Santa Teresa County Park
Next Hike - April 11th, 2009
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About Santa Teresa County Park: The Santa Teresa County Park is located in the Santa Teresa Hills ten miles south of downtown San Jose. This diverse 1,627 acre park, rich in history, offers spectacular views from its trails above the Almaden and Santa Clara Valleys. The secluded upland valleys of the park provide a quiet interlude for exploring the natural environment minutes away from the surrounding developed areas..
Trail Info: The park offers over 18 miles of unpaved trails for equestrian, hiking and bicycle use. Some of the trails are steep, namely around Coyote Peak. The Coyote Alamitos Canal is a Santa Clara Valley Water District facility. The canal includes a maintenance road which is not part of the park's trail system. The Ohlone trail is closed to bicycle and equestrian use. Spectacular wildflower displays may be found from March through June on the Stile Ranch Trail as well as many other trails in the park..
Hike Description: Santa Teresa Park is located in the Santa Teresa Hills in south San Jose and supports many diverse plant and wildlife habitats. Our hike will be mostly in open grasslands and on gentle slopes. We'll start with a climb to Coyote Peak, where there are views of southern Santa Clara Valley and the Diablo and Santa Cruz Mountains. There are spectacular wildflower displays along several trails in the spring. We will be following two of Santa Clara County Park's Healthy Trails on this hike: the Hidden Springs/Coyote Peak/Rocky Ridge Loop and the Fortini Loop. The hike is about seven miles long and should take about three and half hours.
Park Details
Hours: The park is open year round from 8 a.m. until sunset. Vehicle entry fees are collected year-round. Fees are required to reserve the Pueblo Group Picnic Area..
Carpool Info: Meet at 8:00 a.m. at St. Edward's Church for carpooling, 15040 Union Ave., SJ. Exit from 85 south in the middle lane, left onto Samaritan Drive, right onto Union; in one block turn left onto Ronda, and left into the parking lot. .
Location: Santa Teresa County Park is located at the southern end of the Santa Teresa Hills. The park may be accessed from either Almaden Valley or Santa Clara Valley. For this hike, we recommend the following driving directions
Driving Directions: From Highway 85 or US 101, take the Bernal Road exit and proceed into the park on Bernal Road past the golf course. After climbing the hill, turn left at the "day use and group picnic area" sign. Go straight at the next stop sign and turn right to obtain a parking pass ($6) at the second stop. Continue on around the curve to the parking lot between the restrooms and the covered picnic tables.