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Jack London State Park
Rating Details »
Categories: Parks, Landmarks & Historical Buildings, Local Flavor, Tours [Edit]
2400 London Ranch RoadGlen Ellen, CA 95442
(707) 938-5216
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
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13 reviews for Jack London State Park
BF surprised me by setting up a day trip to Sonoma County to celebrate our anniversary - and I have to give the man big ups... it was definitely a day to remember!
Our 1.5 hour drive from Oakland (up the 580, 101, 37 into wine country) was not only scenic, but full of fun surprises - like the big blue chair that we HAD to stop and sit on, Jake's Tackle Shop (a 10 year old kid and his buddy, also named Jake, set up shop by painting over his sister's old playhouse and turning it into his store), and of course... Jack London State Park.
Pay $6 for parking and everything else is free. Hike a quarter mile to his cottage, which affords a splendid view of the estate's wine vineyard. Completely picturesque and peaceful, catering to a quiet and breathtaking experience.
Tour the cottage for free, and chat it up with the old man solely in charge of overlooking and maintaining the order of this old home... where London both wrote books and succumbed to his death.
Learn about London's pioneering of various agricultural methods, and how many (including his wife, Charmaine) thought that his contribution to the development of natural land was more valuable than his literary classics.
We drove our car down to the lower lot, where we visited Jack London's grave (a big rock atop where his ashes were scattered), and the Wolf House mansion which burned down 1 month before the couple was to move in... The stone walls still stand, remnant of a destroyed dream home.
A fun and CHEAP day outing! Bring a lunch and picnic in the woods, OR drive a bit further out (like we did), and find a nice park in Sonoma to lay out a blanket, eat, and be attacked by bees.
This area has 150 wineries to choose from... we are DEFINITELY coming back for a return visit.
Beautiful park and the ranger at the gate was happy to tell us about Jack London and other facts until another car pulled up behind us. Plenty of parking and a nice clean restroom near the parking lot. Picnic tables which were all open were available for use in the middle of the parking lot as well.
Walked up to the House of Happy Walls which basically acts as a museum to display the London's collection of photos and artifacts. We then took the path to the Wolf House (warning signs about rattlesnakes and mountain lions put our kids on edge but I was more concerned about the Poison Oak warnings).
26 rooms and a swimming pool cost around $60K in the ealry 1900's - wonder what it would cost Today? Not insured unfortunately according to the Ranger so it must have been tragic for the Londons when it burned down.
We then took another path to Jack London and his wife's final resting place which is set very closely to the small tombstones of two pioneer children and a family's dashed hopes.
We would have liked to visit the other side of the park as well but the kids were tired of hiking/walking and were more interested in getting back to the hotel to swim so we'll have to come back some other time.
I had heard about this park over the years and during a long weekend in Sonoma decided to finally check it out. Jack London was certainly a conflicted and tortured writer during his life, but he did know how to pick a place to set up an estate. You need to give yourself a couple of hours to hike around and see everything. I would also recommend packing a lunch and taking advantage of the shaded picnic tables on the trail heading towards the home that Jack London lived in till the end of his life. The ruins of Wolf House are impressive and a must especially after you see the model in the House of Happy Walls and know what a beautiful home was lost. The House of Happy Walls with all its artifacts is also very interesting when one considers that the Londons were traveling all over the world in a time of steamer trunks and months at sea at a considerable expense, prior to the advent of air travel. There are some interesting artifacts from their sailing through Oceania on display as well Jack London is a beautiful park that is well worth the $6 admission and the couple of hours that it takes to do it justice.
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This is a really beautiful park. When you first walk in via the Lake Trail, you'll see vineyards and various buildings such as old barns, the ruins of a winery, London's cottage, and the Pig Palace, his extravagent pig pen. Hike on past the vineyards, and in less than a mile you'll arrive at the lake - though it's really a stretch to call it a lake these days, it's more a very mossy pond. This is the point at which most people - especially those with young kids - turn back, but continue on the Mountain Trail until you reach the Sonoma Mountain summit. The trail is quite steep in parts, but it's a beautiful hike and worth the effort.
The trails can be a little bit confusing - make sure you have a map. They sell a good one for $1 at the ranger station when you drive in.
The park can get very hot in the summer, but we went in November and it was pleasant and not very crowded.
$6 parking fee.
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Very beautiful scenic park. $6 a car. Got there at 4pm and visited the Museum. Jack London was quite the explorer and the museum had a lot of his belongings which he gathered while exploring the world. DId not get a change to see the Wolf House since it was later in the afternoon but I would definitely would come back.
