Estate Trail at Filoli Mansion and Gardens

Filoli is a living museum of an early twentieth-century "country estate" that was built by a man who became enormously rich from owning the Empire Mine, one of the most successful gold mines in California. He went on to become a captain of industry in other ways too (shipping companies and water companies, etc.). The enormity of his wealth is apparent in this summer home that he built for his family. The majority of the museum is focused on the house and especially the fabulous gardens, but there is a truly lovely one-mile nature hike that is worth checking out too!

Map of the house and gardens

Map of the one-mile estate trail

The entrance fee to the estate will give you access to the house (very cool to see, looks like something from Downton Abbey), the gardens (really the jewel of the estate), the cafe, the garden shop, and the Estate Nature Trail. I'm generally more of a fan of public parks, but I am super glad that I went here at least once.

As a fun side note: the house and gardens are where the original Dynasty was filmed. We got to see the pool where this CLASSIC MOMENT OF AMERICAN TELEVISION was filmed.