Santa Teresa Park 9.4 miles

Views: Valleys
Crowd: Very in the Park, Moderate on the trails

Average Speed: 3.9 mph (Ran with my dog, but this was often in ankle deep mud. This area can turn to snot like mud making forward progress very tough)

Stopped Time: 0 min

Difficulty 1-5 for relative distance: 3

Bike: Yes Bikes
Dogs: Yes Dogs
Cautions: Watch for Bikes on the top section and on the descent.

Hike Direction: North to South, Counterclockwise.

Download GPX route: Click Here

Parking: Free inside the small lot of Bernal Historic Range Park or park outside the park)

Driving Directions:

https://www.google.com/maps/dir//37.226227,-121.798926/@37.226751,-121.8008987,17z/data=!3m1!4b1

More info: https://www.sccgov.org/sites/parks/parkfinder/Pages/SantaTeresa.aspx

Map:

https://www.sccgov.org/sites/parks/parkfinder/Documents/Santa-Teresa-map.pdf

Offers spectacular views from its trails above the Almaden and Santa Clara Valleys. The secluded upland valleys of the park provide a quiet interlude for exploring the natural environment minutes away from the surrounding developed areas.

In the rain of after a lot of rain, parts of this loop do not handle the run off well. Cow pasters and the clay seem to turn into snot!

You often see a lot of pig activity thru this park.

The loop travels up a fire road then crosses Bernal road and becomes single track strewn with rocks.

Red = Out & Back (O/B) or Connection hikes

Green = Loops

Blue = Backpacking including Backpacking thru hikes

Light Blue = Thru hikes

Yellow = To-do Backpack

Pink = Smaller loop option

Orange = To-do

Purple = Bay Ridge Trail thru hikes

GENERAL NOTES:

• Total Elevation Gain reported by GAIA on IOS devices looks to be a bit under reported when compared to Garmin devices that feature Baro elevation correction. It has been left for consistency.

• I carried a full overnight weekend backpack and hiked solo, unless otherwise noted. This certainly slows the time and pace a bit. I did so initially for the workout, but now so that the pacing is consistent and thus more predictable for comparing hike to hike times.

• Often midweek you might not see another person on your loop. Some of the Best Hikes on the Peninsula are surprisingly remote.

• Some of the trails have sharp drops just off the edge of the single track. A fall off in the wrong spot could be very bad.

• Cell signal is spotty to non-existent in many of the areas.

• Carry a headlamp in case you get lost, delayed, over estimated your progress, when you have an afternoon start, etc.

• When Hiking Solo, consider carrying extra food, first aid, and shelter or bivy, in case you find yourself lost, injured or in the parks after dark. It could be better to shelter in place, than continue without working light, tripping and falling off a cliff or wandering lost thru the night.

• Wildlife consists not only of lizards, rabbits, birds (including turkeys and hogs in some of the areas) and deer, but I have seen or seen signs of coyote, bob cat, rattle snakes and even mountain lions in several of the preserves over the years.

Seems like the lizards make the most noise as the run thru the leaves, but note that on several occasions the rattle snakes did NOT rattle. It never hurts to be aware of where you are stepping.

ABOUT DOGS AND BIKES:

Most of the hiking routes cover a large area and numerous hiking trails. While some of the hiking trails used to create the route might allow dogs or bikes, a "NO" for either is listed if at any point on the hike, a hiking trail used for the hike, has a "NO" sign is posted.

However, regardless of the signs posted, please note that you'll often still see both.