Barker Ranch
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This ranch was built around 1940 by the Thomason family and used as a storage facility for their mining activity. After Bluch Thomason died in 1950, it became a recreational and vacation destination, bought by James and Arlene Barker. However, its early history as a mining estate is overshadowed by its notoriety in 1968 as a hideout for mass murderer Charles Manson who received permission from an unsuspecting Arlene Barker to stay there with some of his remaining followers. After vandalizing and stealing property, authorities apprehended the group not knowing they had captured some of America's most wanted. In 2010, the wooden buildings burned down but some of the stone structures still remain. From Trona Wildrose Rd., go east on Ballarat Rd. For 25 miles, follow Ballarat Rd. to Wingate Rd. to Coyote Canyon (about an hour and a half) to reach your destination.