This property was previously a private ranch, but was purchased by Wildlands Conservancy in 2023 (see more below). It is intended to be renovated and opened to the public in stages. Currently, the only access is by permit or invitation.

Two gates to Rana Creek Preserve front on Carmel Valley Road. One may bird along the roadside by these gates in public-access areas, and these very limited spots are already a Hotspot called "Carmel Valley Rd. at Rana Creek Preserve (MP 19.3 to 20.8)." You can click on that Hotspot (below right) for details -- do not block gates and beware of traffic -- but the oak savanna there is excellent for a brief stop. Please do not confuse these adjacent Hotspots. Please limit your use of this "Rana Creek Preserve" Hotspot ONLY to birding and surveys inside the large Preserve, but do not include birds at the gates.

From the Wildlands Conservancy site: "With its iconic California oak woodland landscape, a journey through Rana Creek Ranch is like going back in time before highway traffic, strip malls, and power lines marred coastal California. Situated between Salinas Valley and the Santa Lucia Range, Rana Creek is one of the largest historic landholdings in California’s Carmel Valley, with 14,142 contiguous acres ranging from 500 to 3,400 feet in elevation, and is critically important for flora, fauna, and people.

Rana Creek Ranch contains some of the best oak woodland habitat remaining in Central California. Nurtured by the fog and rain blowing in from Monterey Bay, the trees show little impact from recent drought, and because of careful past management, the oak forests are replete with an understory of native plants and a surprising absence of invasive plant species.

Rana Creek Ranch is the traditional homeland of the Esselen tribe, and The Wildlands Conservancy welcomes a growing partnership with the tribe to help steward the land, restore its fish and wildlife, and host the visiting public.

The $35 million acquisition, which was completed on July 28, 2023, was funded with a mix of private and public support, including $24 million from the California Wildlife Conservation Board, the largest grant for acquisition the agency has made this year, and $2 million from the State Coastal Conservancy."