Jack London State Historic Park


Napa has Robert Louis Stevenson, but Sonoma has Jack London. This 1400-acre park frames that author's last years; don't miss the excellent on-site museum. Miles of hiking trails (some open to mountain bikes) weave through oak-dotted woodlands, between 600ft and 2300ft elevations; an easy 2-mile loop meanders to London Lake, great for picnicking. On select summer evenings, the park transforms into a theater for 'Broadway Under the Stars.' Be alert for poison oak.

Changing occupations from Oakland fisherman to Alaska gold prospector to Pacific yachtsman (and novelist on the side), London (1876–1916) ultimately took up farming. He bought 'Beauty Ranch' in 1905 and moved here in 1911. With his second wife, Charmian, he lived and wrote in a small cottage while his mansion, Wolf House, was under construction. On the eve of its completion in 1913, it burned down. The disaster devastated London, and although he toyed with rebuilding, he died before construction got underway. His widow, Charmian, built the House of Happy Walls, which has been preserved as a museum, open 10am to 5pm. It’s a half-mile walk from there to the remains of Wolf House, passing London’s grave along the way. Other paths wind around the farm to the cottage, open noon to 4pm, where he lived and worked.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Benziger

0.32 MILES

If you’re new to wine, make Benziger your first stop for Sonoma’s best crash course in winemaking. The worthwhile tour (reservations recommended) includes…

2. Quarryhill Botanical Garden

2.23 MILES

Just when you thought the vineyards would stretch as far as the eye could see, out of nowhere comes a world-renowned botanical garden specializing in the…

3. Loxton

2.37 MILES

Say g’day to Chris the Aussie winemaker at Loxton, a no-frills winery with million-dollar views of the grapes you'll actually be tasting. The tasting room…

4. Little Vineyards

2.5 MILES

The name fits at this family-owned small-scale winery surrounded by grapes, with a lazy dog to greet you and a weathered, old-timey wooden bar, at which…

5. Imagery Estate

2.59 MILES

Imagery produces lesser-known varietals such as Legrain and Tannat, biodynamically grown, that you often can't buy anywhere else. Each bottle sports an…

6. Arrowood

2.62 MILES

Arrowood's hilltop tasting room has postcard-perfect valley views and a bourgeois vibe, fussy for Sonoma, but the excellent Chardonnay and Cabernet…

7. BR Cohn

2.63 MILES

Picnic like a rock star at always-busy BR Cohn. Its founder managed '70s superband the Doobie Brothers before moving on to make outstanding organic olive…

8. Oak Hill Farm

2.7 MILES

At the southern end of Glen Ellen, Oak Hill Farm contains acres upon acres of organic flowers and produce, hemmed in by lovely steep oak and manzanita…