The Historical

Hop and Barley Ranch

Covelo, California

The Hop and Barley Ranch is located at the southern end of scenic Round Valley, known for its farming and ranching on the fertile valley floor. The small town of Covelo (Population 1,200) is just a few minutes to the north with some basic amenities. Access to Round Valley is via Highway 162 which leaves Highway 101 just north of Willits, in Mendocino County.  Drive time to the Ranch from Highway 101 is roughly 45 minutes, and roughly 4 hours from the San Francisco Bay Area.  Round Valley Airport (009) has a 3,670 foot paved runway just minutes from the ranch, or the Ranch has its own 4,000 foot grass airstrip on the valley floor.  Nearest commercial air service is in Santa Rosa, Sonoma County (STS), 2.5 hours from the Ranch.

Round Valley, located in the northwest corner of Mendocino County in Northern California, is a lush farming and ranching valley surrounded by coastal mountains to the west and the Mendocino National Forest and the Yolla Bolly Wilderness to the east.  The Middle Fork of the Eel River, one of the few undammed rivers in the State, originates in the Yolla Bolly Wilderness, and then flows along the southeastern side of the valley before joining up with the Main stem of the Eel in Dos Rios. Cattle ranching and hay farming are the main agricultural practices in the Valley due to the mild climate and long growing season.

With the valley floor 1,300 feet above sea level, the climate here is quite mild with lows in the winter dropping just below freezing, and summers averaging in the low to mid 90’s.  The upper mountain reaches of the ranch top out just above 3,000 feet, and it’s not unusual to see a dusting of snow during the colder winter storms. The typical growing season in the valley is May through November. The average annual rainfall is around 42 inches.

6,240 +/- Deeded Acres (Possibly 30 +/- Parcels)

• 270+/- acres leveled for irrigation
• 600 +/- acres Dry Farmed
• Balance in scattered oak grasslands, air strip, ponds, house and ranching grounds.

• 980 +/- acres of rolling grasslands and scattered oaks between Hwy. 162 and 1.5 miles frontage on the Middle Fork of the Eel River.
• 3,760 +/- acres of conifer and hardwood forests, lush meadows and ponds/reservoirs.

Main House

• Horse Barn: Complete with Redwood siding and corrugated metal roof, the horse barn consists of five stalls with turnouts to individual paddocks. There is a large tack room and plenty of room for hay storage with easy feeding.


• Corrals/Loading Chute/ Scales: Well-appointed Powder River corrals, gates, loading and squeeze chutes are centrally located for easy livestock handling, including a covered Howe and Richardson scale house.


• Hunting Camp:  Located on the mountain in a densely forested area, the hunting camp is perfectly set up for a small group of hunters.

• Cattle Grazing: Certified organic, the ranch is currently leasing out the grazing rights to a local rancher.  According to the owner, the valley portion of the ranch has carried 200-300 cows on a year-round basis, including putting up some hay for winter feed. The southern areas of the ranch have not been grazed in recent years, but the owners are now looking into utilizing that area for additional winter range.


• Hay Production: Depending on the numbers of cattle grazing the ranch, meadow grass is grown and harvested then sold at market price each season.


• Coal Mine Quarry: There is also a rock quarry on the ranch that has been leased to a local operator for a fee, plus royalties on the percentage of rock sold.


• Hunting: Private hunts have been allowed on the ranch for a negotiated trespass fee.

Numerous wells, including an artesian irrigation well are on the ranch. There are 7 ponds/reservoirs in addition to numerous springs and 1.5 miles frontage on the Middle Fork of the Eel River.  Water here is plentiful and one of the best attributes of the ranch.

The ranch is teaming with wildlife, including deer, Tule elk, bear, pig, cougar, bobcat, quail, turkey, dove, and golden eagles. The ranch has a reputation for trophy Black tail bucks in an area known for healthy deer herds.

The Middle Fork of the Eel River, the main tributary to the Eel River, starts up in the Yolla Bolly Wilderness and flows down to Round Valley, fronting the ranch for 1.5 miles at its southern boundary.

One of the few major undammed rivers in the State, the Middle Fork of the Eel is known for containing one of the largest remaining summer runs of steelhead trout.  Fishing season is January 1 to May 31 and July 6 through September 30.  Artificial lures with barbless hooks only. The river is closed to all fishing June 1 through July 15 and October 1 through December 31. (Dates may change, check www.dfg.ca.gov for updated regulations.)

In addition to the trophy hunting and fishing mentioned above, the ranch has many miles of well-graded roads and trails for horseback riding, hiking, mountain biking, riding ATVs, and wildlife viewing.

Round Valley was originally inhabited by Yuki Indians, who fished and hunted for thousands of years, lived in crude bark and pole shelters, some ten feet in diameter and eight feet high, dug to a depth of about one foot without center poles. Dirt was piled partway up to keep out drafts and rain, and a pack basket weighted with stone served as a door.

It is believed a party of hunters and adventurers seeking gold traveled north from Sonoma County and stumbled upon the Valley in the mid 1850’s. Over the coming years, more white men traveled to the Valley and claimed large tracts of land. In 1856 Colonel Thomas Henley, the Superintendent of Indian Affairs for California, started the "Nome Cult Farm" or Indian Reservation. Henley’s ranch, the "Diamond H Ranch", was believed to be near one of the world’s largest oak trees, which today is estimated to be 1,500 years old, 165 feet tall and some 31 feet in diameter.  The magnificent tree stands near the main barn on the Hop and Barley Ranch today.

Hops and barley were the earliest crops in the valley and on the Ranch, which was then owned by Wolf Hop Company out of San Francisco. Grown on tall trellises, the hops were dried in large drying kilns, remains of which can still be seen on the Ranch.  Hops and barley gave way to a dairy operation which contributed to Round Valley Creamery in the 1930’s.  Now the dairy operation is gone, and has, in turn, given way to cattle grazing and hay production.

• Approximately 1,875 acres is zoned General Agricultural with a minimum parcel size of 40 acres, most of which is on the valley floor.


• Approximately 4,365 acres is zoned Rangeland with a minimum parcel size of 160 acres per parcel. For more zoning information please visit Mendocino County’s website at: http://www.co.mendocino.ca.us/planning/zoning/inland/index

All mineral rights owned by Seller will be transferred with the sale. Any interested parties to satisfy themselves with respect to mineral rights owned by Seller.

All personal property is subject to negotiation and to be sold under separate treaty.