California's Underrated State Park In Sonoma County Is A Charming Literary Escape With Redwood Beauty

Sonoma County is full of all kinds of beautiful destinations from wine towns like Healdsburg that will make you feel you're in the Tuscan countryside to the prettiest of seaside views at the Sonoma Coast State Park. Then there's Jack London State Historic Park, a lesser-known attraction that lets you explore vibrant forests and literary history. It's a 1,500-plus acre park with miles of trails where Jack London, noted American novelist known for works like "White Fang" and "The Call of the Wild," once lived. The park is in Glen Ellen, about a 60-minute drive from San Francisco and its international airport and about 30 minutes from Santa Rosa. 

Jack called his land "Beauty Ranch," and many of the structures that he built and lived in are still here and open for visitors to explore. "When I first came here, tired of cities and people, I settled down on a little farm," London once said, per the Jack London Park Partners website. "130 acres of the most beautiful, primitive land to be found in California."

He lived here until his death at the age of 40 in 1916. He was cremated and his ashes were buried beneath a lava rock on his Sonoma property by the Valley of the Moon. Also buried nearby are two pioneer children who died here in the years before Jack owned the property. Reportedly, upon seeing their gravestones, Jack had felt that the children could use some company, and he told his wife Charmian London that he'd like to be buried there. And so he was.

Jack London's second wife Charmian lived at what is now the Jack London State Historic Park until her death in 1955, and she was instrumental in preserving the land to honor Jack's legacy. You can check out the Londons' Cottage, the 3,000 square-foot house where London wrote his later work, as well as the next-door stone dining room, where Charmian and Jack entertained. Both buildings have been restored, and you can get a glimpse of what their lives were like here. To learn more about them, visit the House of Happy Walls Museum. It was the house where Charmian lived after Jack's death, and it was designed to be both a home for Charmian and a museum for artifacts from the couple's travels. Along with the museum exhibits, on weekends, volunteers play Charmian's Steinway piano for visitors.

You can also see the ruins of Wolf House. It was started in 1911 but was destroyed by fire in 1913. Jack referred to it as the "Big House" as it was going to be a massive 15,000 square foot mansion with over two dozen rooms, and it cost nearly $2 million in today's dollars. The loss was a particularly sad one for Jack. On weekends, you can take free docent led tours of the park, including of Wolf House.

London didn't just write while he was here. He was an active caretaker of the land, and he focused on sustainable and organic farming practices decades ahead of his time. One of his innovations was his Pig Palace, which you can still see today. The circular structure allowed for the easy care of 200 pigs.

There are more than 29 miles of trails at Jack London State Historic Park, with options for hikers, bikers, and horseback riders. The easiest trails take you by the historic structures at the park; along with the houses where the Londons lived, there are a number of old barns and a distillery building. Other trails take you along vineyards, to the park's two lakes, and up into the forest.

One can't-miss hike is to the park's massive redwood. Much of the area that is now the state park was logged, but there's an old-growth redwood tree that's still standing. It's an astounding 14 feet around, and it's at least 1800 years old. You can see it from the aptly named Ancient Redwood Trail. It's about 3.5 miles total on an out-and-back trail through the woods, and there's a conveniently placed bench near the tree itself, perfect for taking a break. For a hard workout, the Sonoma Mountain Trail takes you over 8 miles to the highest point of the park.

The park also has some of Sonoma County's great picnic spots, and if you're really inspired by the natural beauty, you can even hold your wedding here. The park is open year-round, except for Christmas, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The House of Happy Walls Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the Londons' Cottage is open from 12 to 4 p.m. You'll have to pay $10 to enter or have a California state park pass. The park also has a $59 annual membership that gets you into the park and gives you access to members-only events.