Almaden Quicksilver County Park
- Good for Kids: Yes
11 Reviews for Almaden Quicksilver County Park
Almaden Quicksilver park makes me feel like i'm not even in San Jose. Came here about 2 weeks ago and ATTEMPTED to do some hiking. . . I think I went about an hour, but could not stand the heat that day. There wasn't much shade so I was hiking up hill in full sunlight. The only wildlife that I saw were a few lizards here and there. . not sure how I would react if I saw anything bigger!
From what I did see, I highly recommend this park.
We did 7.6 miles on a loop trail, which took about 3 hours going at a moderate pace.
http://www.bahiker.com...
Hacienda Trailhead - Mine Hill Trail - Randol Trail - Santa Isabel Trail - Randol Trail - Mine Hill Trail - Castillero Trail - English Camp Trail - back near Mine Hill Trail entrance.
We saw a dam from the top and most of the trails were paved dirt. It was a relief to be under some shade, but mostly we were in the sun. There were bikers riding up and one kid told us that were lucky. I guess his dad (on Father's Day) made him go and he was struggling. On bike, it didn't look too fun unless you were going down.
Coming back on the English Camp Trail was rough. You couldn't really see where you were, but it was all downhill and in rocky terrain. You had to be careful because of narrow paths and there were poison oak and rattlesnakes, which we didn't encounter.
Pros: Lots of historical stops, shade, fragrant flowers, view of water.
Cons: Hard on your toes/calves coming down on the last leg of English Camp Trail.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (1)
Cool (2)
What a gorgeous way to spend Memorial Day with some great friends! I've lived here for 10 years but have been blind not exploring a gorgeous part of San Jose. We met up with two of our closest buds for a nice lunch and a few hours of hiking. We came to the entrance off of Mockingbird Hill Lane but hope to check out the other trails this summer. We stayed mostly on the New Almaden trail and then crossed over to the Randol trail after visiting the Buena Vista shaft. What a view and incredible piece of history! We then ended on the Hacienda trail back to the parking lot. We hiked for about 3 hours and it was perfect weather, quiet and gorgeous. Looking forward to exploring more of the Almaden Valley.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
I've been missing out for too long! I'm always ready to trek a new park and I recently heard of this because of the "hanging tree."
As the flyer reads:
"Justice was quick at the Almaden Quicksilver mines. This rather ominous-looking tree was once, in the 19th century, the site of a hanging. Though the nature of the crime itself has been lost to history, descendants of those who witnessed the even still throw stones at the tree in symbolic contempt for the despicable crime."
Although, I didn't make it to the tree, I was unprepared for the multi-mile hike, there were hills, various flowers, periodic historical stops and lots of creatures: a mix for a lovely afternoon.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (1)
Cool (2)
Since I had Cesar Chavez's Birthday off (3/31) I hike here with my friends. It was a nice clear day in SJ and probably 9.5 mi we did, it took the whole day.
We parked at Mockingbird Hill parking lot FREE. They have separate men/women bathrooms. 2 stalls in the women's though 1 wasn't working. The one sink was broken too.
We started hiking on the Virl O. Norton Trail, and then continued south on the Hacienda Trail to the Mine Hill Trail. We went down the Mine Hill Trail to the Hacienda Park Entrance on Almaden Road. This is the starting point for the Almaden Quicksilver Historic Trail (6.5 mi) that the Boy Scouts of Troop 466 helped create the trail's markings & info..Get the brochure & Park Map when you first start hiking. Article here:
http://www.mercurynews...
Cool stuff on the Historic Trail brochure:
Harry Shaft -rock piles are cool.
English Camp -several buildings, picnic tables, flagpole
Spanish Town -Guadalupe Cemetery.
Rotary Furnace -cool large rotary furnace
Hanging Tree -justice back in the days
Mt Umunhum & Mt Loma Prieta views
San Cristobal - cool tunnel you can walk in a bit.
View of SJ - just ok
Powder House - nice to look at
April Tunnel Trestle
Chimney -yrs of acid rain falling..sounds nasty.
We didn't have time to check out Casa Grande which houses the New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum (not too far from the park). I'll have to go one day.
Recommended.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (3)
I first hiked here when I was 15, on the day they were unloading the truck when my family moved from Florida. Coming from a place that is as flat as a pancake, having this park 1/2 mile away was like a dream come true. That was more than 20 years ago but I still come here often. Especially now that I once again live only 1/2 mile away. Yes..I admit it...my wife and I are guilty of enjoying life in our "bright 'n' shiny suburban utopia".
