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Beauty Ranch buildings – From the parking lot,
it's a short walk to the Beauty Ranch buildings. Close by, under the trees,
are picnic tables and a drinking fountain. You can't go inside the barns
and buildings, but it's fun to wander around (if you have a stroller, it's
pretty level). By the Sherry Barn for the Shire horses, you'll see a fenced
cactus patch – the spineless cactus was fed to the cattle. |
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Jack London Cottage – Further up the way is the
cottage where Jack London lived after Wolf House burned down. It's worth
a quick stop to see the study where Jack London worked, and two excellent
models of Wolf House (before and after the fire). Back of the cottage is
a charming little garden, with a view of Sonoma Mountain in the distance,
and two picnic tables in the shade. |
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Lake Trail – The Lake Trail begins at the parking lot by
the Beauty Ranch. It's an easy trail through the forest to the lake (2
miles round trip). Jack London damned up the creek to provide water for
his ranch, but it was also his personal swimming hole. The picnic tables
under the trees by the lake are a lovely spot to picnic, but the lake
itself is rather overgrown with reeds. |
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Pig Palace – Just before the trail curves to the
left by the silos, turn off onto the little path, and it's a short distance
up the hill to the "Pig Palace." Jack London designed this deluxe
accommodation for pig families. The central tower in the center was a big
feed bin, surrounded by "houses" for the pigs. |
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Wolf House Trail – |
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 Museum
(House of Happy Walls) – After Jack London died in 1916, his wife
built this house to hold special mementos from their travels. In the small
museum, look for the detailed model of Wolf House, a scale model of the Snark, the boat Jack London and his wife sailed throughout the South
Pacific, and Jack London's traveling trunks. |
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Wolf
House Trail – It's .6 mile (1.2 mile round trip) from the parking
lot to Wolf House. You can take the trail through the woods, or there's
a slightly shorter route along the paved road that goes from the parking
lot. If you have a stroller, you can take the road, but be aware that it's
easy going down, but steep going back up the hill to the parking lot. |
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Wolf
House – What a glorious ruin in the woods! Jack London spent two
years designing and building "Wolf House." It was a custom built
four-story house with reflecting pool in the center, galleries and porches.
On the fourth floor, Jack had a study, and water tower was constructed to
collect rainwater. Unfortunately, just as the house was completed, it burned
down in 1913. Bring your picnic and lunch under the trees (picnic tables
available). |
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Along the trail to the Wolf House, there's a turnoff to the
knoll where Jack London is buried. (He died in 1916.) It's a lovely peaceful
spot. Most touching are the graves of two pioneer children, David and Lillie
Greenlaw. A wood fence encloses two small, moss-covered wooden markers,
"Little David died 1876," and "Little Lillie died 1877." |
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Tip: Throughout the park, poison oak is
growing very close to the trail. If you're wearing shorts, be careful not
to brush against it. On any hikes, bring along lots of water, especially
in the heat of summer. |
