Almaden Quicksilver County Park Archives

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Register Now for a Quicksilver History Hike

May 5, 2024/in Education, Recreation/by Therese Swan

Join an Almaden Quicksilver Park Interpreter for a Quicksilver History Hike in the Almaden Hills to discover how our changing values have impacted the landscape, and a once bustling mining enterprise became a County Park. This moderate 3-4 mile hike leaves from the Wood Road parking lot of Almaden Quicksilver County Park. This hike will cover history content that is geared towards an adult audience. Best for ages 10+

Limited space! Please only sign up a max of 4-5 people. If you know more people would like to join, please share the registration form link. Reservations are not required but they are strongly recommended as parking is limited at the trailhead.

Although dogs are allowed within the park, for the comfort and safety of the group, they are discouraged from accompanying you on the hike (with the exception of service animals). Further questions? Call 408-918-7770 or email desiree.humphers@prk.sccgov.org

Quicksilver History Hikes are offered monthly, usually on the 4th Saturday or Sunday of the month.

BioBlitz at Almaden Quicksilver County Park

April 17, 2023/in Recreation/by Therese Swan

Photo by Merav Vonshak

When: Sunday, April 30, 2023, 9 – 11am

Where: Almaden Quicksilver County Park
19535 Mockingbird Hill Lane (Mockingbird Hill Lane entrance)
San Jose, CA 95120

Located in the western part of San Jose, the Almaden Quicksilver County Park is a safe haven for many species of plants and animals. Join Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful and BioBlitz.club at Almaden Quicksilver County Park in cataloging and documenting all of the living things that reside there. Experts in various fields will be available to help guide participants through all the various plants and wildlife.

Participants are asked to bring a smart phone with the iNaturalist app. Click here for more information and to reserve a spot.

*Community service hours available*

Hosted by Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful, Bioblitz.club, and Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society.

Supported by Santa Clara County Parks.

Quicksilver History Hike – June 2022

June 19, 2022/in Recreation/by Therese Swan

The next Quicksilver History Hike will be on June 25, 2022 from 9:00am-12:00pm.

Join a Park Interpreter to explore what remains of the once-bustling mining operations in the hills above New Almaden. This moderate, 3-4 mile hike in Almaden Quicksilver County Park leaves from the Wood Road parking lot off Hicks Road in San Jose. Dress in layers with sturdy shoes, sun protection, and bring plenty of drinking water. There are no bathrooms nor drinking fountains along the hike.

Pre-registration is required. Space is limited. This hike is offered once a month. Registration for the hike opens on the 1st of the month that the hike is offered. To reserve space on the upcoming History Hike, go to the Quicksilver History Hike page of the Santa Clara County Parks website.

Questions? Call 408-918-7700 or email interp@prk.sccgov.org.

Summer Wine Tasting at Alamitos Vineyards

April 18, 2022/in Entertainment/by Therese Swan

The Alamitos Vineyards Estate in the heart of Almaden is opening its doors for summer wine tasting season on May 1, 2022. It is located in the English, Spanish and Hacienda villages within the Quicksilver County Park, New Almaden, that were once inhabited by the miners in the 1800s.

The vineyard was planted in 2014 with custom clone grafts from UC Davis, and grows Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc and the Touriga Nacional, a unique Portuguese varietal.

Owners Shaun Coleman and Chris Maune are proud to belong to the New Almaden Community and contribute to its future while being connected with this land steeped in history. “The land and the vineyards allow us to connect with the pioneers of yesterday and today as well as all the groundwork they did to create a sense of community and belonging,” they say.

The Alamitos Vineyards offers weekend wine tasting tours and weekday tours with prior appointments. They also offer their outdoor wine tasting venue and other areas on the property for events, weddings and special parties.

The wine tasting tours are for 21+ only and require reservations.

For more information about summer wine tasting and bookings, visit:

https://www.alamitosvineyards.com/visit/

Quicksilver History Hike – April 2022

April 3, 2022/in Recreation/by Therese Swan

The next Quicksilver History Hike will be on April 24, 2022 from 9:00am-12:00pm.

Questions? Call 408-918-7700 or email interp@prk.sccgov.org.

Almaden Quicksilver County Park – October 2019 Events

October 10, 2019/in Recreation/by Therese Swan

If you enjoy nature and are interested in knowing first-hand the history of Almaden Valley, this is a great time to head to the Almaden Quicksilver County Park. Starting this weekend, there are some interesting events organized by the New Almaden Quicksilver County Park Association (NAQCPA) in partnership with the Santa Clara County Parks Department.

