Remnants of a Remote Ranch: Thousands of Sheep Once Roamed Islands Now Preserved by NPS

In this installment of ‘History Off the Beaten Path,’ we visit a once thriving ranch in California.

The remains of the historic Scorpion Ranch site on Santa Cruz Island. Deena Bouknight

From the boardwalk at Ventura Harbor, California’s Channel Islands appear as a mirage in the distance—the faint outline of peaks and plateaus. Yet, they are rich ecosystems of plant species, trees, and especially, grasses, making them ideal locales for thriving sheep ranches.

Until the 1980s, three of the five National Park Service (NPS) Channel Islands were home to large, century-old ranches managing thousands of sheep for wool, which was shipped to the mainland. These rustic, isolated ranches also produced beef, olive oil, wine, and nuts.