A ranch to riches story
Raised on a ranch in Oklahoma and born to assimilated and affluent Cherokee parents, Will Rogers grew up in a diverse community made up of African Americans, whites, and Native Americans. He learned how to rope Texas longhorn cattle from a freed slave. His agility with a lasso took him on the road, where he performed in Wild West shows, vaudeville, and the Ziegfield Follies. Hollywood lapped him up, turning him into a giant global star. While he blew audiences away with his lariat tricks, he also laced his shows with folksy, humble but incisive humor. His down-home jokes were adored by audiences and led him to write an incredibly popular weekly column. He satirized politics and had a real love of the everyday American. By the time of his death in 1935, he was such a well-liked guy, it’s said as many people came to his funeral ceremony as that of the beloved president Abraham Lincoln.
Rogers, his wife, and children left their Beverly Hills home and settled in the ranch he built in Pacific Palisades. It was there where he roamed the Santa Monica mountains, and what is now the trail leading to Inspiration Point.
Info
Address Will Rogers State Historic Park, 1501 Will Rogers State Park Road, Los Angeles, CA 90272, +1 310.454.8212, www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=626 | Getting there Paid on-site lot, $12; senior parking, $11 | Hours Daily, including holidays. Parking lot: 8am–sunset.| Tip Don’t miss the anecdote-filled tour of Will Rogers’s rustic ranch house, located in the park. The well-preserved home is decorated with the beloved performer’s art and furniture, just as it was when Rogers and his family lived there. Free tours are offered hourly (Thu & Fri 11am–3pm, Sat & Sun 10am–4pm).
While hiking the Inspiration Loop Trail, take a deep breath of fresh Santa Monica air, laden with the scent of chaparral, sage, and maybe a whiff of briny ocean. The wide dirt trail is a moderate two-mile trek. Fragrant eucalyptus trees line a switchback path on the east side. Keep an eye out for birds, like the spotted towhee, the western scrub jay, and Anna’s hummingbird. As you ascend to the point, you’ll be treated to views of the Santa Monica Mountains and Pacific Ocean in the distance. Once you arrive at the top, you can glory in a 360-degree panorama of Los Angeles, with the giant crescent of the Santa Monica Bay to the west and the jagged profile of Downtown to the east.
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