What do you think of when you hear “San Jose?”

The city’s compact downtown, its beautiful older neighborhoods, its valley-floor topography surrounded by mountain vistas – perhaps, but for many, San Jose is suburbia. The country’s tenth largest city is visually characterized by single-family homes, neighborhood parks and an abundance of retail. So is suburbia worth a visit?  Absolutely. Viewing suburbia from south San Jose trails offers an opportunity to understand the pace, peacefulness and appeal of the area.

Arrive in south San Jose by taking Light Rail to the Ohlone/Chynoweth Station. This large transfer station is just 1/3 mile from the Guadalupe River Trail (note: the trail is not yet continuous to downtown San Jose which we wrote about here).  Make a left turn as you leave the station, and travel west along Chynoweth Avenue to reach the Guadalupe River Trail at the wide roadway’s cul-de-sac.  Traveling south will offer a number of side-trip options including Cilker Park (a beautifully-landscaped neighborhood park with its own trail connection), Oakridge Mall (137 stores, accessible from Winfield Boulevard) and Lake Almaden Park (a 65-acre regional facility with San Jose’s only lakefront “beach” with swimming).  Travel along the continuous paved trail around the perimeter of the lake to reach Los Alamitos Creek Trail and 4.7 miles of wooded trail that follows the waterway.

The trail system is a popular walking and biking route, with access to two neighborhood parks and adjacent to the Santa Teresa Foothills and surrounding residential neighborhoods.  The trail system is generally parallel to low volume Camden Avenue.  You eventually reach a street crossing (Camden Avenue and Queenswood Way) where three options present themselves.  You can remain on the east side of Camden, cross the roadway bridge, and continue along the Calero Creek Trail, a part of the Bay Area Ridge Trail.  This short paved trail reaches Harry Road, where the trail system continues on the eastern side of the creek as a dirt path.  The journey is worthwhile because you’ll reach Stile Ranch Trail that you to the surrounding hillsides. Back at Camden/Queenswood, you can choose to cross Camden Avenue and travel on either side of the creek to also reach Harry Road. From this point, travel about ¾ mile to the west to reach the County’s Almaden Quicksilver Park (4,150 acres of open space, historical elements of former mercury mines and Casa Grande; Santa Clara County’s 2^nd most historical building).

A trail journey in south San Jose offers many rewards and might even provide you with a new perspective on suburbia.

Have you been to these parts of suburbia? We’d love to hear about it in the comments.

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From time to time we’ll be inviting friends of Transit and Trails to share stories, trips and photos here on the blog.  This is the third  from Yves Zsutty of the City of San Jose. They have put over 150 trailheads into Transit & Trails, posted all kinds of pictures, and been a vocal advocate of our work.

Learn more:

• Website
• Twitter

Photos by Yves Zsutty, City of San Jose and Callander Associates.

Shall we go for a ride?

The Los Gatos Creek Trail in and around San Jose, CA is an 11-mile trail system that offers a rewarding journey because of numerous side trips and points of interest. The creek extends from Lexington Dam in the lower Santa Cruz Mountains and meanders through Los Gatos, Campbell, and San Jose. The route provides trail users the best of both worlds – access to nature and proximity to urban culture.

We’ll start our journey in Los Gatos where you’ll find convenient public transportation or great neighborhood streets to reach the trail by bike. The town sits at the foot of the Santa Cruz Mountains and has plenty to offer including coffee shops, a great retail strip (Santa Cruz Avenue) and lots of architectural charm. Make the most of your visit by walking around town before accessing the trail from behind the “Old Town” shopping center (fronts University Avenue). As you enter the trail – take a right to visit the Forbes Mill Museum for local history or stay on the gravel trail leading to Lexington Dam. You’ll be climbing a relatively steep trail to reach the dam, but will be rewarded with great views of the reservoir and surrounding mountains. Heading back to Los Gatos, the trail is paved and remains that way for the remaining journey as you travel past “Old Town”.

The Los Gatos Creek Trail system is characterized by ample tree cover, plenty of other trail users, nice views, and sites to see. After a few miles, you’ll reach Vasona Park – this large regional county facility provides a convenient rest stop and some fun attractions like boating on the lake, plenty of open space for picnics, and trails that permit you to explore the lake’s edge. Continuing north, you’ll see Vasona’s dam as the creek waters return to a more natural riparian setting. After travelling a few more miles, you’ll reach Campbell where you’ll see people fishing in the ponds, enjoying the adjacent open space and side trails that link to surrounding neighborhoods. A bridge across the creek north of Camden Avenue permits you to travel on either side of the creek. The eastern side is near Highway 880 but a wide plant buffer helps to mitigate the view. The western side can be busier, but passes by some open turf areas and a city park at Campbell Avenue with a convenient restroom.

