Jack London State Historic Park

Jack London State Historic Park is the most atmospheric place in the Valley of the Moon, a blend of literary pilgrimage, ranch history and genuinely good hiking on the slopes of Sonoma Mountain above Glen Ellen. Jack London, the best-selling author of The Call of the Wild and White Fang, bought land here in the early 1900s and spent the last decade of his life building what he called his Beauty Ranch, experimenting with scientific farming and planning a grand stone mansion. That mansion, Wolf House, burned in 1913, shortly before he and his wife Charmian were due to move in, and its massive volcanic-stone walls still stand in the forest, roofless and moss-covered, one of the most evocative ruins in California. A short walk away is the simple grave where London's ashes were buried after his death in 1916. Charmian later built the House of Happy Walls, now the park museum, filled with the couple's belongings, photographs and South Seas souvenirs, and the cottage where Jack wrote has been restored and opens in the afternoons. Around the ranch you can see the stone Pig Palace, barns and silos, and the ruins of the Kohler and Frohling winery near the cottage. Beyond the historic area, more than 26 miles of trails climb through vineyards, oak woodland and redwood groves; an easy mile-long walk leads to the small lake and bathhouse London built, and longer trails head toward the summit of Sonoma Mountain. The park is open daily from 9am to 5pm, with a per-vehicle day-use fee. It is not a polished attraction, but for readers, hikers and families it is a wonderful half-day.

London in wine country. It surprises many visitors that the author of hardscrabble Klondike and seafaring tales chose a Sonoma valley ranch as home, but he loved the landscape, which he described as the Valley of the Moon in a novel of that name. He poured his earnings into land, livestock and building, and the ranch was as much a statement of his ideas as a home. The tragedy of Wolf House, which burned just before completion, haunted him; the ruins now feel almost sacred, set in tall trees at the end of a gently graded path.

Planning a visit. Start at the House of Happy Walls museum, open 10am to 5pm, for context, then walk the easy path to Wolf House and the grave. Return through the ranch area, past the cottage, which opens from noon to 4pm, the winery ruins, barns and the Pig Palace. If you have energy left, take the mile-long walk to the lake for a picnic, or a longer loop through the redwoods. Leashed dogs are allowed only in the historic area, not on backcountry trails, inside the museum or beyond the silos. Wear sturdy shoes, carry water, and in summer start early, because the hillside trails are exposed and hot in the afternoon.

Fitting it in. The park is about fifteen minutes north of the Sonoma Plaza, just above the village of Glen Ellen, where a handful of restaurants and tasting rooms make an easy lunch stop. It pairs well with a morning on the plaza and an afternoon of tasting along Highway 12, or with a family day that includes the Charles M. Schulz Museum or Safari West in Santa Rosa further north. Fees can change and may be higher at peak periods; bring a state parks pass if you have one.