Jack London

Jack London State Historic Park Jack London State Historic Park • 2400 London Ranch Road • Glen Ellen, CA 95442 (707) 938-5216 • jacklondonshp@gmail.com • www.jacklondonpark.com Welcome to Jack London State Historic Park, once known as Jack London’s “Beauty Ranch.” The park’s 1,400 acres include the Beauty Ranch, museum, Wolf House ruins and more than 10 miles of trails. We recommend that you allow three hours to visit, but if your time is limited we offer three different one-hour tours of the park. We suggest purchasing a park brochure to aid in your self-guided wander through the past. MUSEUM: The Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. PICNIC AREAS: Picnic tables are available at the museum parking lot, the Wolf House ruins, the upper parking lot, and near London’s gravesite. A group picnic site is available for up to 50 people. Contact the park office for reservations. HORSES: Horse trailer parking is in the upper parking lot, far west end. Horses are required to stay on designated fire roads and trails. Watch for signs at each trailhead. Please collect horse droppings from the parking lot and take them home. Other park visitors will appreciate your consideration. RESTROOMS: Flush toilets are available in the museum parking lot, and chemical toilets are available in the upper parking lot and near London’s gravesite. BIKES are not allowed at the museum or the Wolf House ruins. Keep bikes on designated fire roads. There are seasonal restrictions on trail use. Watch for signs at each trailhead. DRINKING FOUNTAINS are located in the lower parking lot, at the museum, along the trail to the Wolf House ruins and at the upper lot picnic area. HIKING OPPORTUNITIES: The park offers more than 10 miles of fire roads and trails that traverse through mixed forest, oak woodlands and grassy meadows. Elevation changes from 600 to 2,300 feet. Carry lots of water, and watch for ticks, rattlesnakes, mountain lions and poison oak. Keep parks safe and natural! Report suspicious activities. DOGS are allowed on leash only in the historic area. They are not permitted beyond the silos or inside the buildings. Please clean up after your pets. Pig Palace Park Entrance Upp The Beauty Ranch Trail Restrooms il House of Happy Walls Museum Tr t ng er Lo ki Par il Tra Lower Lot Silos e k La Eucalyptus Parking Trees a Picnic Area Distillery e Lak Sherry Barn Ho Winery us Manure Pit To the Lake eS Ruins Stallion Barn and Bathhouse er f ol W Terraced Hillside View © 2008 California State Parks (Rev. 11/2010) London's Cottage Discover the many states of California.TM vic eR oad To Gravesite and Wolf House Ruins RECOMMENDED ONE-HOUR VISITS Tour #1 Museum and Wolf House Ruins. Park in the lower lot to the left of the entrance station. Follow the asphalt path to the House of Happy Walls. This museum will give you a glimpse into the adventurous life of Jack and Charmian London. The House of Happy Walls holds a collection of souvenirs from their travels throughout the South Seas. When you have finished touring the museum, leave by the front door and take the footpath to your left .6 miles to the Londons’ gravesites and the famous Wolf House ruins. Tour #2 Beauty Ranch Tour. Park in the upper lot to the right of the entrance station and walk back in time through Jack London’s experimental ranch. From the parking lot, a trail leads you over a knoll into 1911. The park brochure will guide you to each of the ranch buildings, historic sites and Jack London’s home, called the Cottage. The ranch tour is an easy walk on a gravel roadway approximately .5 miles. the other side of the lake and continue on the Mountain Trail for .15 miles to the Upper Lake Trailhead. This will take you through a forest of madrone, bay and redwood trees .2 miles to the Lake Spur. The Lake Spur will intersect with the Lake Trail and return you to the gravel road. EXPAND YOUR EXPERIENCE Docent-led Tours. A variety of tours are offered, typically at midday on weekends. Check the posted interpretive schedule for specific details. Wolf House Express. This service is available for people needing assistance getting to the Wolf House ruins and the museum. This free service is available between noon and 4 p.m. on the weekends and by appointment. The Cottage. The Londons’ ranch home has been restored and now serves as a house museum. Explore the building as it was furnished during the Londons’ occupancy, between 1911 and 1916. Here London wrote many of his later stories and novels and planned the development of Beauty Ranch. Tour #3 Lake Tour. This tour is for more energetic visitors seeking to understand why Jack selected the Valley of the Moon to lay down his anchor. Park at the far west end of the upper lot. Begin your hike at the Lake Trail near the horse corral; follow one-quarter mile until it intersects a gravel road. Go right, past the silos to a green pipe gate. Take the foot path to your right into the cool, moist redwood forest. This trail will lead you to a shallow 5-acre lake built to provide recreational opportunities for ranch guests. A bathhouse “This is to be no summer-residence proposition built near the lake was used but a home all year round. I am anchoring good as a changing room and for and solid and anchoring for keeps...” boat storage. Follow the Jack London, June 1905 curved stone dam around House of Happy Walls Museum. Enjoy music of the era on Charmian’s 1901 Steinway grand piano as volunteer pianists play for your listening pleasure most weekend afternoons. Volunteer docents are also available to answer questions and provide insight into Jack and Charmian’s life adventures. Volunteer Opportunities: There are many volunteer opportunities available at the park. Call the park Volunteer Coordinator at (707) 938-4827 for more information. ACCESSIBILITY The park is continually improving accessibility. Please call (707) 938-5216 for details. ALTERNATE FORMAT: This publication is available in alternate formats by contacting the California State Parks at (800) 777-0369 or 711, TTY relay service.