We own 920 acres of beautiful, sacred land two hours north of San Francisco in Lake County. The land is in a canyon in the upper Mayacmas mountain range, and borders on hundreds of acres of protected public land. There are park-quality forests, three creeks, and acres of open meadow which would be perfect for large festivals or events as well as conference centers.

Access from the highway is provided by good roads and two bridges currently cross the main creek. In addition, a county-maintained road runs through the property and both phone and electricity services are currently accessible to the interior of the land. There are currently no buildings of any kind on the property.

Zoning is a very workable combination of rural and agricultural land and the Lake County planning commission has demonstrated considerable enthusiasm and flexibility in considering our initial proposals. Event and use permit costs are reasonable and permits seem to be easily approved.

There are no seismic faults in the area (although hot water has been found in the vicinity), and the climate is warmer and drier than the coastal climate of Sonoma, Marin, or San Francisco. The land is only 5 minutes from the growing town of Middletown, 20 minutes from Calistoga, and 45 minutes from Santa Rosa. A liberal arts college is currently under construction in nearby Middletown.

There are many ecotypes at Eleusis--California native meadows (Purple Needlegrass, California fuscia, goldfields, etc.), mixed oak and manzanita woodlands, ponderosa and doug fir forests, a large maple grove, artesian-fed riparian areas, serpentine meadows, and a juniper pygmy forest. Many of these areas are either slightly disturbed or are close to 'pristine'. Some oak, manzanita, fir, and ponderosa trees are more than 200 years old, and some blue, black, and valley oaks oaks might exceed 300 years in age. The landscape is adjacent to large tracts of BLM land, and this forms a nearly contiguous wilderness area up until the crest of the Mayacamas mountains to the west.

Megafauna appear to be living well there: so far we have seen deer, bobcat, fox, mountain lion, coyote, and black bear.

There are areas that were logged 7-8 years ago, which we will focus our attention on to reduce fire fuel loads (slash, poorly spaced young trees).

We intend to populate and concentrate our activities on the eastern fringe of Eleusis, with the vast majority of the interior remaining largely untouched save for a few trails. Two of the largest forest disturbance areas are in this eastern location. About half of the 100-150 year old population of ponderosa and douglas fir trees still stand there, and locating the main ecovillage center in this area will enable us to focus our attention on restoring the forest's health.

The opportunities for ecological study and learning in this landscape are enormous and we have only begun to grasp the implications of it.

To see maps and documents pertaining to the land, click here.