Alum Rock Park

Alum Rock Park
View from South Rim Trail
Type	Urban park
Location	San Jose, California
Coordinates	37°23′52″N 121°47′59″W / 37.3977168°N 121.7996751°W / 37.3977168; -121.7996751[1]
Area	2.9 km2 (1.1 sq mi)
Created	1872
Operated by	City of San Jose
Status	Open except non-holiday Mondays

Alum Rock Park, in the Alum Rock district of San Jose, California, is California's oldest municipal park, established in 1872 but serving as public land since the pueblo was established in 1777. Located in a valley in the Diablo Range foothills on the east side of San Jose, the 720 acre (2.9 km²) park offers 13 miles (21 km) of trails, varying from fairly level along Penitencia Creek to sharp switchbacks climbing to the ridges to the South Rim Trail and the North Rim Trail. The narrow floor of the valley includes a visitor center, a small museum/animal rehab facility, picnic areas, playgrounds, lawns, sand volleyball pits, mineral springs, lush plant life, woodlands, creek play opportunities, and occasional group camping.

The ridge trails offer views of Santa Clara Valley and of the valley in which the park is located. Some trails in the park are a part of the Bay Area Ridge Trail; the Todd Quick trail connects with the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority's 1,600-acre Sierra Vista Open Space Preserve.

Penitencia Creek is properly called Upper Penitencia Creek because it no longer connects with Lower Penitencia Creek, which is in Milpitas. The creek also had a different name until the early 20th century; somehow it began to be called by the name of a different creek located to the north, which was so-named because monks (possibly from Mission San José) would meditate by its waters.

San Jose & Alum Rock Park Railway

Construction of a

From 1921 until unknown, the

On February 20, 2017, heavy rain storms caused fallen trees, landslides and flooding resulting in the park to close.[5]

Features

Springs

The valley has abundant mineral

Alum Rock Falls Road

Private residents have access to the publicly-owned road. They enter the park and continue on to the rear parking lot. At the end of the parking lot is a metal gate which requires a security code number to continue on the public road. Visitors can also walk up the road, but there are various signs which indicate no trespassing.

Fork in the creek

Penitencia Creek has two main sources which converge at the "horse bridge" near the uphill end of the creek trail. The fork from the north is Penitencia and originates from Cherry Flat Reservoir. Alum Rock Falls is within the park but the City of San Jose has marked this part of the park as off limits since the 1980s. The creek from the south is Arroyo Aguague and originates in Grant Ranch. Although a couple miles of this lush canyon are within the park, this area too is off limits to visitors.

Youth Science Institute

Opened in 1953, the Youth Science Institute - Alum Rock Science and Nature Center, operated by the Youth Science Institute, features natural history exhibits and a collection of live teaching animals, including several injured and non-releasable hawks and owls that are found in the region. The center offers nature and science school and group programs, after-school science and summer camp programs.^[6]

Animals that are commonly found throughout the park are displayed in the center. There is an exhibit of taxidermy birds that is sectioned off into owls, hawks, seabirds, and waterfowl. Animal remains are set up throughout the center and labeled accordingly. There is a separate room for live animals that are kept in their designated space along with a brief description of each animal. Occasionally, there is a pair of owls that roam free within the room.

Environment

Vegetation

The steep sides of the valley are home to many diverse plants native to California. The south-facing slopes primarily consist of grasses, poison oak, sagebrush, and occasional live oak trees. The warm sun on the sagebrush lends a unique smell to the air.

The north-facing slopes are dominated by trees, including

western sycamore provide shade for the abundant ferns.

Bird species found in the park include red-tailed hawk, red-shouldered hawk, Cooper's hawk, American kestrel, turkey vulture, wild turkey, mallard, great blue heron, green heron, Steller's jay, great egret, snowy egret, and California quail. Owls that are native to the park are the western screech owl, barn owl, great horned owl, and northern pygmy owl. The northern pygmy owl unlike most owl species is active from dawn to dusk. Larger wildlife includes black-tailed deer, gray foxes, bobcats, and the occasional mountain lions. There has been an increase in the mountain lion population in the San Francisco Bay Area. Smaller wildlife would include the darkling beetle, Eurypelma californicum (tarantula), black widow, and Pacific tree frog. Two species of lizards that are native to the park are southern alligator lizard and western fence lizard. Native fish that can be found in Penetencia Creek are the California roach and riffle sculpin.

Yellow-Eyed Ensatina (Ensatina eschscholztii xanthoptica), California Slender Salamanders (Batrachoseps attenuatus), and Arboreal Salamanders (Aneides lugubris) can be found in the wooded areas of the park.^[7]

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References