logo for print

Almaden Quicksilver Park

During early spring, the Almaden Quicksilver Park offers a spectacular wildflower display, and the remnants of the mercury mining era offer a glimpse into the mining operations of the 19th century.

4153 acres
Open Access
Santa Clara County
Managed By: Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Dept.

Native Americans once lived in these beautiful hills. Mercury was actively mined here for over 200 years and the park was once home to 1,800 miners and their families.  Now the sycamore, maple, bay laurel, and valley oak trees have reclaimed the hillsides, and the banks of the creek are lush with riparian flora and fauna.  

The park includes over 34.2 miles of hiking trails, 23 miles of equestrian trails and 10 miles of bike trails.

Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Dept.'s page for this park. Or find reviews about Almaden Quicksilver Park from EveryTrail.com. Find out how to get there at TransitandTrails.org's Almaden Quicksilver Park page.

Red Marker Almaden Quicksilver Park
During early spring, the Almaden Quicksilver Park offers a spectacular wildflower display, and the remnants of the mercury mining era offer a glimpse into the mining operations of the 19th century.

Native Americans once lived in these beautiful hills. Mercury was actively mined here for over 200 years and the park was once home to 1,800 miners and their families.  Now the sycamore, maple, bay laurel, and valley oak trees have reclaimed the hillsides, and the banks of the creek are lush with riparian flora and fauna.  

The park includes over 34.2 miles of hiking trails, 23 miles of equestrian trails and 10 miles of bike trails.

Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Dept.'s page for this park. Or find reviews about Almaden Quicksilver Park from EveryTrail.com. Find out how to get there at TransitandTrails.org's Almaden Quicksilver Park page.

37.1852862772 -121.852706618

Related Advertisers

Related Content (Show all related content >)

Bookmark This Page

Almaden Quicksilver

Posted by G Dan Mitchell at 2010-07-09 02:58 PM
I've been hiking at this park for many years and it is, indeed, a wonderful and accessible place with more variety than you might expect. There is the seasonal variety - hikes in rain and fog in the winter months, great wildflowers in spring, the "California brown" of the summer, and surprising bits of color in the fall. Hikes range from short and easy to long and quite difficult with great amounts of vertical. You can get off the beaten track or you can visit historic mining sites.

Dan

Plus, Angle of Repose!

Posted by Dan Rademacher at 2010-07-09 03:08 PM
Hi Dan-

Thanks for the second that this is a cool park! A few years ago, I finally read Stegner's Angle of Repose with a big section set at the New Almaden Mine. I have no idea how accurate the book is, but it adds at least a feeling of historical intimacy with the remarkable history of this place.

Almaden Quicksilver

Posted by G Dan Mitchell at 2010-07-09 08:49 PM
Stegner is a favorite of mine, and I've read that book more than once. I rarely pass through the English Camp area (site of old settlement inside the park) without thinking of that book.

Dan