with a fountain, a stunning butterfly garden (in season) and friendly, adorable animals. Enjoy feeding the animals treats, shop in our gift shop, talk turkey with the gobblers, you won't find this much fun in one place anywhere else on the planet! Admission to the sanctuary is included! ($40 per day value)
Your beautiful covered wagon will have the finest linens, a premium king-size bed, cute electric fireplace, a table and chairs, small fridge, small microwave, toaster and keurig coffee pot with complimentary coffee/tea service and mugs. The furniture is all handmade. And YES, there is a full bathroom with a shower and even hot water as well as central heat and air and other special touches to make this the experience of a lifetime.
For the best possible experience, we recommend booking a cow cuddle with all of our cows or our sweet Highland cow, Jett or the new baby cows, Penny & Phoebe! You can book on our website at rooterville dot org. You'll have plenty of opportunity to interact with our happy animals.
There's no roughing it here! Beautiful picnic areas with small grills are available for cooking out but if you could be respectful and eat meat at a restaurant, out of respect for our mission, we sure would appreciate it. We offer a grill kit with everything you need to grill up and enjoy your favorites for only $35 per stay. (charcoal & lighter, foil, skewers, grill utensils, compostable plates and cutlery). Firewood is available for your firepit for a donation of $15 and includes a fast start log.
Enjoy breakfast while taking in the peaceful beauty of the sanctuary. Your wagon overlooks a beautiful pond. Our curious cows and mini horses might even join you, their pasture is right next door. Maybe you'll get lucky and spot our bald eagles dipping into the pond for their meal.
Our magnificent butterfly garden is teaming with native butterflies, beautiful flowers and and a beehive. It is a sight to behold for butterfly lovers (in season).
The best part is that ALL proceeds go to charity to help care for the rescued animals who live at Rooterville Animal Sanctuary so you not only get a great stay, you support a great cause! We are conveniently located less than an hour away from Jacksonville's Airport and 30 min from the Gainesville Airport. The location is excellent! We are nearer Keystone Heights than Melrose. Every convenience is within 8-15 miles.
Want to explore? There is a bike trail only 2.5 miles away and plenty of lakes to visit, Goldhead State Park is a hop skip and jump away. We are less than an hour from Jacksonville, High Springs, St Augustine, Ocala and Gainesville if you have business to conduct or want to enjoy attractions in any of those places. Going to a Gator Game? Rooterville Animal Sanctuary is an easy 30 min drive to campus with no traffic on scenic roads. Don't stay in a crowded town when you can enjoy peace, privacy and tranquility at a much more affordable price!
There are plenty of restaurants nearby, too. Whatever your preference, there is a place nearby to get it- Except Burger King, the closest one is in Middleburg, about a 30 min drive. Other than that, all fast food is within a 15 min drive as well as grocery stores.
You have yard darts and badminton games in your deck box at the wagon, bee tic tac toe and we have other board games available, just ask. There is NO TV in the wagons, WIFI is not guaranteed. Wav-link piggies2023 is the login info. Sometimes, storms take out our range extender.
If you love nature and animals, a stay at Rooterville will be a dream come true.
No smoking or pets are allowed in our wagons. We love animals and we hate it that we cannot let them enjoy your stay too. This is our animal's home and our Anatolian Shepherd guard dogs could maul your pet, please don't bring your babies into their home. This includes service animals, we don't want to risk a tragedy.
You're welcome to bring treats for the animals or buy them in our gift shop. Make sure to pick up a Roovenir too!
All of the bedding and some of the furnishings in the wagons are for sale in our gift shop should you fall in love with anything during your stay.
Please note: You are here to relax and enjoy yourself, please don't worry about washing mugs or making the bed. We strip the room and clean/sanitize everything. So don't go through any bother to tidy up, we'll take care of that.
We can't wait to be your host and make your stay AMAZING!

Property manager

Elaine West

Languages

English

Add dates for prices

Amenities

Washer
Dryer
Air conditioning
Parking available
Barbecue grill
Fireplace

Have a question?

AI iconBeta

Get instant answers with AI powered search of property information and reviews.

Similar properties

House Rules

Check in after 3:00 PM
Minimum age to rent: 24
Check out before 11:00 AM
default

Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17
default

Events

No events allowed
default

Pets

No pets allowed
default

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector with you on the trip
Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property

About the area

Melrose

Located in Melrose, this apartment is in a rural area and on a lake. While the natural beauty of Mike Roess Gold Head Branch State Park and Gold Head Branch State Park can be enjoyed by anyone, those looking for an activity can head to Royal Manor Winery. Make sure you get close to the area's animals with activities such as game walks and birdwatching.
Map
Melrose, FL

What's nearby

  • Mike Roess Gold Head Branch State Park - 11 min drive - 8.6 km
  • Gold Head Branch State Park - 11 min drive - 8.6 km
  • Santa Fe Lake - 19 min drive - 22.1 km
  • Camp Blanding Museum and Memorial Park - 29 min drive - 35.2 km
  • University of Florida - 42 min drive - 49.5 km

Getting around

  • Gainesville, FL (GNV-Gainesville Regional) - 37 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Howlin Wolf - ‬8 min drive
  • ‪Smith Lake Bar & Package Store - ‬9 min drive
  • ‪Keystone Saloon - ‬13 min drive
  • ‪Shifty's Hideaway - ‬9 min drive
  • ‪Subway - ‬8 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is The Family Wagon (Sleeps 4) pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

What time is check-in at The Family Wagon (Sleeps 4)?

