jack london state historic park

jack london state historic park印象

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  Bella1954

  The property is amazing. There is a lot of info about Jack London's life (somewhat selectively edited...) and it is easy to imagine what it must have been like to settle in this beautiful but remote area 100 years ago.

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  ZimplyZuperb

  If you're both a history lover and a nature lover, you'll probably love this place more than if you're only one or the other. The museum is good, the scenery is pretty, and the place is very well maintained. There are nice short hikes.Go there early and spend a lot of time in the museum and cottage. Without that you will not be able to appreciate the history and the park as much. Allow yourself 4-5 hours if you want to take your time in the museum and cottage, see all the other attractions, and do a couple of hikes. If you want to breeze through, then a couple of hours should be enough.All in all, it makes for a very good day trip.

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  RuthWJ

  Being fans of Jack London, it was a fabulous treat to visit Jack's home and ranch. The museum was brilliantly set up, especially the audio visual aids.The walk through the woodland to visit his derelict mansion was stunning, though we were a little worried about the rattle snake signs!His farm house was just as beautiful. The views all around took my breath away!

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  Alman1958

  Jack London was always the original American outdoors writer...but his real love was this enormous farm which is now a state park. He planted a large vineyard. He used Asian farming terraces techniques to not leach the soil; he planted nearly 80,000 eucalyptus trees. And his Wolf House, what an amazing though ruined mansion. This is a wonderful place for all sorts of hikes, easy and hard. Going later in the day, the sun sets behind the ridge and the woods are cooler. We got lost and some very nice people gave us a great review of the park highlights. Be sure to ask for a map at the guard entrance - it is $1, but worth it. A keeper! This is a complex park because of the personal story attached to it; but also, in that story, the tragedy of a great writer, with a new mission, who died only after being there a few years of liver disease. The park is definitely run down and needs major work; but it has a genuine nature to it.

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  allisonnnlovssno

  I love Jack London Park. During our stay at Jack London Lodge we were able to visit the State Park on almost a daily basis. My favorite thing was to grab a picnic of a few paninis from the deli at the Glen Ellen Village Market and Deli and spend the day in the park! Such an amazing and therapeutic area!

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  KerryD747

  Great day of wandering around through the history of Jack London. Great views, quite way to escape. Check their scheduling as there are a few days when schools are there and it can get a little busy. It is very spread out, so not hard to avoid the groups. I remember coming here in grade school and it was a wonderful memorable field trip, that inspired me to come back often in my life.

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  divegirlelaine

  The State Park is located at the end of London Ranch Road (a bit past Benzinger Winery), which you access from the heart of Glen Ellen. The Park is centered around the life and times of Jack London who settled here with his wife, Charmian, after a very full, but short life of adventure around the world. Even if you have little interest in London, you will find miles of great trails through some beautiful woods and grasslands. At the entrance, you pay the $10 per car fee and get a map. At one parking lot, you access the Jack London Museum, which is housed in Charmian’s home, the House of Happy Walls. This museum gives you a window into the way of life at the time and London’s adventures around the world through the artifacts that he brought back. Take a one mile loop to visit London’s grave site (only a massive block of lava rock marks the plain site in keeping with the simple graves of pioneer children nearby) and the ruins of the impressive Wolf House that London had built and was just about to occupy when it burned. This was a massive and impressive undertaking and would have been a masterpiece that is easy to grasp from just the remaining ruins. There is a beautiful trail through the woods to get to the house and you can return the same way or take the wider paved path that allows handicapped access and skirts a working vineyard. Another parking lot in the park accesses London’s ranch, outbuildings, and cottage (small additional charge for entrance to the cottage) where London died in 1916. You can explore the ranch area and learn about many of the innovations that London introduced to improve farming techniques, some of which were successful and some of which were failures. Some of the outbuildings that survive are the sherry and stallion barns, the distillery, silos, manure pit, winery ruins, and the magnificent “pig palace.” You can continue on for less than a mile up a trail to London Lake and the log bathhouse used by the Londons and their guests. Unfortunately, the Lake is no longer very scenic as the dam now leaks and the lake has filled with silt and become overgrown. Most people turn back to the parking lot (for a total 2.5 mile loop) for a picnic, but, if you have water and the will, you can do an additional 7 miles or so through oak, fir, Manzanita, redwood and grasslands. It is an evocative and beautiful sojourn in the life and times of an iconic American author.

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  MayorO

  We just love this place-- when you tire of the vineyards, Jack London State Park is the antidote. There are well maintained trails and lots of history of the life and times of Jack London. Beautiful views too.

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  phantom12345

  I like hiking and taking pictures. I was able to enjoy both visiting this park. The beautiful stone buildings and the vineyards make for some great pictures. I hiked up to Fern Lake which was not difficult and had some pretty views. Stopping at the Glen Ellen market for a picnic lunch added to a most pleasant day!

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  clifft215

  We thought this would be the usual state park fare, but it turned out to be absolutely charming. From the wonderful walks in the woods, to the historical ruins and then to the museums about the Londons. We learned so much it was a shame to have to go. One could easily spend a day there. Three or four hours is probably the minimum that you would want to allow. When you have finished here, you can retire to the Lodge at the bottom of the hills for refreshments.