January 2023 UPDATE: Please note that we are no longer operating a Bed & Breakfast. Bonnie remains available for guided history / archaeology tours.
Nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Madre Mountains of Cuyama Valley, the Sleepy Creek Ranch abounds with Native American prehistory and California Pioneer history.
The 700 acres of Sleepy Creek Ranch offer miles of trails through oak savannas, riparian habitat, juniper-sage woodlands and chaparral. It’s a hidden gem for springtime wildflowers, a busy flyway for migratory birds, as well as a resident population of wild turkey and occasional California Condor visits.
Deer, fox, coyote, ring-tailed cats, black bear and mountain lion round out the mammalian population. It is not uncommon to find deer in the yard feasting on the apple tree, a wary fox drinking from a rustic water fountain; or a heron plucking goldfish from the horse trough.
Join Chumash archaeologist/historian Bonnie Goller for an informal outdoor presentation and walking tour of the ranch environs.
Bonnie loves to share the cultural history of Cottonwood Canyon and Cuyama Valley. Her 115-year-old homestead was built on top of a prehistoric Indian village; many prehistoric archaeological sites are still visible along the banks of Cottonwood Creek. The “Little Red House,” as it is locally known, was also the last home of Nancy Kelsey, the first American woman to cross the plains in a wagon train and enter California in 1841. Nancy is buried in an historic gravesite nearby; laid to rest in 1896 beside her baby grand-daughter.
Sleepy Creek Ranch
2255 Cottonwood Canyon Road
805-680-7220 Box 206
New Cuyama, CA 93254
bonnie@sleepycreekranch.com