Almaden Quicksilver Hike Suggestions
Gena writes:
I really enjoyed looking through your pictures of Almaden Quicksilver Park (and other places too). Could you recommend a 4-5-ish mile walk in the park for someone who hasn’t been there before, and wants to get a good “overview” of the park?
Thanks for your nice words about my site and my photos.
Almaden Quicksilver is a long, skinny park so it is hard to do a single hike that gets you into all areas of the park. However, here are a few possibilities that should work. (By the way, some of these routes are described on my Trails page.)
***Hacienda Entrance
– The most popular park entrance seems to be the Hacienda Entrance in New Almaden. Take Almaden Expressway south and then take the right turn onto old Almaden Road just before the expressway heads up a hill to the left and becomes a two lane road itself. Follow old Almaden Road several miles through the town of New Almaden to the park entrance and dirt parking lot just before crossing the creek on a bridge. Most people follow the main Mine Hill Trail from the parking lot. Take this trail to the junction at Capehorn Pass where you stay to the left and continue climbing. You eventually pass the short lateral to the old English Camp site and continue climbing to the high point, where there is a picnic table overlooking the Santa Cruz Range. If you turn right as you arrive at the top of the trail near the picnic tables you can go a very short distance and follow another short trail to the right into the brush to the Catherine Mine site on another ridge and get a good view of Santa Clara Valley. Returning to the picnic tables you can turn left and backtrack to the parking lot – but an interesting variation is to instead go straight ahead along the ridge (as if you had turned left when you first arrived at the ridge) on the Castillero Trail. This will take you past an old mercury mill just below the ridge. Keep to the left here and descend to English Camp. Turn left at English Camp to rejoin the Mine Hill Trail – or continue straight ahead and descend to the right on the English Camp Trail, which eventually rejoins the Mine Hill Trail not far from where you started. This is perhaps a 5-6 mile round trip.
***Mockingbird Hill Entrance
– Following the driving directions above, you’ll turn left at Mockingbird a short distance after leaving the expressway and then drive a few tenths of a mile to the parking lot. You can do loops of varying lengths from this trailhead. A relatively short hike goes as follows: Start up the single-track trail near the trail signs at the far right corner of the parking lot. Within a tenth of a mile or two you can find the New Almaden Trail footpath which descends into a creek drainage. There can be a lot of wildflowers along this route. Follow this trail as it rises and falls and crosses some creeks. Eventually you’ll encounter a signed trail junction where you can turn left of climb to the site of the Buena Vista mine. From here, continue on to the main Randol Trail (take the right leg for a longer walk or go to the left to reach Randol more quickly.) Turn left onto Randol and continue on this trail – which more or less contours along the hillside – until you reach Capehorn Pass. Turn left here and climb to a ridgetop trail. Turn left at this junction and follow the trail back to the parking lot – it descends steeply in spots. I’m not sure of the distance, but it should be within your 4-5 mile range.
***MacAbee Road entrance
– My directions to the trailhead are going to be a little fuzzy so you may want to consult a map. Take Almaden Expressway south to Camden and turn right. (There is a shopping center on this corner – with Safeway, Starbucks, Noahs, etc.) Continue until you reach a stop light where you can turn left and drive along a school field. Turn here and follow this road past the field, continuing straight through residential areas until you reach the park entrance. This is an easily accessible entrance, so don’t be surprised to find a lot of hikers on spring days. Take the trail (actually more of an old road) into the park and past the Senador Mine site up to the top of a ridge. Descend the ridge and continue on the obvious trail that drops to the left. Eventually you will arrive at Guadalupe Reservoir. Continue to the left past the dam, climbing a bit until you reach a trail junction. Take this left turn and loop back towards the MacAbee entrance. There are quite a few wildflowers on this trail. This should be an easy two hour (or less) loop.
***Wood Road Entrance on Hicks Road
– Finding this entrance is a bit trickier. One way is to follow the same driving directions for the Hacienda entrance, except continue driving right past the Hacienda entrance. The road eventually arrives at Almaden Reservoir. Continue on to the upper end of the reservoir and the intersection with Hicks Road where you turn right and ascend steeply. Near the summit of the road there is a park entrance and parking lot to the right. From here take Wood Road trail into the park. Eventually it emerges from forest cover into grassland (lots of flowers at the right time of year) and ascends to the same ridgetop mill described in the first hike. You can retrace your steps to your car at any point.
