Cottonwood Lake

A short distance from US-101 in South San Jose is where you'll find Cottonwood Lake in Hellyer County Park. Despite being small, the lake has excellent fishing.

Using the lake's launch ramp, anglers can throw their lines from the shore for northern pike or for brook, rainbow, and brown trout. Unpaved County Road 344 takes travelers farther into the woods for off-roading, where a number of forest roads lead to unlimited exploration. For those interested in hiking a mile or 500 miles across the state, the Colorado Trail passes close by. The covered day-use picnic tables on the lake's edge are ideal places to unwind and observe the local fauna if relaxation is your thing. Cottonwood Lake Campground is ideally situated close to the lake to unwind after an active day. Self-contained campers can find scattered camping areas even further down the road.

Cross-country skis and snowmobiles can be used in the winter to explore neighboring routes. It is a well-liked location for ice fishing after the lake freezes over. Just beware of flying pucks as ice hockey is also played on the lake.

Location: 985 Hellyer Ave, San Jose