Onyx Ranch – Commercial Area – OHMVR / SVRA

Onyx Ranch is a sprawling 68,000 acre working cattle ranch in Kern County with distinct agricultural, natural and commercial zones. The commercial zone is comprised of two main collections of buildings – the Ranch Headquarters located inside the ranch and the famous Onyx Store located on route 178 West a short drive from the entrance to the ranch. When cattle was king the Onyx HQ used to be the resemble a village or small town for the hundreds of workers on the ranch. Today many of the buildings are derelict but with a little paint in the headquarters/old village area could still pass for a rural village, town or ghost town. The headquarters/old village area is nestled at the base of a rocky mountain. It consists of rows of cabins for workers, suburban ranch-style houses with yards and fences, barns, silos, storage sheds, a bridge, paved and dirt tree lined roads and a junkyard. It is surrounded by corrals, fields and mountains. The Onyx Store is not just a single building, but a series of buildings situated along a picturesque bend on route 178 West. The actual store (an old fashioned general store) is distinctive for it’s classic western facade, which also boasts a terrace for dining. In front of the store is an old-fashioned weigh-station that still works and is occasionally used. Across the street are two storage sheds, a large hand painted sign and beyond the parking lot (approximately 100 yards from the store) is the “owner’s house”. The store is a classic and an entire set in itself.