During our wildflower adventure at Máyyan ‘Ooyákma Coyote Ridge Open Space Preserve, we asked a park ranger to recommend other parks to explore native wildflowers. The Santa Teresa County Park was on the top of the list, and we marked our calendar to visit it on our next hike. A few weeks ago, we enjoyed a beautiful hike, seeing checkerspot butterflies and wildflowers along the way. Also, our doggie friend on a leash was permitted to join us at this park. Together, we hiked a loop trail and discovered a small three-level cascading waterfall at the end of the Hidden Springs Trail. What a refreshing reward for us and for our doggie friend!
Location & Access Info
The Santa Teresa County Park is one of 28 regional parks managed by Santa Clara County Parks. It’s located at 260 Bernal Rd, 10 miles south of downtown San Jose, with 1,673-acre land and 17 miles of unpaved trails for equestrian, hiking and mountain biking. We followed the GPS to the Pueblo Day Use Area parking area, where a machine is available to pay for the $6 daily fee. The parking area was spacious with many empty spots during our visit on a Friday morning.
Our Hike to Discover Hidden Springs
We hiked from Ohlone Trail to Hidden Springs. It’s a relaxing hike without much climbing. According to the park brochure, “a majority of the park is underlain with serpentine soils, high in magnesium and low in calcium, a limiting factor for most plant life, but represents habitat for unique plant communities adapted to those conditions. While serpentine accounts for only 1% of California’s geologic base, it supports about 10% of the state’s native plant biodiversity.” This natural diversity is similar to that of Máyyan ‘Ooyákma Coyote Ridge Open Space Preserve. That is why we encountered the special checkerspot butterflies again. Here are some of the best views we captured.
Rich in Outdoor Fun and Cultural History
In addition to the trail adventures, this park offers many other fun activities including picnicking, golfing, camping, archery, and historic sightseeing. An annual cultural celebration La Fuente will be hosted at Bernal-Gulnac-Joice Ranch on Saturday, September 23rd, with dancing, music, community tables, and history walks. Please visit their event page for more details.
If you are interested in getting involved in the stewardship of Santa Teresa County Park, please check out the Santa Clara County Parks’ volunteer page or join the volunteer group at Friends of Santa Teresa Park.
Let Us Know
Hope you will soon be refreshed by the Santa Teresa Hidden Springs! Will you find time this autumn to join their cultural celebration? Has volunteering in nature enriched your life? We would love to hear from you!