Alum Rock Park

The oldest municipal park in California is Alum Rock Park in San Jose, which was first formed in 1872 but has been used as public space since the pueblo's founding in 1777. The 720-acre park has 13 miles of trails, ranging from fairly level along Penitencia Creek to severe switchbacks up to the ridges to the South Rim Trail and the North Rim Trail. It is situated in a valley in the foothills of the Diablo Range on the east side of San Jose. A tourist center, a small museum/animal rehabilitation center, picnic spaces, playgrounds, lawns, sand volleyball courts, mineral springs, beautiful vegetation, forests, creek play areas, and occasionally group camping are all located on the valley's narrow floor.

Views of Santa Clara Valley and the valley where the park is situated can be seen from the ridge trails. Some of the park's paths are a part of the Bay Area Ridge Route; the Todd Quick trail leads to the 1,600-acre Sierra Vista Open Space Preserve managed by the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority. Some of the park's paths are open to equestrians and mountain bikers, while others are solely accessible to hikers. The park is used by cross-country teams from high schools in the North San Jose area for practice and competitions, including James Lick High School and Independence High.

Google rating: 4.7/5.0
Address: 15350 Penitencia Creek Rd, San Jose, CA 95127, USA
Phone number: +1 408-259-5477
Official site: https://www.sanjose.org/listings/alum-rock-park