Boccardo Loop Trail — Attraction in San Jose

This trail is great when the temperatures are lower since there are almost no trees. It is best to go down the zig-zag portion and up the straight part because the straight part is steep. There is almost no shade but the views are unobstructed and go from the bay over all of silicon valley. It is also easy to get there, just up a curvy road. It is not very quiet, because there are lots of roads around and when the kids from the opposite valley don't ride their dirt bikes small airplanes climb over the park almost constantly. Still good for a 3 mile moderate...

Great views and a challenging trail. If you go up the western side, it's a bit steeper but half a mile shorter. There's not much shade either way. Nice wildflowers including Golden Poppies, Bi-Color Lupine and Itherial Spears. Wind is almost always blowing. There's no water so be sure you are well hydrated and/or bring water. Keep in mind that it's a long downhill. Downhills can cause a lot of knee pain if you are not in shape for it. There's a bench at the top to take in the views. This is one of my favorite...

Hike with some of the best views of the bay. Several options for hiking - from 1 mile to very long ones with lots of elevation gain. We did a 4.4 mile loop with about 1,100' total elevation gain, a bit under 2 hrs. Saw an eagle snatching a mouse right in front of us. Very green in March but gets burnt out in the summer. There's an option to hike all the way down to the canyon to connect with Alum Rock Park trails. Free parking lot for ~30 cars. The lot was full, so be...