Coordinates: 34°28′47″N 120°19′31″W / 34.47972°N 120.32528°W / 34.47972; -120.32528
The region presently known as the Hollister Ranch is defined by 14,400 acres (58 km2) of fallow and fertile fields, mountains and valleys along the Pacific Ocean of California between Gaviota State Park and Point Conception. It was the site of some of the oldest known human settlements in the new world, the last "native" population of which was the Chumash. It became part of the extensive Spanish land grant known as Rancho Nuestra Señora del Refugio, operated by the family of José Francisco Ortega from 1794.
The land was purchased by William Welles Hollister after the Civil War as part of a large acquisition, the center of which was at Glen Annie, Tecolotito canyon.
Read more about Hollister Ranch: Cattle Ranching History, Recreational Use, Development and Environmental Concerns, Popular Culture