After early morning Easter services, I decided that I wanted to go somewhere fairly close where I could see something different, do a short hike, and perhaps have a picnic lunch. Jack London State Park was just perfect.
We stopped at Glen Ellen Village Market and grabbed 2 warm pannini sandwiches from their deli ($6.99 each). They were huge (and we probably should have shared)! We grabbed a couple of bottles of water and I almost fell over because they were extremely cheap for that area (only $.49 for a 20 oz. bottle)! Anyway, the service was quick and we only had to drive about a mile before getting to the entrance of the park.
The lady at the park entrance was very nice and told us where there were picnic tables that everyone didn't go to located next to the the cottage and in the cottage garden. We took a short walk and found a great picnic table overlooking the vineyards, cottage garden, and a huge live oak tree. As we bit into our pannini sandwiches, we both exclaimed at how good they were. These were probably some of the best pannini sandwiches that we have ever eaten (perhaps the scenery around us made them taste better??)
After our lunch, we toured the cottage and then hiked through the valleys up through the redwood trees to the lake. Unfortunately, this time of year, the lake appeared to be covered with green duckweed. Still the hike was nice. Afterwards we visited the museum, Jack London's grave, and the ruins of the house they built but never got to live in because it burned.
Anyway, you can't go wrong making a stop at the Village Market deli and having a picnic and hike around Jack London State Park. I also noticed that there was a family winery located between the market and the park. One could easily make a nice day of it by visiting all three. I don't know how good the winery is because it was closed for Easter; however, I did see a bunch of positive reviews for it on Yelp!"
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Gorgeous park which should deserve 5 stars, but if you are planning on getting married at Jack London, forget about it. They charge $2,000, and you can read the email below from their event coordinator to see what you get.
-----Original Message-----
From: hilbish@napanet.net
Date: Fri, 10 Apr 2009 11:01:07
To: Jill Simon
Subject: Re: Fw: Wedding - Jack London State Historic Park
hi jill, unfortunately i don't have an information packet to send you. the
$2000. fee is for a 4 hour maximum during park hours. you may have a wedding ceremony only. no reception, no food, no drinks. you do not have exclusive access to the park. it is during park hours and yes, it is opened to the public. since a park employee will be present during your event that person would certainly attend to any problems that could arise. we have never had any complaints regarding weddings and or public intrusion of any of our events at jack london. it would be your responsibility to rent chairs and portable toilets. No candles allowed as well as amplified music. no smoking other than designated areas by the ca state park signs. nothing may be staked, nailed or taped to state park property. no rice, bird seed, no flower petals may be thrown on the grounds. let me know if i may answer more questions. thank you, terry
I used to take lonesome field trips through the Valley of the Moon.
It's a little bit magical.
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I went here to hike with some friends, but was pleasantly surprised by the houses and such. The hiking was fun, but the trails were relatively poorly maintained and the signage was really terrible. We rarely knew where we going, and (as we found out later) had wonder really far away from the actual park.
Nonetheless, the hiking was nice and the house/museum was well preserved and presented. Definitely worth making the trip out, but don't expect to be able to figure out where you are going if you go hiking.
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Jack London built his dream house up here, only to have it burn down right before he moved in. Sad...
but I can see why he wanted to live here. Take the "strenuous hike" (also listed as 0.5 miles on the signpost) and admire the gorgeous view from the ridge. Also check out the 26-room ruin of Wolf House-- it's especially impressive considering it was built back in 1913.
All in all, a great little piece of history tucked away up here. If you've got a couple hours to spare but don't want an outdoor activity that'll take all day, this is it.
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A co-worker told me once that I should definitely see this place during the Mustard Festival in Sonoma. So, last weekend, I was able to squeeze in a quick trip to this park after a day in downtown Sonoma. The park closes at 5PM so, we weren't able to spend as much time here but just enough time to see Jack London's cottage. This place is just serene! Now, I understand why they named it the Valley of the Moon. From Jack London's cottage, there are these mountains and hills that give a dramatic backdrop to crisp vineyards and the incoming fog and sunset really creates this amazing scenery. The view was just fantastic and there are a lot of trails to explore. We'll definitely come back and spend more time in this park. Besides, it's just about 8 miles from downtown Sonoma. There's a quaint, little downtownish area at the beginning of the road that will take you up to the park so, it will be hard to miss it.
Go learn everything about Jack London. Visit the Wolf House. See where he wrote, lived and died. Bring walking shoes, take a lunch and make a day out of it.
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I loved this place! The ruins of Jack London's house are really interesting as well as his burial site and the graves of two "pioneer children" from 1876. The trails are dog friendly and there are plenty of water fountains and porta-potties--very civilized indeed.
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