Bottle Tree Ranch | Oro Grande, CA

Elmer’s Bottle Tree Ranch is a must-see roadside attraction along the historic Route 66 that breaks up and adds excitement to the long drive from Southern California to Las Vegas.

The entire ranch of over 200 metal trees decorated in glass bottles, is a testament to one man’s passion for creating a unique form of art he graciously shares for free with anyone who stops by. Elmer’s masterpiece is a sea of bottles that one could spend an hour easily strolling through and admiring right smack dab in the middle of the California desert in the small town of Oro Grande. This oddity is open sunrise to sunset seven days a week and is free to enter.

As I drove the 11 miles down Route 66 eagerly anticipating my arrival at Bottle Tree Ranch, I couldn’t help but feel like I was driving into a scene from “The Hills Have Eyes”. The infamous Route 66 was desolate, not a single car in sight and the long stretch of land was mostly barren. As I got closer to my desired destination, a few small shops jutted out from the side of the highway along with a few signs indicating I was indeed driving on Route 66. That eased my anxiety a bit, traveling alone and as a female to this destination. Upon my arrival, all my fears were swept away the moment I saw the abstract work of art in front of me. I parked right in front of the entrance, on the side of the dusty road turned into a make-shift parking lot where a few other cars had also parked.

Stepping into Bottle Tree Ranch, past the “Welcome Come On In” sign, I was immediately bombarded with hundreds of bottles hanging gracefully from their metal tree branches. There were so many different colors, sizes, and styles it was mesmerizing to stare at, and before I knew it I had been wandering around for a good 45 minutes. I wasn’t the only one admiring this work of art, there were at least 10 other individuals who had stopped to experience this beautiful landscape themselves.

If you’re lucky, Elmer may even be out and about sharing facts and the history of his impressive Bottle Tree Ranch. If you feel inclined to, you can also leave Elmer a donation in his donation box located near the entrance to help him pay for his unique art (Bonus: if you do donate you can take a small piece of glass as souvenir).

History of Bottle Tree Ranch

Bottle Tree Ranch was built the ranch 15 years ago at the turn of the millennium out of a collection of old bottles Elmer began collecting when he was just a child. The inspiration for collecting old bottles began with camping trips Elmer and his father used to take out in the California deserts. The duo would find old dumps out in the desert which inevitably led to bringing their used treasures home.

One day Elmer’s father found a bottle in one of these dumps and brought it back, which led to him collecting more bottles for the next 20 years. Just when his father was going to give his bottle collection away, Elmer stopped him just in time to collect some of the bottles. At the age of 55, after a stint in the military and starting a family, Elmer decided to retire and focus his attention on Bottle Tree Ranch.

Shaped like hat racks, colorful glass bottles hang from slanted metal hooks. The Bottle Tree Ranch has now grown to 200 installations and whirr in the wind. His creation still stands today and is open for all to see. Elmer states , “All you gotta do is look around and it looks like a nightmare, and it is a nightmare, but it’s mine.”