Check-in begins at 3:00 PM.

What time is check-out at The Family Wagon (Sleeps 4)?

Checkout is at 11:00 AM.

Where is The Family Wagon (Sleeps 4) located?

Located on a lake, this family-friendly apartment building is within 9 mi (15 km) of Mike Roess Gold Head Branch State Park, Gold Head Branch State Park and Etoniah Creek State Forest. Flamingo Lake and Hart Lake are also within 9 miles (15 km).

Reviews

9.8

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Learn moreOpens in a new window
Rating 10 - Excellent. 7 out of 8 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 1 out of 8 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 8 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 8 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 8 reviews

9.8/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Amenities

9.4/10

Property conditions & facilities

10/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

10/10

Location

10/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

KAREN K.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great stay

Loved this experience! It was very unique and the animals were fantastic. Plenty of room in wagon. My kids enjoyed the animals and the play area. Great communication with staff on property. We ate at Brooklyn Brother which was ok and Cedar River which was excellent.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2024

8/10 Good

Gary

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, communication
A real covered wagon. Loved the animals.
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2024

10/10 Excellent

Claire P.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Unique

What a unique, fun and relaxing weekend. Accommodations and animals were both quite an experience. Thank you.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2024

10/10 Excellent

Mara A.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Little gem

Loved our wagon stay and the animals. Elaine was lovely
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2024

10/10 Excellent

jeffrey

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities, communication
We would stay here again. Such a cool location and the wagons are beautiful
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2022

10/10 Excellent

David

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities, communication
We loved everything! Elaine was so nice. She shared so much information and history of the place. The animals were so friendly and nice to pet and play with. My wife loved this place and it was part of her birthday celebration. We will definitely come back in a year to enjoy another fun filled weekend. The wagons were so cool. So clean and just so quaint. Perfection! Glamming at it’s best!!!
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2022

10/10 Excellent

Javier S., Miami, Florida

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Unforgettable experience.

Our family spent 2 nights at the wagons in Rooterville. No detail was spared for the accommodations. The wagons are decorated beautifully and feature luxurious sheets, towels and toiletries. This is a one of kind experience where you have a beautiful pond to sit by an enjoy your coffee, and later spend time with the rescue animals that call this place home. We will be definitely be returning to soon. Rooterville is a gem, make your over for a memorable experience.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2022

10/10 Excellent

Erica H., Orange Park

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Comfortable adventure!

We had an amazing time staying in the conastoga wagon on this beautiful property! The property owner couldn't have been nicer, showing us around and letting us interact with all the animals. The wagon was clean, air conditioned and stocked with a fridge, microwave, coffee maker and lots of water. We had everything we needed and had an amazing time! We'll definitely go back!
Stayed 1 night in May 2022

About the host

Hosted by Elaine West

Host profile image
Hi! I am the founder of this amazing, magical place called Rooterville Animal Sanctuary and my favorite thing in all of the world, besides these animals, is sharing it and the precious animals that live here with good folks just like you!
Nothing makes me happier than meeting new folks like you and watching you enjoying time with our friendly animals. I really love hosting and making sure you have the best time ever here with us. Whatever I can do to make your stay amazing, please do not hesitate to ask. We have a great gift shop so you can purchase a Roo-venir too! All of the furnishings from your wagon, except the mattresses, can be found online at www.thepinkpigs.com
My friendly staff and I are happy to be at your service. Thank you so much for taking the time to learn more about us and we hope to see you soon!

Why they chose this property

If you love animals, nature and you've always wanted to stay in a covered wagon, we'll this is the adventure for you! Come on out and spend some time with us and experience life at a farm animal sanctuary where animals live out their lives in peace, treated as friends, not things. You'll make memories that will last a lifetime interacting with our awesome animal ambassadors. Relax & Enjoy a little slice of heaven on earth.
You can add cow cuddling or goat cuddling to your experience for only $50 per couple for 30 min each. You'll get great pictures to share with your friends and family.

What makes this property unique

Wake up to the sound of farm animals! Roosters crowing, pigs snuffling about, peacocks making their crazy sounds and more! Take a break and breathe in the country's fresh air. Sit around a campfire, relax and reconnect. At Rooterville Animal Sanctuary you will have a friendly and relaxing experience making memories to last a lifetime! WIFI is not guaranteed in the wagons as they are in a private area of the property but it usually works.
Horses are welcome for an extra charge.
PS: We have ponds if you have remote-controlled boats you'd like to bring. We have big open fields for kites or remote-controlled air crafts! We have remote-controlled boats we can share for a little extra donation if you don't have your own.
There is a great play area for the kids and lots to do if you enjoy helping care for the animals or feeding the fish. There is a lot to do right here if you want to stay put but there is so much more to explore within an hour's drive if you prefer to go out for the day and come back to relax and enjoy your comfy wagon.

Languages:

English