Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch

Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch is a ranch near Oro Grande, California. It is a popular stop for people passing by on Route 66. The 2 acres (0.81 ha) ranch was created in 2000 by Elmer Long and has more than 200 bottle trees.^[5] It is open from sunrise to sunset and is free to enter.^[6]

Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch
The ranch in 2016
Location within the Los Angeles metropolitan area Show map of the Los Angeles metropolitan area Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch (California) Show map of California Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch (the United States) Show map of the United States
General information
Location	24266 National Trails Hwy, Oro Grande, CA 92368
Coordinates	34°41′27″N 117°20′22″W / 34.6907°N 117.3395°W / 34.6907; -117.3395
Named for	Elmer Evan Long Jr.^[2]^[3]
Owner	Elliot Long^[1]
Grounds	2 acres (0.81 ha)^[3]^[4]
Website
thebottletreeranch.com

History

As a child in the 1950s, Long camped in the Mojave Desert with his father, Elmer Long Sr., collecting objects they found and keeping notes on their location. Long Sr. was an aviation engineer in Manhattan Beach and was interested in the desert.^[3][7] After his dad's death, he came into possession of many colorful bottles his dad had collected. Long, wanting to put the bottles to use, tied some to a wooden post, creating the first bottle tree. When the sun rose the following morning, he was fascinated by how the light caught them and decided to make more.^{[5][8][9][10][11]}

Long died of lung cancer on June 22, 2019, causing the ranch to close for a few months, reopening in early September.^[6][12] He was buried at Victor Valley Mortuary in Victorville.^[13] Elmer's son, Elliot, took over the ranch after his death.^[1][14]

Description

The ranch is mainly a forest of bottle trees — pipes made out of metal from which glass bottles (mainly of the soda and beer variety) are hung. Other installations include a boat filled with bottles and a tree made out of a used missile.^[6] Most trees have unique decorations on top of them, like a handmade rake, an electric guitar, a surfboard, a wagon, and a gumball machine.^[14] Other miscellaneous items, such as farm equipment, a typewriter, and a Jeep can also be found on the property. Geese occasionally appear as well.^[15][16]

References

1. "The Weird and Wonderful Glass Forest of Bottle Tree Ranch". Atomic Redhead. 2022-02-23. Retrieved 2023-09-21.
2. "Official website". Retrieved 2023-09-20.
3. "Visit Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch in Oro Grande". Hidden California. 2021-07-27. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
4. Rhodes, Michael (2023-08-26). "Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch". Medium. Retrieved 2023-09-21.
5. Patowary, Kaushik (2010-08-27). "The Bottle Tree Ranch of Elmer Long". Amusing Planet. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
6. "Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch on Route 66". California Through My Lens. 2013-08-27. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
7. "Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch Rt 66 Offers Peace and Joyous Light - DesertUSA". DesertUSA. Retrieved 2023-09-21.
8. "Bottle Tree Ranch - A Roadside Attraction on Route 66". Oddity Central. 2010-08-20. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
9. Long, Elmer (2013-07-07). (Interview). Interviewed by Josh from California Through My Lens. Archived from the original on 2023-04-18.
10. Bartell, John (2022-10-06). "Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch: Artistic Route 66 recycling". ABC10. Retrieved 2023-09-21.
11. "High Desert Hideaway: Elmer Long's Bottle Tree Ranch". KCET. 2014-07-14. Retrieved 2023-09-21.
12. Warnick, Ron (2019-09-01). "Bottle Tree Ranch reopens full-time after the death of its creator". Route 66 News. Retrieved 2023-09-21.
13. "Elmer Long, creator of the Bottle Tree Ranch on Route 66, dies at 72". Victor Valley News Group. 2019-07-06. Retrieved 2023-09-21.
14. Maher, Jennifer (2019-10-18). "Route 66 Bottle Tree Ranch founder passes, but Elmer Long's famous attraction lives on". The San Bernardino Sun. Retrieved 2023-09-21.
15. "Bottle Tree Ranch (Route 66) — Flying Dawn Marie". Flying Dawn Marie. 2021-04-12. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
16. "Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch". Jaz Wanderlust. 2018-10-21. Retrieved 2023-09-21.

External links

• Official website
• Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch on Atlas Obscura
• Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch on Roadside America