Summary

A prominent feature along Trail 1 is the site where the Zoology Cabin once stood, now marked by the remains of the fireplace that was at the rear of the cabin.  The zoology cabin is an archaeological site that is registered with the state.  There was little physical documentation of the site until late 2022 when Stanford Heritage Services archaeologists Garrett Trask, Tim Wilcox, Marco Antonio Ramos Barajas, and Edwin Magaña-Lopez surveyed the site. Using metal detectors, they flagged, recorded, and recovered objects such as nails that were shallowly buried.  Many of the objects were along Trail 1 itself.  In the video below, Garrett points out features of the site, while other members of the team probe for artefacts using pinpoint metal detectors, nicknamed “carrots.”

The cabin was built by members of the Zoology department, both faculty and students, to house overnight groups from campus.  Campouts by the Zoology Club, one of the earliest clubs at Stanford, began in 1916.  Other groups used the cabin, too.  A decade after it was constructed, the university took down the cabin.  It was later rebuilt by a Boy Scout group and then demolished again in the 1930s, this time for good.

The photograph above is of the Zoology Cabin and is from an album of Herb Dengler.  The back of the photo states “Phil Christensen took this of Tony Morse and me (Tony on right).  H.J.D.”   The photograph is dated 1925.

In addition to the Zoology cabin, Garrett supervised archaeological surveys of the Dennis Martin site, the Hermit’s home site, and other significant areas within Jasper Ridge.

▶​VIDEO: Garrett Trask and a team of archaeologists surveying the Zoology Cabin site (3min)

Project Location (Sector 14)

Visible from Trail/Road

1 - Creek