Nestled deep within the Santa Lucia Mountains on California’s Monterey Peninsula lies a hidden world of wild beauty and intentional living. Here, towering redwoods give way to golden hills, oak trees wind through quiet valleys, and deer meander past grazing cattle. Within this heavenly haven, you’ll discover the Santa Lucia Preserve, a 20,000-acre private, gated community in Carmel where nature is not only protected but revered.

In June 2025, this exclusive community came together to celebrate the 25th anniversary of its two beloved clubs, The Ranch Club and The Preserve Golf Club, both founded in 2000. The milestone marked a quarter-century of meaningful connection, outdoor adventure, and the realization of a visionary lifestyle that continues to thrive today.

As a special guest of the property, I was privileged to be the only outside guest invited to their Anniversary Celebration Dinner. During the experience, I not only learned about the belief system, mindset, and approach of the founders, management, and employees, but also had the opportunity to speak at length with several homeowners and club members, which helped me better understand why The Preserve is revered as such a rare, special gem.

Tom Gray, Co-Founder of The Preserve, says, “The Santa Lucia Preserve is a unique community in vision and design. The diverse beauty of this 20,000-acre landscape inspired us to gently settle and protect this land in perpetuity.”

What began as a dream in August 1997 became a reality just two years later, with the sale of the first homesite in April 1999. During the height of the dot-com boom, the Preserve attracted thoughtful pioneers from Silicon Valley and beyond; people who valued privacy, authenticity, and a deeper connection to the land.

Over the years, the Preserve has also quietly become a favored backdrop for milestone moments, including the weddings of Derek Hough (4x Emmy-Award Winner & Dancing With The Stars Champion), which was featured in People, and Hilary Swank (Academy Award-winning actress and producer), whose celebrity-studded nuptials were chronicled in Vogue.

While The Preserve has attracted celebrities and high-net-worth individuals (due to its exclusivity, privacy, and incredible natural beauty), the allure here isn’t about fame or fortune. But rather, it’s about understated elegance, honoring a rare piece of land that is steeped in rich California history, and a sense of timelessness.

In a world where private communities often center around prestige and exclusivity, the Santa Lucia Preserve offers something refreshingly different: sincerity.

Despite the affluence here (homes valued in the multi-millions and memberships that rival top-tier clubs), there is surprisingly very little flash. Upon entering the exclusive anniversary celebration dinner, I was instantly greeted by residents who exuded warmth, affability, and a grounded demeanor.

I quickly came to realize that conversations over dinner are rarely about business or titles. If anything, many homeowners or club members at The Preserve deliberately avoid boasting about their illustrious careers. Instead, they prefer to create genuine connections through shared leisure experiences such as golf, hiking, pickleball, horseback riding, or impromptu softball games.

A few of the homeowners I was seated with over dinner informed me that relationships here are built human-to-human, not position-to-position. While The Preserve is home to many notable people, top executives, and successful entrepreneurs, I surmised that the community prides itself on building a culture that’s not fixated on networking, status, and money, but rather, one that’s focused on creating a sense of true belonging.

The people here support authenticity, humility, and wholesomeness, qualities that are passed down through generations, resulting in a culture that feels both inclusive and enduring. The Preserve strives to foster joyful interactions, a sense of adventure, an enthusiasm for outdoor exploration, a place for friends and families to converge, and good old-fashioned values.

The intention of expressing sincere hospitality, a kindred spirit, and camaraderie extends beyond members. Longtime employees like CEO Karen Baxter and Senior Director of Sales & Marketing Jen Anello (pictured below right) are woven into the fabric of daily life.

At the 25th anniversary celebration, members hugged them with heartfelt appreciation, showing an acknowledgment of mutual respect and genuine care. For these reasons, I learned that employees at The Preserve feel fulfilled and grateful for their jobs, and thereby do their best to excel at their roles while striving to exceed the expectations of the homeowners and club members.

“As someone with a deep appreciation for nature,” said Karen Baxter (pictured below, right), “The Preserve felt like home from the moment I arrived ten years ago. I’ve seen how the land brings people together, whether on the trails, the golf course, or gathered over a meal. I’m honored to help steward a community where connection and care for this extraordinary place go hand in hand.”

Of the 20,000 acres that make up the Preserve, 18,000 are permanently protected wildlands, managed by the Santa Lucia Conservancy, an independent nonprofit led by scientists, conservation experts, and homeowner representatives. This land (one of the most ecologically significant in North America) is a rare biodiversity “hotspot” home to native grasslands, endangered wildlife, and coastal oak habitats. The Conservancy plays an active role in grassland restoration, wildfire risk reduction through sustainable livestock grazing, and educational outreach.

