Filoli Trail

Most people know about Filoli because of its 16 acres of gardens. But what most people don't know about this 654 acre estate is that it has many amazing hiking trails surrounding the estate. The hike itself features amazing views of meadows, creeks, birds, and trees. The trip to Filoli is well worth it just to go on a hike, but what was fun about this hike was that at the beginning and end, I got to explore the mansion and gardens. The house itself was built between 1915 and 1917 for William Bowers Bourn II. Mr. Bourn was president of the Spring Valley Water Company, which owned Crystal Springs Lake, and when he and his wife died, the estate was sold to Mr. and Mrs. William P. Roth, owners of the Matson Navigation Company. The Roth family is responsible for the gardens. When Mrs. Roth died in 1975, she donated the estate to the National Trust for Historic Preservation so the public could enjoy the wildlife, gardens, and mansion itself.