Location: County: Santa Clara. Nearest City:
San Jose.
Campsites, facilities: There are 22 sites for tents
or RVs up to 28 feet long - no hook-ups. Fire grills and tables
are provided. Piped water, hot showers, a sanitary dump station,
and toilets are available. Pets are permitted. Shaded picnic
areas are available on a first-come first-served basis. Campers
can choose from first-served family campsites. Hot showers are
available. Group picnic and youth camping areas are available
by reservation. One large lake and several smaller ponds are
accessible for warm water fishing.
Reservations, fees: No reservations; $8 per night,
$1 pet fee. Open weekends in March, then daily from April through
November. Vehicle entry fees are collected year-round. Fees are
required for camping, and for use of group picnic areas.
Contact: Phone Santa Clara County Parks Department
at 1-408-358-3741, reservations at 1-408-358-3751 or FAX 1-408-358-3245.
Operating hours, seasons: The park is open year-round
from 8 a.m. until sunset.
Directions: In San Jose at the junction of Interstate
680 and U.S. 101, take Interstate 680 north to the Alum Rock
Avenue exit. Turn east and drive four miles to Mount Hamilton
Road. Turn right and drive eight miles to the park headquarters
entrance on the right side of the road.
Weather, clothing: Hot dry summers, cool wet winters.
Spring is the most temperate time to visit the park with cool
to warm days. Summers are hot and dry with the latter parts of
summer (August and September) being hottest. Fall starts out
hot but cools quickly in November and December. The winter can
be variable with mild cool dry days alternating with cold wet
ones.
Trip notes: Joseph D. Grant County Park, the largest
of Santa Clara County's regional park and recreation areas. This
9,522-acre park includes some of the County's finest open space
resources, as well as rich environmental, cultural and recreational
assets, and nearby Mount Hamilton to the east. The landscape
is characteristic of the east foothills of the Santa Clara Valley
with grasslands, majestic oak trees, Grant Lake, and miles of
foothills, canyons, and grasslands. As part of the park's tradition
and history, cattle grazing currently takes place in some areas,
and is monitored under a resource management plan. Hikers and
equestrians have access to an extensive 40-mile trail system.
Mountain bikes are permitted on nearly half of the park's trails
as designated and 20 miles of old ranch roads that are perfect
for mountain biking. The diverse trail system at the park makes
this a popular place to stage large-scale organized trail events
such as equestrian endurance rides, mountain bike events and
foot races. The campground is set amid oak grasslands, is shaded,
and can be used as a base camp for planning the day's recreation.
The best hikes are to Halls Valley, especially in the winter
and spring when there are many secret little creeks and miniature
waterfalls in hidden canyons, and the Hotel Trail and Cañada
de Pala Trail, which drops down to San Felipe Creek, the prettiest
stream in the park. A great side trip is the slow, curvy drive
east to Lick Observatory for great views of the Santa Clara Valley.
© 2001, Miwok Lodge 439, Order of the
Arrow, Santa Clara County Council Inc., BSA
Revision 1.2
