Category: City & Regional Parks

Coyote Lake Harvey Bear Ranch County Park is a large park with hiking trails that provide great view of Coyote lake and the cities of Gilroy and San Martin. The featured trail starts at the 3rd parking lot with the boating launch ramp at Bear Ranch entrance.

Santa Teresa County Park is located in San Jose and has great views of the Bay from Santa Teresa Peak and is a popular place to see wildflowers on the Rocky Ridge Trail. Adjacent to the park is an archery range and a historic park called Bernal-Gulnac-Joice Ranch.

Sanborn County Park is a good place to go in Saratoga if you’re looking for shady trails with redwood trees. There is ample parking which makes this a popular place for gatherings. The trail I took was part of the 2020 PixInParks challenge which is the Petersen + Sanborn Trail Loop.

This park requires a windy drive up a mountain. I recommend taking a smaller car since the two lane road is narrow and there are many bikers sharing the road with you. This is the largest Santa Clara county park and there are a variety of trails to explore. For an easy trail, Hotel Trail is very flat and wide.

If you don’t want to see too many people, Mt Madonna County Park is a great place to walk in hot weather. The area was once owned by a cattle lord named Henry Miller and there are cool remains of his estate on the Nature Trail.

Vargas Plateau has great views of Fremont and is a good place to take a relaxing walk. This is definitely a nice park to go to when its cloudy and green.

Coyote Creek Lagoon Trail is 2.5 miles long (one-way).  There are two entrances and it is part of Don Edwards San Francisco National Wildlife Refuge.  Along with being a great place to visit during a lunch break, this is great spot for birding.  

Ed Levin County Park in Milpitas is a popular park with a lake, dog park, and hills. The most popular trail in this park is the Agua Caliente Trail -> Calera Creek Trail loop which is a 3.7 mile hike that starts at the Tularcitos trailhead near the dog park.

Sabercat Creek Trail is owned by the city of Fremont and is paved. It is a neighborhood park and the trail is mostly shaded. There are a variety of plants and houses you see on the way.

The Preserve is a short but hilly trail with easy access. There are nice views of the buildings and houses in Pleasanton and Dublin and in the springtime there are wildflowers.