About the Ranch

Swanton Pacific Ranch is located in Santa Cruz County at the northern reaches of California's Central Coast and the Monterey Bay. The 3,200 acre property is a landscape composed of grandiose redwood forests, lush riparian ecosystems, and expansive coastal grasslands overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

If you wish to visit Swanton, please fill out the Facilities Use Request Form!

If you wish to be alerted when our apple orchard Upick opens next fall, 2025, input your email here!

The Student Experience

Living and learning on a working ranch
Development of career skills
Exposure to current technologies
Working on diverse research projects

Ranch Overview

Recognized for its expansive biodiversity and abundant resources, this area provides a valuable opportunity to study the methods of resource conservation applied through sustainable management techniques. The ranch was donated to the College in 1993 by the late Al Smith. A Cal Poly graduate and founder of Orchard Supply Hardware, Al had specific goals, "...that Swanton Pacific Ranch be maintained as a working ranch and used exclusively for agriculture, recreational, educational purposes".

This educational and research facility is owned by the Cal Poly Corporation and managed by the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences. Faculty, graduate students and undergraduates actively pursue research opportunities, utilizing the forest, rangeland, and watershed resources within the ranch. The ranch hosts a variety of functions some of which include the production of certified natural beef, "U-pick" certified organic apples, hosting of professional meetings and workshops, and courses offered by the Department of Natural Resource Management.