The rise of the luxury guest ranch
History
Lore and legends
How Alisal Ranch came to be.
Our history started with the Chumash people who first inhabited this land and found it productive for hunting and gathering. In the intervening decades, it has changed hands multiple times, with each owner embracing the vast promise of the land and leaving a unique legacy. In 1946, Alisal Ranch opened as the luxury working ranch it is today, welcoming those in search of adventure and renewal. We invite you to learn more about the heritage of this special land.
The land is nestled in the Santa Ynez Valley bound by a river on the northeast and a coastal mountain range on the southwest. The range barricades the coastal flow, producing warm valley days and cool valley nights. The adjacent river and seasonal streams that cross the land abound with annual runs of 10-pound steelhead trout. The rolling hills are dotted with valley oaks and coastal live oaks, many of which will live up to 300 years. The verdant glens and riverbanks, shadowed by the mountain backdrop, support healthy groves of western sycamores. Deer, mountain lions, bears, and coyotes are just some of the wildlife indigenous to the region.
Original inhabitants used this land for hunting and for gathering. They called it “Nojoqui” (Na-ho-wee), meaning “Honeymoon Place”. In the coming decades, newly arrived people who came from across the ocean would also see the promise of this land. The new arrivals called it “Alisal” (“grove of sycamores”).
Looking back to 1810
1843-1862
Raimundo Carrillo & Others
Thirty-nine years after the Spanish padres established the Mission Santa Inés (1804) in the Chumash village of Ahajalapu, these lands across the Santa Ynez River were granted to Raimundo Carrillo. Carrillo received the 13,500-acre grant for his service to the newly established Mexican government. The sole economic focus of this land for the next 40 years (by Carrillo and five subsequent owners) would be raising livestock, primarily cattle.
1862-1868
Ulpiano Yndart
Ulpiano Yndart owned the Alisal (Rancho Nojoqui) when cattle were the backbone of Santa Ynez Valley wealth (1862). He was the last of four owners who acquired their wealth during the period of Mexican authority. His sea-faring grandfather, who was a previous Alisal owner, had traveled the navigable seas of the entire globe as a captain. In the late 1860s, a terrible drought wiped out the cattle herds throughout Santa Ynez, including Ulpiano’s cattle, devastating the wealth of the entire valley. As a result of this drought, the large land grant holdings by Mexican families became available to the incoming Americans whose industriousness was now called upon to rebuild the valley’s economic base.
1868-1907
The Pierce Family
The Pierce family engineered a novel irrigation system, allowing them to use water from the Santa Ynez River to farm a portion of Rancho Alisal. Although cattle would never again roam unfenced in the valley, nor in their original numbers, by 1907, 49 years after the economic shock of the drought, William T. Mead had established the Alisal Ranch Company, and this ranch and its neighbors’ ranches experienced an extended period of prosperity.
1927-1943
Charles E. Perkins
Horses had been essential to the cattle economy of Alisal Ranch for decades. Never, however, had such care been given to these animals until Charles E. Perkins purchased the land in 1927 and devoted his attention to the raising of thoroughbred horses, as well as fine cattle. Perkins raised Kentucky Derby-winner Flying Ebony, the trotting horse Lou Dillon, and other well-known horses.
1943-Present
The Jackson Family
A century after Carrillo received the grant for Rancho Nojoqui, Alisal Ranch was purchased by Charles Pete Jackson Jr., who expanded its reputation in an entirely new direction—hospitality. Originally designed solely as a working cattle ranch, manager Lynn Gilliam advised the family to convert the cattlemen’s quarters to guest rooms for dude ranch visitors. On July 16, 1946, the Alisal Guest Ranch was opened for summer seasons with a maximum capacity of 30 guests.
Since then, Alisal Ranch has consistently ranked at the top of the country’s resorts and has been a playground for a number of notable guests. Clark Gable married Lady Silvia in its old library, and a prominent Hollywood magazine featured a front-page story on Doris Day while on one of her regular visits to Alisal Ranch.
Alisal Ranch Today
Though Alisal Ranch today maintains a low profile, its focus on quality remains and its public reputation continues to grow. Celebrities are frequent guests, and the ranch welcomes visitors from all over the world. However, Western-flavored hospitality remains. The cattlemen’s quarters that once fed grub to hungry cowboys is now a discriminating restaurant; deer can still be seen grazing, though these days often on Alisal Ranch’s 18-hole golf courses; and horses and cattle roam grass-covered hills that have changed little since the days of the Spanish vaquero.
Stay at Alisal
At Alisal Ranch, we believe that true hospitality comes straight from the heart— and want you to feel a warm welcome throughout your stay. Our serene Western-style accommodations offer casual and comfortable luxury, designed to help you unwind and relax.
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