TrailStompers.com: San Francisco Bay Area Trail Running

Almaden Quicksilver County Park, located to the south of San Jose, includes 4000+ acres and over 30 miles of trails.  The site of a once-booming mercury mining industry, the park boasts the remains of several mining operations.  Although hard to believe, the area once boased thousands of residents dedicated to mining the mercury used to extract gold from ore.  Nowadays, the grassy hills provide great views of Silicon Valley to the north and Mt. Umunhum to the south.  (For you conspiracy theorists, see the Mt. Umunhum section below.) 

The trails in the park are primarily fire roads, with the exception of the challenging New Almaden Trail and a few short trails such as the Prospect #3 Trail and Yellow Kid Trail.  The weather in the park varies from temperate in the winter to scorching in the summer, so wear your sunscreen and hat!  There are four entrances to the park: McAbee Road, Mockingbird Hill Lane, Hacienda, and Hicks/Wood Road.  All of the runs on this page start from either the McAbee entrance or the Mockingbird Hill entrance.

The Dirt:

• For the official web site and a decent trail map click here.
• For driving directions to the two entrances via Google maps, click: McAbee Road or Mockingbird Hill.
  

Extras:

• A brief history of the area can be found here.
• Note that the only drinking water available in the whole park is at the Mockingbird Hill entrance.
  

Mt. Umunhum is the mountain with the large cement "box" on top, visible from most of the South Bay.  The "box" is clearly visible from several sections of the Mine Hill Trail in Almaden Quicksilver Park.  "Umunhum" refers to a "hummingbird resting place" in the native Ohlone tongue.  The "box" was the radar building for the Almaden Air Force Base which operated between 1957 and 1980 before being closed and abandoned.  The site is now off-limits. 

Apparently there are many rumors about the mountain.  Some say that the site is still operational.  Some say that people grow pot up there (apparently this is true).  Others say that there are dangerous albinos up there!  For some interesting reading, click here and here. 

This run is a classic hill climb to the high point of the park known as "Bull Run".  It offers a great workout and nice views from the top.  The run is entirely on fire roads.  Just be careful: the climbs are steep in sections, and in the summer it can be very sunny and hot at the higher elevations in the park.  This run starts from the Mockingbird Hill entrance.  Begin by heading up the Hacienda Trail.

• 0.0 mi: Start heading up the Hacienda Trail.  The climbing starts right away.
  
• 0.2 mi: Pass the New Almaden Trail.  Continue climbing up the Hacienda Trail.
  
• 1.0 mi: Turn right onto the Capehorn Pass Trail.
  
• 1.3 mi: Pass the Randol Trail on your right.  Continue straight ahead, climbing up what is now the Mine Hill Trail.
  
• 2.0 mi: Intersection with Castillero Trail.  Stay right and continue climbing up the Mine Hill Trail.
  
• 2.6 mi: Pass the site of the old San Cristobal Mine on your left.
  
• 2.9 mi: Turn left onto the Castillero Trail.  Note that the area around this intersection is known as "Bull Run" and was the site of gatherings and celebrations for the miners.
  
• 3.5 mi: Intersection with Wood Road Trail.  Continue downhill on the Castillero Trail, and you will see the remains of the old Rotary Furnace to your right, once used to seperate mercury from the ore.  (Note: you will next pass the trail to Hidalgo Cemetery on your right.  This is a nice 1.2 mile out-and-back side trip to the site of an old cemetery.)
  
• 4.0 mi: Intersection with the Mine Hill Trail.  Turn right onto Mine Hill Trail and keep descending.  From now on, you will retrace your steps back to the car.
  
• 4.7 mi: When you pass Randol Trail on your left, continue straight onto Capehorn Pass Trail.
  
• 5.0 mi: Turn left onto Hacienda Trail and begin the steep descent back down to the car.
• 6.0 mi: Back at the car!
  

This run is similar to the previous one, but adds a nice rolling section of the Randol Trail and passes by several more old mining sites.  This run is entirely on fire roads.  Just be careful: the climbs are steep in sections, and in the summer it can be very sunny and hot at the higher elevations in the park.  This run starts from the Mockingbird Hill entrance.  Begin by heading up the Hacienda Trail.

• 0.0 mi: Start heading up the Hacienda Trail.  The climbing starts right away.
  
• 0.2 mi: Pass the New Almaden Trail.  Continue climbing up the Hacienda Trail.
  
• 1.0 mi: Turn right onto the Capehorn Pass Trail.
  
• 1.3 mi: Turn right onto the Randol Trail.
  
• 2.3 mi: Veer left onto the Santa Isabel Trail.  You will soon pass the site of the old Santa Isabel mine.
  
• 2.7 mi: Stay left to get back on the Randol Trail.  You will stay on the Randol Trail for the next 2.6 mi.
  
