Forget Sequoia National Park, Between San Francisco And San Jose Is A Scenic Estate With Redwoods And Trails

Sequoia National Park's giant ancient trees may be the largest in the world by volume, according to the National Park Service. But they're definitely not the tallest. That distinction goes to their close relatives, the coast redwoods. Also native to California, these towering trees can stretch upwards of 350 feet into the sky, easily dwarfing the giant sequoias in stature. You can see these stunning natural beauties up close at the Phleger Estate, a protected area in Northern California's San Mateo County, right between San Francisco and San Jose.

The Phleger Estate sits on 1,300 acres in the heart of the Santa Cruz Mountains. While young by redwoods standards, the property has a long history of its own. As the blog North American Country Estates explains, it all started back in the late 1920s, when Samuel Eastman, a former executive of the Spring Valley Water Company, built a Tudor Revival-style home on land he purchased from the water company's then-owner, William Bourn. Years later, in the 1930s, San Francisco attorney Herman Phleger and his wife, Mary Elena, bought the house and some of the surrounding land.

The mansion changed hands again in the 1990s after being acquired by Silicon Valley magnate Gordon Moore. The estate's land was sold to the Peninsula Open Space Trust around the same time and was subsequently opened to the public as part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Today, you can freely explore the grounds — save for the private residence, which went up for sale in 2025 — strolling along the scenic trails among the imposing redwoods.

The Phleger Estate's history extends far beyond its 20th-century owners. According to the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, the redwood-covered lands the Phleger Estate occupies were once stripped by the logging industry. Back in the mid-1850s, a slew of steam-powered mills operated in the area, their boilers fed by the waters of the West Union Creek, which runs along the estate to the east beside the old country house. Remnants of some of the mills& can still be found on the grounds today, which are now blanketed by second-growth coast redwood groves.

Visitors can walk among the colossal redwoods as they explore the property. The Phleger Estate has several miles of hiking trails, which wind through the wooded and creek-lined terrain. They're all moderately challenging, so definitely be prepared for a little elevation gain. Enjoy a bit of solitude and tranquility as you follow the aptly named Lonely Trail. As one hiker shared in a Facebook post, the views of the redwoods along this path "are breathtaking!" The scenic jaunt covers about 3.5 miles of ground out and back and cuts through the middle of the estate, connecting with other paths, including the Mount Redondo Trail and the Raymundo Trail.

Keep an eye out for California critters as you wander through the redwoods. A variety of wildlife have been spotted in the area, including black-tailed deer, bobcats, and newts, amphibians that secrete toxins as a defense mechanism. A variety of birds have also been recorded at the estate, per eBird, from Northern pygmy-owls and Hutton's vireos to brown creepers and Pacific wrens.

The Phleger Estate sits on the southern end of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area — America's most-visited national park site in 2024, per the National Park Service. The property stretches between Interstate 280 and State Route 35, right on the outskirts of Woodside and the Silicon Valley suburb of Redwood City. There is no dedicated parking area in the estate itself, but you can access the grounds through Huddart Park next door. Park at the lot near the Zwierlein Picnic Area, which costs $6 per vehicle to access, at the time of writing. From there, walk about a mile along the Crystal Springs Trail and up to the Richards Road Trail to access the main trailhead.

Get the lay of the land before you visit by checking out the handy map of the estate's grounds and the county park's trails online. The Miramontes Trail (which connected Huddart Park to Phleger) was previously closed after being damaged by heavy storms. But there is a new bypass route to access the property. You can also park along State Route 35, known locally as Skyline Boulevard, on the southern end of the estate to easily access the Lonely Trail via a short stretch of the Richards Road Trail. You'll have to leave Fido at home, because dogs aren't allowed. The same goes for bicycles, so no riding in on two wheels.

Explore more of the area with a visit to Filoli, considered by some to be the Bay Area's best botanic garden. The historic home — which was built by William Bourn, the same man who originally owned the land the Phleger Estate stands on today — is only a short drive away.