The California Ranch, Elk Creek

There is a place in California where the cowboy life still exists, where wild buffalo and horses roam freely among thousands of acres of gently rolling hills and centuries-old oaks. Where leather-skinned ranch hands work 13-day shifts shoeing horses, mending fences, and herding cattle, then spend their single day off doing the same because it simply needs to be done. Its a part of Californias heritage thats all but forgotten, a cowboy lifestyle that few will ever experience. Its called the California Ranch, and theres no other place in the world quite like it. Owned and operated by third-generation rancher Alex Marks and his wife Kris, the California Ranch is the largest full-service horse and cattle ranch in the West, and has been in continuous operation since 1875. More than 51,000 acres of undeveloped land along Northern Californias Coastal Mountain Range is home to hundreds of cattle, horses, buffalo, and indigenous wildlife, and every square inch of it is yours to explore as welcomed guests of Alex and Kris.