Homeowners are offered guidance on how to care for their land with minimal disruption to wildlife. From landscaping with native plants to avoiding pesticides, organic practices are encouraged as a way of life. Even when mountain lions, wild pigs, or rattlesnakes make appearances, residents respond with calm reverence, calling for assistance if needed but otherwise coexisting peacefully.

This mindset of stewardship isn’t regulatory, but rather, it’s ingrained in the culture. It reflects a broader ethos: that the land doesn’t belong to the people, but that people belong to the land.

Unlike many private communities (which tend to be overdeveloped), the Santa Lucia Preserve is home to just 297 homesites, delicately spread across 2,000 acres. Every home is custom-designed and built to blend into its environment; some are award-winning in both design and sustainability.

As of mid-2025:

• 148 homes have been completed

• 25 more are under construction

• 25 architectural plans are under review

• All properties are resale only; there are no developer-owned lots remaining

Notable residents include Andrew ‘Boz’ Bosworth (Meta CTO), whose new 12,000-square-foot vacation home (valued at $45M) was recently featured in The Wall Street Journal, a tech entrepreneur from Silicon Valley who sold his startup to Dell, and Bobby Clampett (former PGA Tour player and TV golf analyst). Others include surgeons, business leaders, and entrepreneurs, many of whom have chosen to establish their home base (or at least a vacation home) at The Preserve to enjoy a deeper, slower rhythm of life.

In addition to being an exclusive gated community of multi-million dollar homes and press-worthy estates, The Preserve also offers two private clubs, each offering a distinct yet harmonious lifestyle experience: the Preserve Golf Club and the Ranch Club.

The Golf Club, featuring a Tom Fazio-designed course, is consistently ranked among Golf Digest’s Top 100 American Golf Courses. Carved into 365 acres of rolling hills and valleys, the course offers a tranquil, meditative playing experience surrounded by native flora and dramatic views. The Clubhouse, designed by Hart Howerton, includes a golf shop, spa-quality locker rooms, dining spaces, and expansive patios for unwinding post-round.

The Ranch Club, by contrast, is all about camaraderie and connection. With an equestrian center, three pools, a full Sports Center, Moore’s Lake, and 100 miles of private trails, the Ranch Club is where families come to play, gather, and explore. Its programming focuses on lifestyle, wellness, and celebration; whether it’s a holiday dinner, a glamping weekend, or a lakeside cookout.

At the heart of the Ranch Club is the Hacienda, a 1920s Spanish Colonial estate that once served as the property’s original working ranch. A century ago, Rancho San Carlos welcomed prominent guests from across the country to its grand Hacienda, an iconic gathering place for equestrian pursuits, celebratory dinners, and cultural festivities. Even into the 21st century, that spirit endures.

Today, it’s the cultural centerpiece of the community, where legacy and leisure meet. With multiple rooms for members and their guests, a courtyard, a swimming pool, fine dining, an organic garden, sprawling landscapes, and curated social events throughout the year, the Hacienda is a warm and welcoming space that brings people together. More than an amenity, the Hacienda is a living symbol of the Preserve’s spirit; a place to gather, reflect, and build tradition.

As I came to discover, what truly brings the Preserve’s community to life are the shared moments and elevated experiences that transcend the typical club calendar. From the stylish Concours & Cocktails event during Monterey Car Week (an exclusive gathering showcasing legendary automobiles), to private weddings set against sunlit hills, to member-only events like garden dinners and Western-themed weekends, there’s always something to celebrate here.

At the glamorous 25th Anniversary Celebration, homeowners, longtime employees, and the founding team gathered to honor what has been built and to look ahead toward the future.

“Seeing all of you here tonight is overwhelming,” Tom Gray told the crowd. “This was the dream we had years ago. This is exactly what we wanted in the beginning. Thank you for being a part of this community and keeping the legacy going.”

As the evening came to an end, I left with the profound impression that The Preserve is much more the just a luxury community, or even an awe-inspiring, natural refuge. It’s a testament to what can be created when people lead with values, when land is honored, and when legacy is cherished. And for those reasons and more, it’s apparent that the Santa Lucia Preserve is a sacred space where community, culture, and conservancy come together in harmony.

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[Disclosure: Media access provided by the Santa Lucia Preserve. All opinions are my own. Image credits: The Preserve and Christina-Lauren Pollack for Inspirations & Celebrations.]