My Hike to the Cobb Estate in Altadena
My fellow outdoor enthusiasts, this blog post is for you! A few days ago, I made the hour-long trek from my place to my friend Sierra’s home in Altadena.
Our plan for the day was simple; lunch and hiking to the Cobb Estate. I stumbled upon this trail on none other than TikTok, and it turns out it was blocks away from where Sierra lives.
Before our little outdoor excursion, we made our way to Old Pasadena for some food. I know this blog post is about the hike, but I have to plug in Kabuki, a Japanese-style restaurant with an expansive menu.
The food was great (peek my salad below) and so was the service! We also had some miso soup and hibachi chicken rice (Ah, I miss going to Benihana),
But anyway, back to the hike! What sparked my interest about the Cobb Estate trail specifically, is that it’s allegedly haunted.
How or why, I wasn’t sure, but here’s what I did know before the hike thanks to TikTok; Charles Cobb was an old white guy with a lot of money who built a massive home where the trail is. The home is no longer there but there are some remnants that you can still see on the hike.
Sierra and I wanted to see the little that was left, so off we went. Here is what you need to know if you also want to hike the trail yourself!
First and foremost, you can plug in the “Cobb Estate” into Google Maps for directions. It’s at the end of a residential street and there is street parking available. We went on a Saturday and were able to find a spot. You will then come upon this gated entrance.
Next to the gated entrance, there is a smaller open area (not pictured) that leads you into the trail. The gates are closed and I think they are there solely for aesthetic and historical purposes. This is public property and there were several hikers around. There is also a plaque on the gates that talks about Charles Cobb.
Upon entering, you’ll be entranced by the gorgeous scenery of this place. All you need to do is stay on the concrete path to reach the Cobb Estate. I’ve been calling this a hike but really, it’s a brisk walk. It takes about 10-15 minutes to reach the former site of the estate from the gates.
After a nice walk around the greenery, we arrived! And here is what we found:
Remains of the Cobb Estate
Sierra and I walked around the stairs, complemented the area, and chuckled to ourselves that this place did not give us any spooky or haunted vibes. In fact, it seems like a place where a lot of partying happens (we found a half-full Vodka bottle and plenty of litter). Keep in mind that this place is nicknamed the enchanted and haunted forest.
More remnants of the Cobb Estate
After scoping the area, Sierra and I headed back to her house to do some reading on why this place was haunted.
Our research led us to some bogus urban legends including that Charles Cobb murdered his wife and family (not true) and that a nun was murdered on the grounds (could not find any substantial evidence on that).
What Sierra and I did find was the death of a woman in 2019. She was found inside of a tent on the trail. This woman was most likely homeless and no cause of death has been found. However, I feel this isn’t spooky, just sad.
I decided to abandon the haunted aspect of the story and look into Charles Cobb himself and the history of the home. There’s not too much information but here’s what I found.
Cobb was born in 1852 in Maine and made his money in Seattle as a lumber magnate. In 1918, he and his wife Carrie permanently moved to the Altadena Spanish-themed mansion they built as a summer home, the Cobb Estate.
Click this link to see the only photo of the estate that exists.
In 1939, at the age of 87, Cobb died. The house then went to the Pasadena Masons (sus) as instructed in his will. The Masons eventually sold it and it became a nuns retreat (which is probably how that urban legend of the murdered nun started).
In 1956, the home was sold once again to the Marx Brothers (as in the famed comedians ). For whatever reason, they decided to tear the home down in 1959 and the land sat unused for years.
They wanted to build a cemetery on the land but that was very much opposed by Altadena Residents. Eventually, the land was bought by the city and it became a hiking destination.
Sierra and I on the trail
