San Tomas Aquino Creek Trail

The San Tomas Aquino Creek Trail is a wonderful surprise! We are used to traversing the Bay Trail, Stevens Creek Trail and other trails (favorable for biking) in the Bay Area. The San Tomas Aquino Creek Trail intersects with the Bay Trail.

Recently, we decided to bike from Palo Alto to Levi's Stadium. So, we began on the Bay Trail. We passed our usual haunts (e.g., Baylands Nature Preserve, Shoreline Lake, NASA Ames Research Center, etc.). We pressed onward until we reached Hwy 237. Here, we eventually intersected with the San Tomas Aquino Trail.

Like the Stevens Creek Trail, the San Tomas Aquino Creek Trail is filled with wonderfully surprising sites and sounds. It feels much more remote than most "urban" trails (especially those located in large population centers). Moreover, it's a clean and friendly place. It takes you right up to Levi's Stadium.

It has an entry ramp next to the stadium that takes you between the parking lot and stadium itself. On days when both Levi's Stadium and California's Great America are closed, you can also wander around the parking lots -- right up to the entrances of both the stadium and amusement park.

Best of all, you can continue your journey through Santa Clara, Sunnyvale and even San Jose. You'll pass along some major tech offices too -- such as Nvidia's new campus. Overall, it's a fantastic way to journey through the Silicon Valley and South Bay!

When I go to games as Levi's Stadium, I usually take the Light Rail. Next season, I might just take my bike to an afternoon game. It would be a fantastic and serene experience to enjoy both before and after the game.

Had a great run this morning. Only had to dodge bird dropping , but I guess I could be dodging distracted drivers. Friendly runners, bikers and walkers.

SO as we wrap up 2019, I thought I would update a few of my trail reviews. Yesterday as part of a 35 mile bike loop, I traversed the San Tomas Aquino Creek Trail. It was a bit cold but not too crowded so it made for a great ride.

The vast majority of the trail is unchanged. You can read my detailed review below. But they have extended the trail by almost a mile on West side. This may not sound like its a huge deal, but the trail used to end at El Camino Real. However, this busy North to South thoroughfare had no bike lanes, tons of traffic, and crowded sidewalks. Further westerly travel up San Thomas Expressway was almost as bad. However, the new trail extension deadens at Homestead Road which does have bike lanes and makes going North or South much safer for bikes.

Hopefully the path will continue its westward march!

Trail: Paved
Suitable For: Hiking, Mountain Bikes, and Road Bikes
Services: None
Length: 5.4 miles

A great way to travel through Santa Clara on a bicycle or jog.

I'm a fan of the travelling ease this trail provides through Santa Clara from the Aliviso and Sunnyvale parts of the southern San Francisco Bay. It is really wonderful to be able to bicycle along the creek. The under-crossing areas mean that I can avoid stoplights and busy streets. Super convenient.

It could be so much better.

There is a great opportunity for the city of Santa Clara to make this simple route more aesthetically pleasing. The creek is a major draw. It would be great if there were also little parks and works of art along the way as well. Somewhere you can dismount the bike or take a break from your walk and sit on a bench to see the water fowl search for delicacies in the creek.

i would also like to recommend that the city create one lane only for walkers, as I've seen along popular routes in in Sweden. It allows pedestrians and bike riders to coexist much more congenially on the trail.

Last recommendation - please figure out a way to use the trail during game days and events at Levi Stadium. The section of the trail between Levi Stadium and Great America Amusement Park is closed on game/event days.

So, if more aesthetically pleasing spots were dded on the trail, I'd give it 4 stars. If another pedestrian lane was added on especially popular parts o the trail then I'd potentially give it 5 stars. Oh, and 6 stars if the trail could always be open even during game/event days at Levi Stadium.

Come on Santa Clara! You can do it!

Adding San Tomas Aquino Creek trail to the rotation...this is a narrow trail but it was an enjoyable run by the impressive Nvidia campus. Don't miss the nice art on the walls. There wasn't a parking lot and we had to park in a residential area and walk over which was not too bad.

The perfect trail for an easy jog! The trail is mostly flat, passes under most stop lights, and is perfect for a few easy miles. I am not sure where the exact starting point of this trail, but it runs through Santa Clara, passes Levi's Stadium, and goes all the way out to Baylands in Sunnyvale. Approximately 4.6 miles one way. As you get closer to Levi's Stadium, you will see a ton of old rides and ride parts from Great America, which is pretty cool.

The trail is not that busy. There are a few runners/walkers and you will see a biker pass fairly often. Many of the folks who use this trail are very friendly and respectable. The bikers will let you know if they are coming up from behind you.

My fiancee and I parked our car at the trailhead located at Everett N. "Eddie" Souza Park in Santa Clara. The park has a playground and a few bathrooms you are able to use before starting on the trail. From this park to Levi's Stadium is about 2.5 miles. This makes for a nice 5 mile round trip jog for those who do not wish to do the whole 4.6 miles there and back. Will defiantly be back! :)

One of the places that hasn't been closed due to COVID-19. This is not good for groups, more of a solo or 2 person kind of place due to slim lanes.

Recommend for walking, jogging or biking. There was people but not busy on a Friday around noon but I can see it getting busy during rush hours.

Although the views are not great, I loved the simplicity and feeling safe on my own. You mostly see behind office parks & construction but I only went from the Souza park on Monroe to Levi's and back (5 miles total).

Looking forward to going back and trying the other direction!

Nice and flat, paved trail, perfect for runners.

I was staying at a nearby hotel and formed an impromptu running Meetup with some people I just met at a work event. One of them were local and suggested this trail.

No street lights along the trail, so run only during daylight. Approximately 4 miles one way, underpasses enable us to continue to run without stopping for traffics.

No much of elevation gain, mostly really flat, good place to come to run pace. I was able to maintain the same speed for the entire run.

Best part about this trail is running by the Levi's stadium, Santa Clara convention Center, California's great America. I also enjoyed looking around all the business that I recognize. A lot of tech companies are near by.

I normally run without water for about 8-10 miles so I didn't notice but others pointed out to me later that no facilities along this trail. So bring your own water if needed.

Tomas Aquino Trail is sooooo bare and boring. NO distractions and that's why I like it! It really just seems like pavement, bridges, random wild life, freeways and like steel fences. lol! It takes a fair amount of grit and determination to go from one end of Tomas to the other on foot. After High School and before my thirties, I spent a significant amount of time on the weekends on the San Francisco Bay Area Trail/San Tomas Aquino running, sprinting, speed-walking, walking, bicycling by myself. Pushing my limits, sweating, pushing, burning, just going all out! Cold, rain, blistering hot sun..... I LIVED in Santa Clara so this was easy access...... Sometimes I would go from Sunnyvale to Downtown San Jose via Guadalupe in a sprint on an old vintage Fuji and back in an hour. Priceless. NO more I never EVER felt safe on the Guadalupe river trail; I'm a small dude and theirs just always one maniac. CAll me paranoid I call that boundaries. lol! Plus I look significantly younger than my age and people always feel the need to upshot. lol. Ego trippin. hua ha!

Enso#71

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Grit.

Determination.

Loneliness.

Passion.

_How to reach your goals and not give up!

This is an easy trail to get to if you are in the Santa Clara or Sunnyvale area. If is pretty long so it can be a "choose your own adventure" type of deal. There are some very pretty nature points throughout the trail. You can also see Levi's stadium at certain points