Setting for a Colorful Past

This gentle land was shaped in succession by Indians, Spaniards, Mexicans, and Americans, each influencing it differently. The Coast Miwok lived here for thousands of years, even before the Egyptian pyramids were built. The last Olompali leader, Camillo Ynita, was notable for surviving and prospering under Mexican and American rule, and the walls of his adobe still stand on the park grounds. During the 1846 Bear Flag Revolt, Mexicans and Americans clashed near the adobe, and one Mexican was killed in a skirmish known as the Battle of Olompali. The most visible changes today came from Mary and Galen Burdell and their descendants, who lived here between 1865 and 1943 and built many of the structures and Mary's formal gardens that remain in the historic part of the park. The land now belongs to all Californians for picnicking, hiking, and reflection on those who came before.

California · United States