A unique and authentic gathering of cowgirls; new friends and old, at the beautiful Alisal Ranch in Solvang, California

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”).

We are deeply honored to be invited to host our August Women Out West Club Ride on the breathtaking Alisal Ranch; a private 350-acre working ranch and vineyard nestled in the heart of the Santa Ynez Valley. 

This land, untouched and rich with history, is rarely opened to outsiders. It is a gift to gather here, to ride across its rolling hills, to feel the coastal breezes through the old-growth oaks, and to share in the magic of a place that holds the spirit of the West so fiercely.