Conveniently located in the hills above the Town of Woodside and ideally situated for a quick morning or afternoon getaway, Thornewood is a 167-acre preserve offering nice, easy hikes or horseback rides through beautiful surroundings. The preserve’s ¾-mile Schilling Lake Trail gradually winds through sunlit canopies of big-leaf maples and moss-covered oaks and ends under the shade of the giant redwoods that surround the lake. Schilling Lake is an excellent site to view waterfowl during their migration, so please be sure your dog is on leash and at your side when visiting this sensitive wildlife habitat area.

The new Bridle Trail (Photo by Meredith Manning, MROSD)

Construction: Next Phase

Construction begins August 9, 2010 to connect the new Bridle Trail (opened in May 2009) with Old La Honda Road. The existing section of the Bridle Trail, constructed in 2008, remains open throughout the project.

Funded in part by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), this latest project will create safe equestrian, hiking, and dogs-on-leash passage through Dennis Martin Creek for as much of the year as possible, while reducing sedimentation to the aquatic environment.

If wet conditions create unsafe conditions for horses, the trail will be closed to equestrians (but hopefully still remain open to hikers). Depending on post-construction conditions, the trail may be closed to equestrians through the first winter, to allow the soil to compact and settle evenly.

Elsewhere on the Preserve, the Thornewood House, surrounded by 3.5 acres of landscaping and a breathtaking view of the valley, is an example of estate life of the 1920s. This 87-acre estate was willed to the Sierra Club Foundation and later given to the District. Currently, the house and 10-acre private leasehold are being restored and are closed to the public. However, the remaining 77 acres of the estate, including an easy walk along wooded trails leading to Schilling Lake, are open to the public throughout the year.

HOW TO GET THERE

Access to the preserve is through a brick gate on the south side of La Honda Road (Highway 84), 1.6 miles past its intersection with Portola Road in Woodside. A narrow driveway winds through the woods for 0.3 miles before reaching the parking lot located on the west side of the driveway. Parking for approximately 12 cars is available here.

Download a map of Thornewood Open Space Preserve