Almaden Quicksilver County Park 2015-03-02

Almaden Quicksilver County Park has more than 34 miles of hiking trails! The park has three entrances. This time, we chose the one on Mockingbird Hill Lane, off of Almaden Road and Almaden Expwy. Plenty of parking is available here. The park has several trail systems – I’d recommend having a map with you just so you can follow the highly interconnected trail system properly.

Our hike today was 8 miles long and the route we took was as follows. Hacienda Trail -> Capehorn Pass Trail -> Mine Hill Trail -> Great Eastern Trail -> Mine Hill Trail -> Prospect #3 Trail -> New Almaden Trail. While Hacienda and Mine Hill Trails were dirt roads, Great Eastern, Prospect #3 and New Almaden Trails were narrow hiking trails just wide enough for one person. 

We ascended some 1100 ft. by the time we were out of the Great Eastern Trail over the first 3 miles and gave up most of it during the next 2 miles on Mine Hill & Prospect #3. The last 3 miles on New Almaden had some ups and downs, but nothing as intense as the first 3 miles.

Hacienda, Capehorn Pass, and the first section of Mine Hill trails reminded me of the Sierra Azul hike. They were broad, dirt/fire roads ascending steadily with views of the bay unfolding gradually. They are multi-use trails, so expect to encounter mountain bikers and the occasional horse rider. However, the scene changed when we entered Great Eastern Trail. The heavily shaded path will lead you up the mountains and into the forests. We skipped the section to April Tunnel; in retrospect, we should’ve checked it out. About a mile of extra hiking would let you do that once you come out of Great Eastern Trail.

The next section of Mine Hill Trail, even though it's a fire road, was more shaded and cooler. Don’t miss the short detour to Catherine Tunnel and view from the top. From Catherine Tunnel, the hike becomes downhill and the Prospect #3 Trail is quite steep.

The best part of the hike today was the final 3 miles on New Almaden Trail. This largely downhill trail is quite scenic. We crossed several creeks along the way, although all but one had no water flowing through them.

A couple of grass hills will provide a change of scenery before a gentle climb in the last half mile that gets you to the Mockingbird Hill parking lot.

It's going to take a few more visits to cover the breadth of the trails in this beautiful county park bordering Sierra Azul Open Preserve. With a rich history in mining, this park has a lot of interesting things to offer.

More pictures from the hike.

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