Olompali State Historic Park, Historic state park in Novato, United States.
Olompali State Historic Park is a 700-acre California State Park in Marin County, 3.5 miles north of Novato. It preserves the former Rancho Olompali, including the 1776 adobe house built by the Coast Miwok chief Aurelio, the oldest surviving house north of San Francisco Bay. The park also contains the site of the 1846 Battle of Olompali and the foundations of the Burdell mansion, destroyed by fire in 1969.
The site was home to Coast Miwok settlements starting around 500 CE and grew into a trading hub for the people. A house built in 1776 north of San Francisco Bay still stands on the grounds, marking centuries of presence in this location.
The land holds deep roots with the Coast Miwok people, who built thriving communities here and maintained trade connections with neighboring groups for centuries. Visitors can observe archaeological signs of these settlements when walking through the park today.
The park entrance is at 8901 Redwood Highway, 3.5 miles north of Novato off State Highway 101. Trails climb from the valley floor toward Burdell Mountain, whose summit rises 474 metres about 1.6 km east of the park. Carry water and wear sturdy shoes; the slopes are exposed to the sun.
During the late 1960s, the property became a gathering place for musicians and artists, including members of the Grateful Dead, who lived here as a commune called The Chosen Family. This chapter in counterculture history adds an unexpected layer to the park's story today.
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