13 Parks to Explore in Santa Clara County

Checkout places to visit in Santa Clara County

Santa Clara County

Home to Silicon Valley, Santa Clara County is an economic center for high technology and has the third highest GDP per capita in the world. The county's concentration of wealth, primarily due to the tech industry, has made it the most affluent county on the West Coast of the United States and one of the most affluent places in America.

Activities Around

Parks to Explore in Santa Clara County

Baylands Park

Baylands Park provides over 70 acres of developed parkland offering active recreation, pathways and picnic areas for families and large groups. It offers biking, hiking, nature trails and access to the San Francisco Bay Trail, which connects 300 miles of trails along the shoreline of San Francisco Bay.

Ed R. Levin County Park

This majestic 1,558 acre park is one of Santa Clara County's most unique regional park and recreation areas. It has the traditional features of an urban park such as picnicking, fishing and play areas, with the complex trail system of many regional wilderness parks. The park's recreational facilities include a hang gliding and paragliding area, a dog park, and horseback riding areas. Ed R. Levin County Park has two lakes.

Hakone Estate and Gardens

18-acre (7.3 ha) traditional Japanese garden recognized as one of the oldest Japanese-style residential garden in the Western Hemisphere. Notable features include a bamboo garden, a Zen garden, a strolling garden (the Hill and Pond Garden), tea houses, and the Cultural Exchange Center.

Happy Hollow Park & Zoo

Happy Hollow Park and Zoo is a family-friendly amusement park and accredited zoo. Located on sixteen acres. It has many popular features like its carousel, roller coaster, petting zoo, and Puppet Castle Theater. It is home to over 140 species of animal, and a host of attractions and side shows. Though not massive, the park will keep the family entertained for a good portion of the day.

Hellyer County Park

This 354-acre urban park is located in the heart of Santa Clara County's regional park system with the Coyote Creek meandering through the center. It is home to Hellyer Park Velodrome and Cottonwood Lake. Other recreational opportunities at the park include picnicking, hiking, fishing, biking, and a playground.

History San José

Teh hisotory park in San Jose, California, USA is designed as an indoor/outdoor museum, arranged to appear as a small US town might have in the early 1900s. Since its inauguration in 1971, 32 historic buildings and other landmarks have either been moved from their original San Jose locations or are represented by replicas.

Joseph D. Grant County Park

This majestic10,882 acre park includes some of the County's finest open space resources, as well as rich environmental, cultural and recreational assets. The landscape is characteristic of the east foothills of the Santa Clara Valley with grasslands and majestic oak trees. As part of the park's tradition and history, cattle grazing currently takes place in some areas, and is monitored under a resource management plan.

Kelley Park

This is a 156-acre city park in San Jose, California. The Leininger Center, just south of Happy Hollow, is the central location where citizens apply for city park permits and reservations. Most of the rest of the park is picnic areas, lawns, groves of trees, and plenty of pathways in between. There is also an 18-hole disc golf course in the walnut orchard behind History park

Oak Meadow Park

A beautiful park located in the heart of Santa Clara and is famous foits recreational activities. there are so many things to see and do in this vast natural area.

Rancho San Antonio County Park & Open Space Preserve

This is a conjoined public recreational area in the Santa Cruz Mountains, in the northwest quadrant of Santa Clara County, California. The County Park is bordered by Los Altos with some parts of the eastern part of the County Park in western Cupertino. The Open Space Preserve is on the west side of the County Park, also bordered by Los Altos Hills, Monte Bello Open Space Preserve, and the Permanente Quarry.

Sanborn County Park

Sanborn County Park is a 3,453 acres public park situated in the Santa Cruz Mountains owned by the county of Santa Clara, California, adjacent to Castle Rock State Park and the Los Altos Rod and Gun Club Range and Santa Clara County Peace Officers Association gun range. The park is managed by the Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Department. The park is heavily forested and offers hiking and other generally low intensity outdoor uses.

Vasona Lake County Park

Vasona Lake County Park is a 152 acre park in Los Gatos, California with many activities centered around the namesake Vasona Lake. This is Santa Clara County Parks most popular regional park and recreation area for many reasons which are easy to see once you visit the park. The reservoir is host to non-power recreational boating, and a marina on site has pedal boats for public rental. Other popular water sports in the reservoir include kayaking and standup paddleboarding.

Map of Parks to explore in Santa Clara County