Here’s a synopsis of the events:

Saturday, October 12, 2019: A celebration of Pioneer Day, from 11:00 am – 2:00 pm, at the Casa Grande. The NAQCPA has held their annual Pioneer Day celebrations in the Almaden Quicksilver County Park for 34 years. Pioneer Day began with the purpose of sharing mining stories and meeting with former New Almaden miners who remembered the place. Today it has evolved into an event to showcase historic sites and current projects in the park.

Saturday, October 26, 2019: Quicksilver History Hike from 9:00am-12:00pm. The Quicksilver History Hike is a docent led hike of moderate intensity to historic mining sites within the park.

Sunday, October 27, 2019: Whoppers and Ghostly Tales of New Almaden at the park from 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm. Want to learn about the ghosts of New Almaden? Come over for an evening of ghostly stories about the Almaden Quicksilver mines narrated by a docent as you tour the historic 1854 Casa Grande. Meet at the Casa Grande front entrance. Reservations online or (408) 355-2240.

For more information, visit: http://newalmaden.org/#AQS-Events

On the Wildflower Trail in Almaden

March 26, 2019/in Recreation/by Therese Swan

Wildflower trail Almaden Spring is well and truly upon us, and with it comes the enchantment and wonder of the wildflowers. After a particularly wet winter, the hills around Almaden Valley and the nature parks surrounding it are now bejewelled in a riot of colors in the form of spring wildflowers. Besides the poppies, daisies and clovers carpeting the meadows, one can also find the jewelflower, the California gilia, the California buttercup, brodiaea, baby blue eyes, woodland star and the shooting star, among other varieties dotting the hills.

For the avid nature lover and photographer in you, the following trails in the county parks surrounding Almaden Valley are bound to delight in their abundance of wildflowers.

Almaden Quicksilver County Park:

Senador Trail to Guadalupe
Trail to Mine Hill
Castillero Trail

Calero County Park:

Serpentine Loop Trail

Coyote Lake – Harvey Bear Ranch County Park:

Coyote Ridge Trail
Calaveras Trail

Santa Teresa County Park:

Rocky Ridge Trail
Stiles Trail

Grant County Park:

San Felipe Trail at Corral Trail
Halls Valley Trail
Brush Trail at Dutch Flat Trail

Whether you are a dedicated outdoors person or prefer to explore nature at leisure, now is the time to hit the trails. Walk or hike on these easily accessible trails and experience the many splendours of spring wildflowers in Almaden.

For more information, visit: https://www.sccgov.org/sites/parks/Whats-Happening/Documents/sccp-wldlfr17-web.pdf

Almaden Valley Community Events in July

July 14, 2016/in Community, Entertainment/by Therese Swan

Join the Almaden Valley community this July in attending Music in the Park on Thursday nights 6:30-8:30 PM at Greystone Park (Mt. Carmel @ Camden Ave.). This past week Old School Rock & Roll headlined. The upcoming acts for the month include The Houserockers, Free Fahlen, and Sage, each performing their own respective genres of music each upcoming Thursday this month. This event is open to all Almaden Valley residents and is a great way to relax and listen to music with the Almaden Valley community.

This past weekend the New Almaden community hosted one of its weekly Saturday events “What’s In a Ranger’s Truck?” At the Almaden Quicksilver County Park, all attendees were welcome to view the inside of a Park Ranger’s truck and learn about the various tools used by rangers on the job, whether used for helping aid others in an emergency or for search and rescue purposes.

Introduction to Geocaching in Almaden Quicksilver Park this Summer – UPDATED 2022

May 27, 2013/in Recreation/by Therese Swan

Geocache [EVENT IS CLOSED. FIND MORE EVENTS AT ALMADEN QUICKSILVER PARK HERE.]

Learn about the exciting pastime known as geocaching! The Almaden Quicksilver Park will be hosting a free, docent-guided geocaching adventure on Saturday, June 15, 2013 from 8:45am to 12pm.

Participants will be provided with a GPS tracking device and will be instructed to find 6 to 7 “caches” hidden within the park. It’s a modern-day treasure hunt! Bring sun protection, water, snacks and sturdy hiking shoes and meet at the Wood Road parking lot.

See Migrating Newts in Almaden Quicksilver Park

November 9, 2012/in Family/by Therese Swan

Migrating Newts in Almaden Quicksilver Park The Almaden Quicksilver Park will be hosting an informational hike on December 15, 2012 from 9am to 12pm. Come and learn about one of the most interesting natural phenomena to occur in the area on an easy 2.6 mile hike through the park.

Guides will explain how thousands of California newts will migrate to their hereditary breeding ponds, facing distance and danger. This migration takes place annually from November to March.