Tag Archive for: Almaden Quicksilver County Park

AccessAlmaden - What’s Happening in Almaden Valley

Posts

The Exciting Future of the New Almaden Post Office

/in , , /by

Future of the New Almaden Post OfficeSanta Clara County Parks just purchased my listing at 21300 Almaden Road, home of the historic New Almaden Post Office. We closed on it yesterday. The good news for the community is that the County plans to allow the post office to remain at this location indefinitely. I know many neighbors in New Almaden had been concerned about this when they saw my “For Sale” sign go up, so I wanted to alleviate those concerns. In fact, the USPS just renewed their lease for another 5 years. Other than the fact that the escrow length was 8.5 months, the County was the perfect buyer.

And to add to the excitement…

The Bay Area Ridge Trail is a spectacular regional trail system that follows the ridgelines surrounding San Francisco Bay, offering opportunities for hiking, biking and horseback riding. More than 400 miles of the planned 550-mile trail are already open, connecting parks and open spaces throughout the Bay Area.

Earlier this month, the County also purchased 21287 Almaden Road, directly across the street. That property will eventually become part of this exciting trail system, helping create a local connection between Almaden Quicksilver County Park and Calero County Park.

The post office property at 21300 Almaden Road will eventually serve as a staging area for trail users, providing a convenient place for hikers and others to meet before heading out on the trail, with the potential for a shaded gathering area. The rear of the property borders Los Alamitos Creek and will remain as open space, helping preserve an important wildlife corridor.

Learn more about the Bay Area Ridge Trail at ridgetrail.org.

Therese Swan
VFlight Real Estate
DRE: 01355719

Almaden Valley is a great place to live! Looking to buy or sell your home? Contact The Swan!

Mining Museum Tour at Casa Grande

/in , /by

Sign up nowMining Museum tour at Casa Grande for the upcoming Mining Museum Tour at Casa Grande – Almaden Quicksilver County Park!

Friday, September 4, 2026
10:00am – 11:30am

If the tour at @10am fills up, a second tour at 1pm may open.

Casa Grande – Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum
21350 Almaden Road
San José, CA 95120

During this 1-hour Mining Museum Tour at Casa Grande:

  • Discover how local cinnabar significantly impacted the California gold rush. Explore how cinnabar was mined and processed into mercury and hear about the lives of the hardworking miners and their families.
  • Witness authentic mining equipment and family artifacts used by the miners in their families.
  • After the museum tour, participants will have 30 minutes to look at the museum exhibits on their own and visit the gift shop.

Limited space! Please only sign up a max of 4-5 people. If you know more people would like to join, please share the sign-up link.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS

  • Tour content is best for ages 9+.
  • Please, no food, drinks, or pets in the museum (service animals welcome).
  • If you would like to simply browse exhibits at your leisure, the museum is open to the public Saturdays and Sundays 12pm-4pm.
  • If you are part of a larger group that wants its own tour, has a minimum of 10 and maximum of 35 participants, please consider a Friday Group Tour.

Further questions? Email interp@prk.sccgov.org or call 408-918-7770.

Almaden Valley is a great place to live! Looking to buy or sell your home? Contact The Swan!

Wildflower Walk at Almaden Quicksilver

/in , , /by

Wildflower Walk at Almaden QuicksilverThe Wildflower Walk at Almaden Quicksilver County Park is a special springtime event that highlights the joy of living in the Almaden Valley. Join a knowledgeable Park Interpreter on a gentle 1-mile guided hike through the park’s trails to discover the incredible variety of native wildflowers that bloom at Quicksilver Park — and learn why they matter so much to the local ecosystem.

This family-friendly outing is suitable for ages 7 and up, making it a perfect Saturday morning activity for households of all kinds. The hike is scheduled for Saturday, April 4, 2026, from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM, starting at the Mockingbird Hill entrance (19535 Mockingbird Hill Lane, San José, CA 95120). No vehicle entrance fee is required.

To register or for more information, call (408) 918-7770 or email interp@prk.sccgov.org.

Can’t make it to the guided walk? You can still experience the Wildflower Walk at Almaden Quicksilver at your own pace. Stop by the Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum to pick up a paper wildflower brochure, or explore the park’s digital wildflower tour online anytime.

Almaden Valley is a great place to live! Looking to buy or sell your home? Contact The Swan!

March 2025 Quicksilver History Hike

/in , /by

March 2025 Quicksilver History HikeRegistration is now open for the March 2025 Quicksilver History Hike on Saturday, March 22 from 9am – 12pm. Join a Park Interpreter on a 3-4 mile hike in Almaden Quicksilver County Park to discover how our changing values have impacted the landscape, and a once bustling mining enterprise became a park. Meet at the Wood Rd Entrance on Hicks Rd.

This hike will cover history content that is geared towards an adult audience. Best for ages 10+. 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).

History hikes are offered monthly, usually on the 4th Saturday or Sunday of the month. Registration for the hike opens on the 1st of the month.

In the event of rain, the hike will be canceled.

(408) 918-7770

interp@prk.sccgov.org

 

Almaden Valley is a great place to live! Looking to buy or sell your home? Contact The Swan!

Register Now for a Quicksilver History Hike

/in , /by

Quicksilver History HikeRegister now for a Quicksilver History Hike on May 26 or on June 29, 2024 from 9am-12pm.

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

/in /by
Bioblitz at Almaden Quicksilver County Park

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

/in /by

Quicksilver History HikeThe 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

/in /by

Summer wine tastingThe 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

/in /by

Quicksilver History HikeThe next Quicksilver History Hike will be on April 24, 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.

Almaden Quicksilver County Park – October 2019 Events

/in /by

Almaden Quicksilver County ParkIf 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