Anyhow, I know this place like the back of my hand and have covered every mile of trail many, many times over. As Wes M. points out below, the New Almaden Trail is quite nice, especially on a hot day where the closed in shadiness is a welcome change from the Hacienda and Mine Hill Trails which can bake in the sun. Also be sure to check out the "ghost town" and old mines up near the top. Then head down to the mining museum to see what life was like in these hills 100 years ago. Hiking here all alone, with nothing but the sounds of the wind and the birds, it's hard to belive that 10's of thousands of people lived up here at one time.
Watch out for the wildlife too. There's lot's here, some of which you really need to WATCH OUT for. I've seen deer, coyotes, bobcats, eagles, wild boar, and rattlesnakes. Plus, although I've never seen one (not here at least) I do know folks who've seen mountian lions. Best of all, if your timing is right you can see a newt orgy in the little pool of water near the picnic table on the Randol trail. Seriously, at just the right time of year there will be hundreds of newts going at it like little amphibian sex fiends. Quite the sight to see.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
Almaden Quicksilver County Park is just east of Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve, and the scenery here is just as good. In fact, it is preferable to some extent because there are more "real" trails and less dirt roads. The New Almaden Trail that starts at the north entrance is a particular highlight, winding down through a narrow and verdant ravine. In case you were wondering, this is in fact the former site of a mercury mine, and there are some neat informative panels and even a mine tunnel to peek into if you go up to the top of Mine Hill. Add to that the views of the bright 'n' shiny suburban utopia that is Almaden (sarcasm optional), and you have yourself quite the hike.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Despite years of mercury toxicity (a result of mercury extraction), this place is rich with wildlife. The spring wildflower show (starting in winter, actually, with the manzanitas and coyote brush) can be spectacular. With luck you might spot some beautiful Yellow-billed Magpie. Near sunrise and sunset you can hear at least 3 species of owl. Development at the Macabee end of the park has encroached, but there is still plenty of wildlife. I hope the new owners of the property on Macabee leave the 4 locust trees standing. They are granaries in which a large flock of Acorn Woodpeckers have stored thier food, for decades.
I came here on a class ecology trip and it was really fun. The park isnt too well known, its on the border of santa clara county and its huge, you can see along the bay. There are a lot of things to see...wildlife, trees, wildflowers and plenty of trails to hike on. There are even wildcats that come down pretty low on the trails so if you've got little ones, keep a good eye out. There are also rattlesnakes and certain enclosed buildings to stay out of bc of risk of the hantu virus, but there are plenty of warning signs to avoid going near there. We saw so many wildflowers and a lot of deer and does. Its a really cool place to spend the day when its sunny out. I think there's even a place for a picnic near the entrance.
People thought this was:
Cool (1)
I'm secretly in love with this park! When I first moved to Cali, I moved to Almaden Valley, which was so different than my last scene, NYC. So as soon as I found Almaden Quicksilver, which was just a mile down the road, I headed there with my roomie's dogs to hike around in the dust. The smell of some wild-growing herb (bay leaf?), the great views of the valley, and the interesting remnants of its mining days were so awesomely peaceful that my fear that the formula of suburbia = bad was somehow quelled. My fave part of the park is finding the cars that have crashed and rolled down the hill.
Parked down at the Hacienda entrance near La Foret, and proceeded to pedal/walk/crawl my way up to top (while BF happily pedaled the whole way on his full XC suspension Specialized FSR, that bastard). This was both one of the best and worst trails I've been on. My bike isn't full suspension so I felt every bump going down, and it's not light so even on the lowest gears I was struggling going uphill...and there's a lot of uphill! The view from the top was gorgeous (once my vision stabilized from being so hot, dizzy, and exhausted). But this trail is a sneaky bitch, because once you head back down you think it's all downhill, but it's not. The gentle climbs that intertwind with slight downhill slopes tease you. This was tough. I hated it. I loved it.
People Who Viewed This Also Viewed...
Related Lists
-
Got Sweat?
I'm a girl, so that means I don't sweat. I GLOW.… -
South Bay
There's no doubt that the South Bay gets unfairly…
Hot and New
- It's a Girl Thing
42 reviews
San Jose, CA
- The Cakeworks
11 reviews
Campbell, CA
- A Slice of New York
246 reviews
San Jose, CA
- Good Karma Vegan House
105 reviews
San Jose, CA
- Aimee Lam
8 reviews
San Jose, CA
