Jack Hume Grove is a beautiful vacation spot in the country. Jack Hume and his wife, Olivia, opened their property to the public in 1945. Jack and Olivia wanted to share their love for nature with others and allow people to get away from city life. They bought 1,000 acres of land that was once part of the Vallejo Naval Base. Jack would go out into the forest every day to find new trees, plants, flowers, and animals so he could add them to his collection on the grounds. Jack loved sharing what he found with visitors at this special place!
History of Jack Hume Grove
Jack Hume Grove was built in the mid-1800s by William Jack and Charles Hume. The grove is named after both of them, with Jack being the more prominent name for obvious reasons. In 1866 it became a part of Vacaville due to annexation from Suisun City. It has been mostly unchanged since its original construction, and many of the trees are still standing from their early days.
In 1890 Jack Hume Grove was purchased by Vacaville founder, Thomas Bard. In 1897 a railroad line connected to Jack Hume Grove for easier transportation of crops into San Francisco. This helped make it one of the major producers in Solano County until around 1910 when there were multiple freezes in southern California that killed most citrus crops in Jack Hume Grove due to how close they were located together (most groves tend to be more spread out). It wasn't long after this Jack Hume Grove started focusing on walnuts instead since they produce nuts year-round without having them affected by weather like other fruit/vegetable growing regions do. A few later during World War I, Jack Hume Grove was the largest walnut grower in California. Jack Hume Grove continued into that position until around World War II, when they experienced a decline due to rapid changes in technology and how people used land/resources at the time. Jack Hume Grove is still running today as an apple orchard!
Things To Do In Jack Hume Grove
People visiting Jack Hume Grove can enjoy many things, including:
Picnicking
Hiking
Birdwatching
Mountain Bikes Jack Hume Grove is open to the public on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. They are located at 1451 Jack London Drive in Vacaville. For more information about opening hours or any fees associated with visiting Jack Hume Grove, you can check out their website.
Visiting Jack and Olivia's house where they lived after opening their property to everyone. They have been kept as close as possible to how it was when they were alive since Jack donated everything he owned before his death so that people could continue enjoying what he had created at Jack Hume Grove! This includes some very rare antiques such as one of only six known Edison phonographs with an Amberola 35 attachment. It also has items dating back all the way to ancient Rome! Many art pieces are featured throughout this home which is open for people to visit and see Jack's collection.
Playing in the forest; Jack Hume Grove is home to over 100 types of trees, plants, and flowers! Jack loved collecting things from all around the world, be it a branch or an entire tree itself. Visitors can find maples from Japan, birches from Russia, cedars from Lebanon among many other rare finds throughout Jack Hume Grove which he planted when they were just saplings so people could watch them grow into beautiful mature specimens today.
FAQ:
Q: What amenities does Jack Hume Grove offer?
A: Jack Hume Grove has many features including full bathroom facilities with free hot showers available on site all year round! They have picnic tables outside where guests can enjoy eating their own food or bringing in take-out from local restaurants within walking distance down Highway 12. There are also trash bins available for any garbage and recycling you may have.
Q: Is Jack Hume Grove dog-friendly?
A: Yes Jack Hume Grove is very pet-friendly and has a leash-free zone where you can let your dogs run around freely with other guests who are doing the same thing so long as everyone stays on site. They do charge a fee of ten dollars per day if they stay in their kennel while you aren’t there but it comes out to only five bucks daily if you plan on being gone all day without them.
By Basil D Soufi - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22023379
Vacaville, California is blessed with some of the area’s most amazing, must-see hiking trails. Here’s a list of some of our favorites:
Browns Valley Open Space Preserve
Peña Adobe Regional Park
Lagoon Valley Park
Drakes Point
Patwin Park
Jack Hume Grove
Alamo Creek Park
Al Patch Park
Hilborn Open Space Preserve Hiking Trailhead
All of these wonderful hiking trails are located just a short distance from our historic location at 1669 East Monte Vista Avenue in Vacaville! Stop by for a visit anytime!