Laurel Springs Ranch is a
ranch
A ranch (from /Mexican Spanish) is an area of landscape, land, including various structures, given primarily to ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle and sheep. It is a subtype of farm. These terms are most often ap ...
located on a ridgetop in the
Santa Ynez Mountain range northwest of
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara (, meaning ) is a coastal city in Santa Barbara County, California, of which it is also the county seat. Situated on a south-facing section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States excepting A ...
, between the
Painted Cave community and the intersection of Painted Cave road with East Camino Cielo Road in the
Los Padres National Forest
Los Padres National Forest is a United States national forest in Southern California, southern and central California. Administered by the United States Forest Service, Los Padres includes most of the mountainous land along the California coast ...
.
History
Homer Snyder developed the ranch in 1902, and built the Laurel Springs Inn on the property in 1905. George Owen Knapp bought it in 1916. He built a home there which burned to the ground in a forest fire five weeks after he sold it in 1940
In 1977, actress
Jane Fonda
Jane Seymour Fonda (born December 21, 1937) is an American actress and activist. Recognized as a film icon, Jane Fonda filmography, Fonda's work spans several genres and over six decades of film and television. She is the recipient of List of a ...
and her husband
Tom Hayden
Thomas Emmet Hayden (December 11, 1939October 23, 2016) was an American social and political activist, author, and politician. Hayden was best known for his role as an anti-war, civil rights, and intellectual activist in the 1960s, becoming an i ...
bought it as a summer home and she later operated both a
workout
Exercise or workout is physical activity that enhances or maintains fitness and overall health. It is performed for various reasons, including weight loss or maintenance, to aid growth and improve strength, develop muscles and the cardiovasc ...
studio
spa
A spa is a location where mineral-rich spring water (sometimes seawater) is used to give medicinal baths. Spa health treatments are known as balneotherapy. The belief in the curative powers of mineral waters and hot springs goes back to pre ...
and a
summer camp
A summer camp, also known as a sleepaway camp or residential camp, is a supervised overnight program for children conducted during the summer vacation from school in many countries. Children and adolescents who attend summer residential camps ...
for
disadvantaged
The "disadvantaged" is a generic term for individuals or groups of people who:
* Face special problems such as physical disability, physical or mental disorder, mental disability
* Lack money or economic supportKingdom of Nepal: Economic and Soc ...
children there until the early 1990s.
It was then bought by Melissa Keeler and Michael Morris.
Together they developed it into the Laurel Springs Retreat, and is now used for group trainings and individual rentals.
See also
*
Knapp's Castle
Knapp's Castle is a privately owned landmark ruined mansion in the Santa Ynez Mountains near Santa Barbara, California. Built in 1916 by George Knapp, the estate included 5 bedrooms, an organ room, and even an observatory. Located near East Camino ...
*
Santa Ynez Mountains
The Santa Ynez Mountains are a portion of the Transverse Ranges, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges of the west coast of North America. It is the westernmost range in the Transverse Ranges.
The range is a large fault block of Cenozoic age created ...
References
External links
Laurel Springs Retreat: HistoryOverhead Aerial Photo
{{Coord, 34.5059, -119.7949, display=title
Ranches in California
Geography of Santa Barbara County, California
Buildings and structures in Santa Barbara County, California