Home»Gallery»Portola Valley Ranch, Windy Hill, Etc.»Hawthorns Property

The Hawthorns Property (AKA the Woods Estate) is a 78-acre preserve between Alpine Road and Los Trancos Road, just east of Portola Valley Ranch in Portola Valley. The Woods family gave it to the Mid-peninsula Open Space District (MROSD) in 2011, with a restrictive easement which is managed by POST. MROSD administers the Hawthorns Property as part of the Windy Hill Open Space Preserve.

Features include a historic main building, in bad condition; an adjacent barn, perhaps designed by Julia Morgan; many other structures in various states of disrepair; a house ("Alpine Road House") that is close to being inhabitable; open land and fields, including nice stands of native grasses and several stands of French broom; Los Trancos Creek; and over 1000 olive trees in several orchards, also in various states of upkeep.

There is no public access at this time. MROSD does allow guided groups from time to time. Here are some photographs of the land and the structures on it.

Discussions are ongoing regarding how the land and the structures will be maintained. I hope that the public will at least be allowed access to some trails across the land. There are lovely views from several points, and nice forests and fields.