Santa Teresa County Park, San Jose

Took Mine Trail in a northerly direction from the small parking lot on Bernal Road. That led to Bernal Hill Trail for a 3 mile loop. Visited on 3/18/22, and it became obvious that slopes that faced north were still green, even lush, in spots, while south-facing slopes were already drying out. But springtime wildflowers were in abundance on all trails. Excellent views of South San Jose neighborhoods and the mountains surrounding the South Bay. It’s a bit more trafficked than the more remote trails around the Bay Area, which is understandable given the easy accessibility to the park from 101. The power lines are a bit of an eyesore, but the rest of the park is attractive.

I would not recommend Santa Teresa (for hiking) in comparison to other local parks (like Uvas Canyon County Park). You have to hike quite far to get past the dry portions of the park, a lot of it is either up or downhill, and while the park might be a good choice for bikers, you’re almost guaranteed to either get “run over” or spend a lot of time in the brush avoiding bikes. The main trails and open areas have no shade, and in the summer it’s definitely not a great choice.