Below is a list of the top and leading Bush Walks in San Jose. To help you find the best Bush Walks located near you in San Jose, we put together our own list based on this rating points list.
San Jose’s Best Bush Walks:
The top-rated Bush Walks in San Jose are:
- Sierra Vista Open Space Preserve – nature preserve with hiking & biking trails through varied landscapes with valley views.
- Alum Rock Park – enjoy picnic reservations, hikes, mineral springs, nature, wildlife, and much more!
- Almaden Quicksilver County Park – a nice place with amazing trails to go hiking and biking and get a workout in.
- Boccardo Loop Trail – open to hikers, bikers & equestrians, the 2.7-mile stretch passes through grasslands & oak woodlands.
- Santa Teresa County Park – diverse county park with a variety of hiking trails providing views of the numerous hills & valleys.
Sierra Vista Open Space Preserve
Sierra Vista Open Space Preserve is not only a hiking and biking trail but a conservation sanctuary as well. The beautiful oak forests and rolling hills are home to wildlife like deer and the endangered tiger salamander and red-legged frog. The conservation area is over 1600 acres big that provides 10 miles worth of hiking trails. Sierra Vista is ideal for the beginner hiker or a family group with children since it’s not a hard trail to traverse. Due to the protected status of its ecology and wildlife, pets are not allowed to come in. It also has a place for heritage agriculture, having working lands alongside its protected biodiverse landscape.
Products/Services:
Hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, clean water, agriculture, land protection.
LOCATION:
Address: Sierra Vista Point, Sierra Vista Trail, San Jose, CA 95127
Phone: (408) 224-7476
Website: openspaceauthority.org/preserves/sierra
REVIEWS:
It was awesome to trailing without family and they are closing at 6 pm. So, you need to do morning or afternoon to start up, staffs at the parking are friendly and informative. – Karthik Rajkumar
Alum Rock Park
Alum Rock Park offers a wide range of educational programs for kids and other age groups. They host an annual summer camp from June to August. The summer camp is available to kids aged 5 to 14 years old, with activities like exploring creek waters, bird watching, hiking, and other recreational activities. The park has also picnic areas that you can reserve for your party. There are approximately 13 miles of trails including 6 miles of trails for horseback riding, and 3 miles for cycling.
Products/Services:
Free parking, summer camp, picnic areas, hiking trails.
LOCATION:
Address: 15350 Penitencia Creek Rd, San Jose, CA 95127
Phone: (408) 259-5477
Website: sanjoseca.gov/alum-rock-park
REVIEWS:
Great paths, pretty time-consuming and hard but there’s something for most people. Quite beautiful as well. I enjoyed it, and I hope you will too! – Jiwoo Park
Almaden Quicksilver County Park
Almaden Quicksilver County Park is an amazing and beautiful natural park that also serves as a piece of history in California. The park was formerly the site of mining activities for 135 years that housed over 1800 miners that comprised of the community at the time. Quicksilver has over 4000 acres of geography that occupy the majority of Capitancillos Ridge. There are over 37 miles of hiking trails to enjoy, almost 20 miles of cycling trails, and 30 miles if you fancy experiencing horseback riding. The park also has picnic areas scattered around and fishing spots where you could fish, but you can’t eat what you catch so you’ll have to release them.
Products/Services:
Hiking, picnics, guided nature and history walks, fishing.
LOCATION:
Address: 21785 Almaden Rd, San Jose, CA 95120
Phone: (408) 268-3883
Website: sccgov.org/parks/AlmadenPark
REVIEWS:
This park has awesome trails with gorgeous views. The animals are roaming more freely now that humans aren’t intruding as much. We spotted a couple of mountain lions. So please be on the lookout and retreat if you spot one. – Lakshmi Raghu
Boccardo Loop Trail
Boccardo Loop Trail is a fun loop on the west-hand side of the Sierra Vista Preserve. The end of the Sierra Vista Trail is where the Boccardo Loop starts and is located on an inclined slope. You will experience grassy hillsides and oak and sycamore forests, as well as a scenic view of the Santa Clara Valley and Mt. Hamilton. With perfect weather, you can also have a view of San Francisco. The trail doesn’t have much in terms of shade so make sure you put on some sunblock lotion and lots of water with you.
Products/Services:
Hiking and walking.
LOCATION:
Address: 5345 Sierra Rd, San Jose, CA 95132
Phone: (408) 224-7476
Website: hikingproject.com/trail/boccardo-loop-trail
REVIEWS:
If you want a more challenging hike, the Boccardo Loop Trail has the hills you are looking for. – Kristen Arendt
Santa Teresa County Park
Santa Teresa County Park is located on the Santa Teresa Hills south of downtown San Jose. The 1,673 acre-wide park offers beautiful and breathtaking views. Santa Teresa County Park provides a wide range of recreational activities such as playing golf on its 18-hole golf course, play on their archery range that’s operated by the Black Mountain Bowmen Archery Club, go picnicking on picnic groves scattered across the mark, and many more. The park is open to the public the entire year starting from 8 AM until dusk.
Products/Services:
Golf course, parking, equestrian area, picnic area, archery range, hiking.
LOCATION:
Address: Bernal Rd, San Jose, CA 95120
Phone: (408) 355-2200
Website: sccgov.org/parks/SantaTeresa
REVIEWS:
Great neighborhood park in South San Jose. Open views of the valley, but exposed. Carry sunblock and plenty of water. Plenty of parking at the Pueblo Day use area centrally located to all trails. – Abe Achkinazi
Alain Atkins is the senior editor for Kev’s Best. Alain has been working as a journalist for nearly a decade having published pieces in many print and digital publications including the Argus Leader and the Huffing Post. Alain is based in St Louis and covers issues affecting his city and state. When he’s not busy in the newsroom, Alain enjoys backpacking.