HISTORy

a nature sanctuary and haven of empathy and connection…

There is a certain magnetism to this piece of Northern California wilderness that has attracted travelers, wayseers and visionaries for nearly a century. Beginning with the native Tabete Pomo tribe which some records say had a nearby village dating back 5000 years, the natural beauty of the Land has been very generous with the people whose lives it’s touched.

The property was first developed by Mary Ward and her brother James Hanen in 1908, who started a lodging resort that continued to operate through the 40s and 50s. During this time, many of the cabins you see today were built. Irving Newman bought the land around 1957 and converted the property to El Rancho Navarro, a long-beloved children’s camp and modern-day resort.

Over the last few decades the property has been known as Shenoa, meaning in one of the Native American languages, “the peace you find in nature,” and has hosted teachers, innovators, celebrities, and corporate CEO’s alike.