• 5.3 mi: Trail ends.  Turn left onto Mine Hill Trail and start climbing.
  
• 5.7 mi: Pass the Providencia Trail on your right (in the switchback section).  Stay left and continue climbing up the Mine Hill Trail.
• 6.5 mi: Pass the Providencia Trail on your right.  Stay left and continue climbing up the Mine Hill Trail.
• 6.7 mi: Pass the Prospect #3 Trail on your left.  Continue climbing up the Mine Hill Trail.
  
• 7.5 mi: You will see the site of the old Catherine Tunnel on your left, then the intersection with the Castillero Trail.  Veer right onto the Castillero Trail.  Note that the area around this intersection is known as "Bull Run" and was the site of gatherings and celebrations for the miners.
  
• 8.1 mi: Intersection with Wood Road Trail.  Continue downhill on the Castillero Trail, and you will see the remains of the old Rotary Furnace to your right, once used to seperate mercury from the ore.  (Note: you will next pass the trail to Hidalgo Cemetery on your right.  This is a nice 1.2 mile out-and-back side trip to the site of an old cemetery.)
  
• 8.6 mi: Intersection with the Mine Hill Trail.  Turn right onto Mine Hill Trail and keep descending.  From now on, you will retrace your steps back to the car.
  
• 9.3 mi: When you pass Randol Trail on your left, continue straight onto Capehorn Pass Trail.
  
• 9.6 mi: Turn left onto Hacienda Trail and begin the steep descent back down to the car.
• 10.6 mi: Back at the car!

 

This is my favorite "grand tour" of the park.  Unlike the previous two runs, this run is about 50% singletrack with more shaded sections, so it is a good choice on hotter days.  This is a challenging run: it has several miles of extended climbing, followed by many technical short up-and-down sections on the New Almaden Trail.  Unlike the previous two runs, this run starts from the McAbee Road entrance, at the corner of McAbee Road and Whispering Pines Dr.  Begin by heading up the paved trail along McAbee Creek.

• 0.0 mi: Start heading up the paved trail.
  
• 0.1 mi: Pass the Mine Hill Trail on your left.  Continue heading up toward Senador Mine.
  
• 0.3 mi: Pass the New Almaden Trail on your left.  Continue up the Senador Mine Trail past the bathroom and information sign.  You will soon pass the remains of the old Senador Mine.
  
• 0.9 mi: Intersection with Guadalupe Trail.  Veer right to start climbing up the Guadalupe Trail.  You will soon reach the top of the ridge, then descend into the next valley, and then start climbing again up past the dam.
  
• 2.3 mi: Pass the Guadalupe Reservoir dam.
  
• 2.7 mi: Intersection with Mine Hill Trail.  Stay right to continue climbing up Mine Hill Trail.
  
• 2.8 mi: Intersection with Randol Trail.  Stay right to continue climbing up Mine Hill Trail.
  
• 3.2 mi: Pass the Providencia Trail on your right (in the switchback section).  Stay left and continue climbing up the Mine Hill Trail.
• 4.0 mi: Pass the Providencia Trail on your right.  Stay left and continue climbing up the Mine Hill Trail.
• 4.2 mi: Turn left onto the Prospect #3 Trail.  This is a great downhill singletrack switchback section.
  
• 4.7 mi: Turn right onto the Randol Trail (fire road).  
• 6.0 mi: Veer right onto the Santa Isabel Trail.  You will soon pass the remains of the old Santa Isabel Mine.
• 6.4 mi: Sharp left turn onto the Randol Trail and descend towards the Buena Vista Shaft.
• 6.7 mi: Pass the Buena Vista Shaft, then continue downwards on the singletrack towards the New Almaden Trail.  this section of singletrack is rocky so be careful!
• 7.0 mi: Turn left onto the New Almaden Trail.  Continue on the New Almaden Trail for the next 4.5 miles.  Prepare for some challenging little up-and-downs!
• 8.3 mi: Pass the Prospect #3 Trail on your left.  Stay on the New Almaden Trail.
• 9.7 mi: Pass the Webb Canyon Trail on your right.  Stay on the New Almaden Trail.
• 10.6 mi: Pass the Cinnabar Trail on your left.  Stay on the New Almaden Trail.
• 11.5 mi: Major trail intersection with Mine Hill Trail & Guadalupe Trail.  You could turn right on the Mine Hill Trail and be back at the car in 0.7 miles, but instead turn left onto the Guadalupe Trail to add on one more climb!!
• 12.1 mi: Done climbing!!  Turn right onto the Senador Mine Trail to head back to your car.
• 12.7 mi: Pass the New Almaden Trail and the bathroom.  Continue straight onto the paved section.
• 13.0 mi: Back at the car!