California Missions and Ranches: Not Every Mission Had One

The 21 Spanish missions in Alta California were established along El Camino Real. Ranches (ranchos) were attached to missions only where sufficient grazing land existed. Missions in coastal valleys (e.g., San Juan Capistrano, Santa Barbara) had extensive cattle operations. Those in mountainous, forested, or urban settings (e.g., Mission San Francisco de Asís in present‑day San Francisco) did not.