compact (all buildings are located within short walking distance, my father is 81 with knee problem but he was able to comfortably walk). Interesting estate in middle of wineries. Very informative staff (volunteers?)

Whether you've read a little, a lot, or none of Jack London's more than 50 books and his extensive journalism, this state park is a beautiful and inspiring place to visit. The expertly curated museum and the London's homely cottage are engaging in any weather and miles of hiking trails lead to the Wolf House Ruins, Jack's famous "Pig Palace" and along or up the side of Sonoma Mountain through groves of Redwood and Oak. Before you set out, you may want to pack a deli lunch from the Glen Ellen Market or start the day with French pastries from the little bakery across Arnold Street. The $10 entry fees helps keep this park operating since it is one of California State Parks that is run by a non-profit foundation and receives little tax funding.

I really enjoyed the hike, the tour, and museum. It's a gorgeous area, and it was very interesting to learn more about Jack London and the history of the land and buildings. I didn't know much about Jack London before visiting, and now I want to know more!

So much more than expected! Lovely hikes throughout the property and many are shaded. We were surprised by the redwood groves. Be sure to visit the ancient redwood! Biking and horseback trails as well. They have done a lovely job of maintaining the cottage and house. There’s a tremendous wealth of information and ‘artifacts’ from Jack snd Charmian’s travels.

It costs $10 a car to enter the park. Turn to the left, park your car and start with the museum, which was the home Charmian had built and lived in a few years after Jack died in 1916. The ranger/gift shop person is purely ornamental and of no help whatsoever in directing you through the museum or park or answering questions correctly. So, here’s the scoop: The museum has all sorts of artifacts from London and a number of audio/video screens talking about different periods of his life. Upstairs is Charmian’s bedroom, closet with some of her clothes and shoes, and bath plus more displays and her Steinway grand piano. Once you are done with the museum (we spent over an hour), exit and go left to the path leading to the gravesite and Wolf House, the house Jack London built, but which burned before he and Charmian moved in. If it is rainy (as it was when we were there), go back down to the parking lot and take the paved path on the left hand side. The walk either way is about .5 to .75 mile. Then you can either drive to the parking lot where the cottage and other ranch buildings are located or take a short walk there. The day we were there, there wasn’t a docent for the 11 a.m. Wolf House tour, but we met Bern, a volunteer docent, on our way back to the parking lot and he graciously agreed to take us back to Wolf House and give us a tour. He then was kind enough to drive us (it was raining) to the Cottage, where Bob gave us a tour. Both gentlemen were more than kind, which made up for Miss Sourpuss in the museum. We were there about 2.5 hours. If the day had been nice, we could have spent another 45 minutes.

This was our fourth visit and our friends first visit. We love taking people here when we go to California. It is an amazing place with natural beauty, a great walk to an amazing ruins, and unique history of the area and of Jack London’s life and legacy. Can’t wait to go again.

Stumbled on this place while staying overnight in Sonoma and just loved it. What a treasure of a place! Jack London's actual homestead and writing studio, even the bed he passed away in and the love story of he and his wife. The rooms are beautiful, left just as they were in some cases. The folks who work there were delightful and knowledgeable. The grounds beautiful and peaceful. So grateful it was saved when the state abandoned it!!

The views were so scenic and beautiful. We spent about two - three hours but did not hike the property or trails. We visited the Museum and enjoyed the various displays. Shopped in the gift shop and purchased some biographies on Jack and his wife Charmain. We then drove over to the upper parking lot to go and see the cottage. It was a little bit of a walk but very scenic. We had a nice volunteer docent tour of the two cottage buildings residence/office and then the kitchen/dining room. The weather was a bit cold and wet but we did enjoy everything. Dress warm if you go in the winter.

The jack London State Park is a great place to visit. It helps if you know who Jack London was and have read his books. The park is staffed and maintained, for the most part, by volunteer staff because the state (CA) stopped funding the park. The museum is very interesting and informative. The ruins of the Wolf Lodge is amazing to see. A special call out to Wendy, one of the Volunteers, who provided rich background to the park and London himself. She made the visit so much more rewarding.

We visited this park in May on a Saturday and spent about 4 hours there. It is a really nice park, the grounds are beautiful and peaceful, the museum of Happy Walls was very informative. There are free volunteer docent led tours on weekends (website has schedule) and I would highly recommend taking these tours as they significantly enriched the experience learning about Jack London, his wife, his philosophy and zest for life, his childhood, adulthood, his many interests, failures and successes. We took the Wolf House tour and the Beauty Ranch tour and enjoyed them very much. We were greeted by many wonderful volunteers who run the park and are doing a great job at it. The Beauty Ranch is next to the now private vineyard and the scenery is just breathtaking. The Cottage and main house had lots of artifacts from his life and gave us a good glimpse to where he did his writing, how much he and his wife enjoyed travels, farming and just life in general. This is really a gem attraction!