Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch

How to Get There

From Victorville (10 mi): Take Interstate 15 north to the D Street exit, follow National Trails Highway north through Oro Grande, and continue to the art ranch located directly along the historic Route 66 corridor.

Overview

The Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch is one of the most imaginative roadside attractions on historic Route 66, transforming ordinary discarded objects into an outdoor gallery unlike any other in the American Southwest. Created by artist Elmer Long, the site features hundreds of steel structures decorated with colorful glass bottles that glow brilliantly in the desert sunlight. As visitors wander among the towering creations, they discover a forest of handcrafted sculptures accented with antique tools, signs, vehicle parts, and other salvaged treasures that celebrate creativity, recycling, and the enduring spirit of roadside Americana.

The ranch began as a personal artistic vision inspired by a lifelong fascination with collecting bottles and overlooked artifacts from the desert. Over time, it evolved into an internationally recognized destination that attracts photographers, road-trip enthusiasts, and art lovers from around the world. The gentle sounds produced by wind moving through the glass, combined with the dazzling colors and open desert setting, create a uniquely memorable experience. Today, the site continues to be maintained by Elmer Long's family and remains one of the most iconic and photographed attractions along the California stretch of Route 66.

This article uses material from the Wikipedia articles and official tourism pages for the Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch, which are released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0.