Don’t be in a rush to continue on the trail – take some time to travel west on Campbell Avenue – and experience the city’s charming downtown just a few blocks away. You’ll find 100 shops, cafes and restaurants, and historical landmarks. Returning to the trail, continue traveling north and pass beneath Highway 880. At this point, you’ll find a ramp that takes you to the Pruneyard Shopping Center. The center is another great place for a break or some impromptu window shopping. As you return to the trail to burn some calories, travel beneath Bascom Avenue and enter San Jose’s portion of the trail system. The trail follows the residential neighborhoods for a couple miles to reach Willow Street. At Willow Street – you have a couple options. The trail system is not developed between Meridian Avenue and Lincoln Avenue, so if seeking the longest continuous roundtrip on an off-street trail, you’ll want to cross the pedestrian bridge and travel along the north side of the trail system to reach Meridian Avenue….at this point, you turn around and return to Los Gatos. The other option is to travel onto Willow Street with its striped bike lanes and relatively light residential traffic. Willow Street will take you into Willow Glen; one of San Jose’s great neighborhoods for more retail, food and festivals. From Lincoln Avenue, you can travel north on the street to reach Lonus Street – the trail begins again at the end of the cul-de-sac. The linked map helps you view a number of travel options in the area. You’ll follow another 0.5 mile of paved trail, and right turn onto Auzerais Avenue will lead you to the Guadalupe River Park about 1 mile to the east at Woz Way. At Woz Way, you’ll have entered the downtown core, have access to the Woz Way Light Rail Station and in summer time, you’ll find plenty of festivals in Discovery Meadow.

What a beautiful ride. What do you think? Tell us in the comments.

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From time to time we’ll be inviting friends of Transit and Trails to share stories, trips and photos here on the blog.  This is the second of three from Yves Zsutty of the City of San Jose. They have put over 150 trailheads into Transit & Trails, posted all kinds of pictures, and been a vocal advocate of our work.  Stay tuned for more!

Learn more:

• Trailheads on the Los Gatos Creek Trail here and here and here
• Website
• Twitter

Photos by Yves Zsutty, City of San Jose

San Jose is known for a few things; Capital of Silicon Valley, center of tech, clean and walkable downtown, the Sharks, and a nice art museum – but a tourist destination?

Absolutely!

San Jose is a city of “best kept secrets” including one of the nation’s largest urban trail networks. But don’t wait too long to plan your visit.

The Guadalupe River was site of the city’s first settlements back in 1777. Today, the river travels through downtown, travels northward along Silicon Valley’s many employment sites and concludes in Alviso; an interesting historical community on the edge of San Francisco Bay. Bicyclists and walkers can enjoy the 9-mile journey along paved trails through downtown and a gravel road north of Highway 880. A great tourist agenda is posted on the City’s Trail website.

If starting downtown, take your time to enjoy the well-designed urban scene with a wide variety of restaurants, public spaces, and cultural institutions like the San Jose Museum of Art and the Technology Museum. Both museums are across from Plaza de Cesar Chavez Park – a beautiful green island that serves as the City’s heart and site for Christmas in the Park and other festivals throughout the summer. You can access the Guadalupe River Trail from all downtown cross streets…if you want to maximize your trip, start at Virginia Street or Woz Way by the Children’s Discovery Museum, and follow the paved trail along the river. Along the way, you’ll pass by parks, urban plazas and many interpretive elements that tell about the City’s history and the waterway. The amazing thing about the Guadalupe River Trail is that you’ll only need to cross two streets along the entire journey – a cross-walk along sleepy St. John Street, and a signalized crossing one block north at Julian Street. After that, you are travelling off-street for the entire journey through the nation’s 10th largest city. Meander along the winding trails through the Guadalupe Gardens and take side trips to the Visitor’s Center (Coleman Avenue), see a historic orchard or smell the roses at the nation’s largest heritage rose garden. You’ll ultimately pass beneath Highway 880 where the trail surface turns to gravel. This path leads you northward to the Bay. Keep in mind to cross the trail from west bank to east bank at Airport Parkway (follow the signs).

After a great ride, take time to explore Alviso along the San Francisco Bay – this is San Jose’s waterfront and a great place to find “mom and pop” style restaurants and a very quiet, easy going atmosphere. The nearby County Marina lets you access even more trails along the levees that frame the south bay’s massive salt ponds.

Here’s the thing: Plan this trip soon. San Jose is closing the Guadalupe River Trail in May or June to pave the gravel trail out to the Bay. That work will take about 10 months. If you can’t get there by early summer – add downtown San Jose’s Guadalupe River Trail to your bucket list for 2013! Be sure to visit San Jose’s many other trails in the mean time.

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From time to time we’ll be inviting friends of Transit and Trails to share stories, trips and photos here on the blog.  This is the first of three from Yves Zsutty of the City of San Jose. They have put over 150 trailheads into Transit & Trails, posted all kinds of pictures, and been a vocal advocate of our work.  Stay tuned for more!

Learn more:

• Trailheads on the Guadalupe River Trail here and here and here
• Website
• Construction updates
• Twitter

Photos by Yves Zsutty, City of San Jose