About the ranch.

Wilderness calls some of us. We need to see the stars, hear the babble of a creek and follow tracks made by the native animal residents. Unplug to reconnect.

If you need to be outside and long to be part of the wild California landscape, then welcome to our ranch!

Our 40+ acres is situated in southern Monterey County just minutes up a dirt road from Mission San Antonio De Padua on the historic AV Ranch.

AV Ranch was once a sprawling cattle ranch in the foothills of the coast range, property gifted to a Gold Star General, located between Fort Hunter Ligget, a US Army Reserve base that is open to recreational hunting and national forest ground. Game often spotted in these areas are black tail deer, tule elk, turkey, dove, quail and duck.

Now, a few families and landowners live off-grid on this stunning old ranch. Holeman Land & Cattle Company’s Ranch encompasses a pond restored to fish and duck habitat, an old hay barn and pasture near a seasonal creek, several seasonal waterfalls, year-round springs and well close to the camp. You may catch-and-release bass in our pond when you visit, or head a few minutes down the road to Coleman Reservoir which is stocked with bass and blue gill.

The spring and summer are flush with native wildflowers and grasses, majestic oaks, shady sycamores, the sound of bullfrogs, birds and not much else. Make sure to look up at night to gaze at the Milky Way and catch one of several meteor showers throughout the late summer and fall.

As you walk around the property, you may come across tracks from deer or wallows made by invasive wild pigs. You aren’t likely to see coyotes or bobcats, but they can see you. Snakes can be found crossing roads, along the edges of paths, under piles of brush or searching for prey. We also frequently see bald eagles, the endangered California Condors, turkey, quail, doves, and a variety of ducks.