Jack London State Historic Park

Even the drive there is beautiful. Friendly, helpful folks at the entry gate. Adequate parking, benches, picnic tables. Lots of shade trees and hiking trails. The museum is outstanding, the Wolf House ruins and gravesites humbling. The cottage and ranch make you feel as though you met Jack himself.

It is a small park with short trails focused on Jack London and his wife’s life. It is very interesting because Jack was a visionary and ahead of his time, he had so many ideas, he was not afraid to make mistakes trying new things.
There are dirty portable toilets, parking lot, picnic tables in different areas and barbecue site.
The landscape is beautiful, but they miss some plates to identify things inside to make the tour a little bit more immersive. You can have information in specific places but sometimes you are walking and you need to go after a map to know what was that about.
We walked to check the “lake” and the walk was pleasant but the “pound of mosquitoes” was a bad surprise.
There is $10 admission fee/car.

I stumbled across this park while driving through Napa Valley and decided to check it out, even though I was short on time. I was surprised at the size of the park - on one end is a short hike to the old farmstead/winery site where several stone buildings remain - a barn, stable, storage shed as well as the remains of the massive winery building. An idyllic wood cottage sits on the hill overlooking the winery. This is where Jack and his wife lived off the land in his final years.

If you drive to the other side of the park you'll find the House of Happy Walls Museum, housed in a large stone house once belonging to London's wife Charmian. The exhibits detail the incredible adventurous life that they had together and includes lots of great artifacts and displays about their world travels in the fully-restored house.

If you have time, I'd highly recommend the easy hike (15 min or so) to the remains of Wolf House. The ruins of this massive mansion (Jack's dream house that burned down before he could move in) are nestled in a serene forest grove surrounded by redwoods. The museum has a detailed model of it that gives some perspective. Also everybody working here is very friendly and happy to share the history with you.

It’s such a beautiful state park. Between Wolf House Ruins, the Guest House where Jack and Charming London lived and the nice hike to “Pig Palace” it is worth the drive! There’s a lovely trail that branches off to the Lake Trail after you the first cement silos built in California. The best part is discovering it’s part of the Bay Area Ridge Trail! I plan to go back to hike up to Sonoma Mountain. There is something for everyone to enjoy there.
Parking is $6 per car.

Jack London State Historic Park is an absolute gem of a destination. I was pleasantly surprised by just how wonderful the park and museum were.

The park is beautifully maintained, with stunning landscapes that truly capture the essence of this part of California. The trails are well-marked and easy to navigate, making it a great place to spend a day hiking and exploring. And the museum is simply fascinating, with a wealth of information about the life and work of Jack London.

But what really made our visit special was the staff. They were incredibly friendly, knowledgeable, and went out of their way to share their personal favorite takeaways from the park. Their passion for the park and its history was contagious, and it made for a truly memorable experience.

I highly recommend Jack London State Historic Park to anyone looking for a unique and inspiring stop in California. Whether you're a history buff, a nature lover, or just looking for a great day out, this park has something for everyone.