Jack London Trail Through Northern California

The Towns of Sonoma and Glen Ellen

Kick off your tour on the western edge of Sonoma, a picturesque town boasting a historic California mission.

Here in Sonoma Wine Country, you’ll find dozens of boutiques, cafés, and wine-tasting rooms ringing the lively plaza and many more wineries just a few minutes from downtown.

Next, head to the tiny town of Glen Ellen, where Jack and Charmian London moved in the early 1900s, seeking a peaceful life.

Relax and enjoy this scenic, small-town life as London did. Savor tasty lamb meatballs or house-made cavatelli pasta at the Glen Ellen Star. It’s an easy after-dinner walk to the “secret cottages” at the Glen Ellen Inn, which sit along the charming Sonoma Creek and come with high-end touches like fireplaces and Jacuzzi tubs.

Or check out The Jack London Lodge, with vintage décor and an attached Saloon that encompasses turn-of-the-century charm with an antique polished oak bar and a collection of Jack London photos and memorabilia.

In the neighboring town of Kenwood, the Casa Bella — a Kenwood Luxury Estate vacation rental hails from the same period as London himself. Built in 1913 and surrounded by fruit orchards, it’s a beautiful place to soak up country life just minutes from town.

Jack London State Historic Park

Glen Ellen’s landscape and lifestyle inspired much of London’s later writing, including his novel Valley of the Moon. Explore this area’s natural beauty at Jack London State Historic Park, the site of London’s home, “Beauty Ranch.” London died in 1916, and after his wife died 40 years later, this land was preserved.

From the park entrance, follow signs for the House of Happy Walls Museum. Charmian lived in this stately fieldstone building until 1955, and today, it’s a museum dedicated to her husband.

Further down the path, you’ll come to London’s gravesite. Before he died at the age of 40, London asked to be buried here in a grassy knoll marked with a red boulder.

Stroll on to view the Wolf House, which was to be Jack and Charmian’s dream home, but construction was destroyed by a fire in 1913 before they could move in. Set against the verdant trees and hills, the ruins are hauntingly beautiful.

Visit the Londons’ wood-frame cottage, restored in 2006 and decorated in a manner reflecting Jack and Charmian’s bohemian lifestyle. Docents highlight paintings, sketches, and photos from the Londons’ personal collection.

When he was still alive, London dreamed of a model farm where he could raise livestock and grow fruits, vegetables, and wine grapes. Though London died before his dream could be fully realized, you can see evidence of his efforts, like the silos London personally designed, the stone barns for horses, and the innovative “Pig Palace” pens that London built in 1915.

During the summer months, the Transcendence Theatre Company transforms the Beauty Ranch’s winery ruins into an open-air stage with its hugely popular Broadway Under the Stars series.

Back in the town of Glen Ellen, stop by Jack London Village, a collection of shops and restaurants located inside a historic 19th-century building that was once home to a gristmill.

A notable Glen Ellen winery is Benziger Family Winery, located next to Jack London State Historic Park. Benziger is known for its bio-dynamic winemaking and offers fun tram tours of the beautiful vineyard.

In the neighboring town of Kenwood, Kenwood Vineyards produces a series of Jack London wines with — appropriately — a wolf to grace the label of renowned bottles of Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Zinfandel.

At the wineries, taste and pick up your favorite bottles to bring back to your inn, perhaps with a copy of Jack London’s Valley of the Moon. London himself enjoyed: “A quiet place in the country to write and loaf in and get out of Nature that something which we all need, only the most of us don’t know it.”

For a grand finale, luxurious overnight options include nearby Kenwood Inn and Spa or the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa.