Location: County: Santa Clara. Nearest City: San Jose. See map 1.

Campsites, facilities: There are 22 sites for tents or RVs up to 28 feet long - no hook-ups. Fire grills and tables are provided. Piped water, hot showers, a sanitary dump station, and toilets are available. Pets are permitted. Shaded picnic areas are available on a first-come first-served basis. Campers can choose from first-served family campsites. Hot showers are available. Group picnic and youth camping areas are available by reservation. One large lake and several smaller ponds are accessible for warm water fishing.

Reservations, fees: No reservations; $10 per night, $1 pet fee. Open weekends in March, then daily from April through November. Vehicle entry fees are collected year-round. Fees are required for camping, and for use of group picnic areas.

Contact: Phone Santa Clara County Parks Department at 1-408-358-3741, reservations at 1-408-358-3751 or FAX 1-408-358-3245.

Operating hours, seasons: The park is open year-round from 8 a.m. until sunset.

Directions: In San Jose at the junction of Interstate 680 and U.S. 101, take Interstate 680 north to the Alum Rock Avenue exit. Turn east and drive four miles to Mount Hamilton Road. Turn right and drive eight miles to the park headquarters entrance on the right side of the road.

Weather, clothing: Hot dry summers, cool wet winters. Spring is the most temperate time to visit the park with cool to warm days. Summers are hot and dry with the latter parts of summer (August and September) being hottest. Fall starts out hot but cools quickly in November and December. The winter can be variable with mild cool dry days alternating with cold wet ones.

Trip notes: Joseph D. Grant County Park, the largest of Santa Clara County's regional park and recreation areas. This 9,522-acre park includes some of the County's finest open space resources, as well as rich environmental, cultural and recreational assets, and nearby Mount Hamilton to the east. The landscape is characteristic of the east foothills of the Santa Clara Valley with grasslands, majestic oak trees, Grant Lake, and miles of foothills, canyons, and grasslands. 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. Hikers and equestrians have access to an extensive 40-mile trail system. Mountain bikes are permitted on nearly half of the park's trails as designated and 20 miles of old ranch roads that are perfect for mountain biking. The diverse trail system at the park makes this a popular place to stage large-scale organized trail events such as equestrian endurance rides, mountain bike events and foot races. The campground is set amid oak grasslands, is shaded, and can be used as a base camp for planning the day's recreation. The best hikes are to Halls Valley, especially in the winter and spring when there are many secret little creeks and miniature waterfalls in hidden canyons, and the Hotel Trail and Cañada de Pala Trail, which drops down to San Felipe Creek, the prettiest stream in the park. A great side trip is the slow, curvy drive east to Lick Observatory for great views of the Santa Clara Valley.

 

 

 

Where to go Camping

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Miwok Lodge 439