Joseph D. Grant County Park
Joseph D. Grant County Park is the largest of Santa Clara County's regional parks. This 9,560 acre park, located in the Diablo Range between San Jose and Mount Hamilton, is popular with hikers, equestrians, and mountain bikers. The landscape is characteristic of the east foothills of the Santa Clara Valley with grasslands and majestic oak trees.
The park is named after Joseph D. Grant, son of a wealthy San Francisco merchant. In the late 1800's Grant began buying the land which he used for grazing cattle, recreation, and hunting game. He also remodeled the original house from 1882 and added a cookhouse, servants quarters, a rose garden and aviary. It was here that Grant entertained dignitaries such as Leland Stanford and Herbert Hoover, who stayed at the ranch for a month after his election loss to Franklin Roosevelt. Joseph D. Grant died in 1942, and Santa Clara County subsequently purchased the land in 1975 to create this public park.
Joseph D. Grant County Park offers about 52 miles of trails. The trails are primarily dirt roads with some singletrack. Elevations range from about 1,400 feet in Halls Valley to over 2,800 feet on the eastern edge of the park. The trails are challenging and exposed. Note that mountain bikes are allowed on about half of the trails in the park.
In addition to miles of trails, Joseph D. Grant also offers picnic areas and forty reservable family campsites with hot showers available. The park also allows fishing in the main lake and several smaller ponds. Please refer to the official park website for more information.
The park is named after Joseph D. Grant, son of a wealthy San Francisco merchant. In the late 1800's Grant began buying the land which he used for grazing cattle, recreation, and hunting game. He also remodeled the original house from 1882 and added a cookhouse, servants quarters, a rose garden and aviary. It was here that Grant entertained dignitaries such as Leland Stanford and Herbert Hoover, who stayed at the ranch for a month after his election loss to Franklin Roosevelt. Joseph D. Grant died in 1942, and Santa Clara County subsequently purchased the land in 1975 to create this public park.
Joseph D. Grant County Park offers about 52 miles of trails. The trails are primarily dirt roads with some singletrack. Elevations range from about 1,400 feet in Halls Valley to over 2,800 feet on the eastern edge of the park. The trails are challenging and exposed. Note that mountain bikes are allowed on about half of the trails in the park.
In addition to miles of trails, Joseph D. Grant also offers picnic areas and forty reservable family campsites with hot showers available. The park also allows fishing in the main lake and several smaller ponds. Please refer to the official park website for more information.
Grant Lake
The Dirt:
Extras:
- Click here for the official park website with link to trail map.
- Click here for driving directions to the main park entrance via Hwy 130.
- Dogs on leash are allowed on ALL TRAILS in the park!
Extras:
- Joseph D. Grant County Park also offers fishing, picnic areas, and reservable campsites with showers.
- The Park Service offers tours of the historic Grant Ranch House most Saturdays. Call the park office at (408) 274-6121 for more details. Note that it has been reported that the Joseph D. Grant house is haunted!
- There is no drinking water available along the trails in the park, so bring your own!
Favorite Run #1: Coming soon!
The Corral Trail