It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1962 for its association with Norris, whose novels McTeague and The Octopus: A Story of California are major American literary works of the turn of the 20th century.

[2][3] The Frank Norris Cabin is located on a remote parcel of private land in the Santa Cruz Mountains, northwest of Gilroy, accessed via the Redwood Retreat Road and a steep 1 mile (1.6 km) hiking trail on that property.

Located a short distance from the cabin is a semicircular stone bench,[3] in which is mounted a plaque bearing the inscription "FRANK NORRIS, 1870 – 1902.

"[4] Frank Norris purchased 10 acres (4.0 ha) from the owner of the nearby Redwood Retreat Hotel in the summer of 1902, at which time the cabin was already on the property.

Norris's usage of the property is unclear: he made arrangements to enlarge the cabin, which had only one room when he bought it, but died quite suddenly (of complications from a burst appendix) in October 1902.