Good luck!
—–
March 18, 2005 -
Posted by gdanmitchell |
Commentary
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
Dan's Outside 
Almaden Quicksilver Hike Suggestions
Gena writes:
Thanks for your nice words about my site and my photos.
Almaden Quicksilver is a long, skinny park so it is hard to do a single hike that gets you into all areas of the park. However, here are a few possibilities that should work. (By the way, some of these routes are described on my Trails page.)
***Hacienda Entrance
– The most popular park entrance seems to be the Hacienda Entrance in New Almaden. Take Almaden Expressway south and then take the right turn onto old Almaden Road just before the expressway heads up a hill to the left and becomes a two lane road itself. Follow old Almaden Road several miles through the town of New Almaden to the park entrance and dirt parking lot just before crossing the creek on a bridge. Most people follow the main Mine Hill Trail from the parking lot. Take this trail to the junction at Capehorn Pass where you stay to the left and continue climbing. You eventually pass the short lateral to the old English Camp site and continue climbing to the high point, where there is a picnic table overlooking the Santa Cruz Range. If you turn right as you arrive at the top of the trail near the picnic tables you can go a very short distance and follow another short trail to the right into the brush to the Catherine Mine site on another ridge and get a good view of Santa Clara Valley. Returning to the picnic tables you can turn left and backtrack to the parking lot – but an interesting variation is to instead go straight ahead along the ridge (as if you had turned left when you first arrived at the ridge) on the Castillero Trail. This will take you past an old mercury mill just below the ridge. Keep to the left here and descend to English Camp. Turn left at English Camp to rejoin the Mine Hill Trail – or continue straight ahead and descend to the right on the English Camp Trail, which eventually rejoins the Mine Hill Trail not far from where you started. This is perhaps a 5-6 mile round trip.
***Mockingbird Hill Entrance
– Following the driving directions above, you’ll turn left at Mockingbird a short distance after leaving the expressway and then drive a few tenths of a mile to the parking lot. You can do loops of varying lengths from this trailhead. A relatively short hike goes as follows: Start up the single-track trail near the trail signs at the far right corner of the parking lot. Within a tenth of a mile or two you can find the New Almaden Trail footpath which descends into a creek drainage. There can be a lot of wildflowers along this route. Follow this trail as it rises and falls and crosses some creeks. Eventually you’ll encounter a signed trail junction where you can turn left of climb to the site of the Buena Vista mine. From here, continue on to the main Randol Trail (take the right leg for a longer walk or go to the left to reach Randol more quickly.) Turn left onto Randol and continue on this trail – which more or less contours along the hillside – until you reach Capehorn Pass. Turn left here and climb to a ridgetop trail. Turn left at this junction and follow the trail back to the parking lot – it descends steeply in spots. I’m not sure of the distance, but it should be within your 4-5 mile range.
***MacAbee Road entrance
– My directions to the trailhead are going to be a little fuzzy so you may want to consult a map. Take Almaden Expressway south to Camden and turn right. (There is a shopping center on this corner – with Safeway, Starbucks, Noahs, etc.) Continue until you reach a stop light where you can turn left and drive along a school field. Turn here and follow this road past the field, continuing straight through residential areas until you reach the park entrance. This is an easily accessible entrance, so don’t be surprised to find a lot of hikers on spring days. Take the trail (actually more of an old road) into the park and past the Senador Mine site up to the top of a ridge. Descend the ridge and continue on the obvious trail that drops to the left. Eventually you will arrive at Guadalupe Reservoir. Continue to the left past the dam, climbing a bit until you reach a trail junction. Take this left turn and loop back towards the MacAbee entrance. There are quite a few wildflowers on this trail. This should be an easy two hour (or less) loop.
***Wood Road Entrance on Hicks Road
– Finding this entrance is a bit trickier. One way is to follow the same driving directions for the Hacienda entrance, except continue driving right past the Hacienda entrance. The road eventually arrives at Almaden Reservoir. Continue on to the upper end of the reservoir and the intersection with Hicks Road where you turn right and ascend steeply. Near the summit of the road there is a park entrance and parking lot to the right. From here take Wood Road trail into the park. Eventually it emerges from forest cover into grassland (lots of flowers at the right time of year) and ascends to the same ridgetop mill described in the first hike. You can retrace your steps to your car at any point.
Good luck!
—–
Share this:
Related
March 18, 2005 - Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary