Thinking about getting outdoors more? There is a vast variety of
outdoor activities in San Benito and Santa Clara counties whether
you are looking for something more leisurely, like fishing or bird
watching, or something more demanding, like skydiving or rock
climbing.
Thinking about getting outdoors more? There is a vast variety of outdoor activities in San Benito and Santa Clara counties whether you are looking for something more leisurely, like fishing or bird watching, or something more demanding, like skydiving or rock climbing.
For people who love being active outdoors, the South Valley area is perfect for almost any type of activity.
Golf
South Valley is known for its quality public golf courses, like Ridgemark and San Juan Oaks in Hollister, Eagle Ridge in Gilroy and Coyote Creek north of Morgan Hill.
Ridgmark and Coyote Creek offer two 18-hole courses for golfers to choose from. And Eagle Ridge and San Juan Oaks offer single 18-hole courses.
For those golfers who want a less expensive round of golf or just want to tone their skills, the area also offers several municipal golf courses. Most of which cost less than $30 per round.
Gilroy Golf Course offers an 11-hole course. It was built in 1923 and is one of the oldest in the area. The Gavilan College course in Gilroy and Bolado Park course south of Hollister also offer affordable rates for beginners and advanced golfers.
Camping
No need to stray far to get away for a weekend camping trip. While Pinnacles National Monument does not offer camping in the park, there is camping nearby. The Pinnacles Campground, a private campground on Highway 146, has toilets and showers. No campfires are allowed at this time. For more information, check out www.pinncamp.com.
Henry Coe Park, outside of Morgan Hill, gives campers the opportunity to camp nearby or backpack into the rugged back country – something everyone can enjoy.
When you settle down for the night, you will be serenaded by the music of coyotes, and you will awake to the gobbles of wild turkeys. Spaces can be reserved by calling (408) 779-2728.
Bolado Park, located on Highway 25 between Hollister and Pinnacles, offers camping seven days a week. There are RV spaces available. For more information, call (831)628-3421.
Hollister Hills and Fremont Peak also offer camping. Camping spots in Santa Clara County parks can be reserved up to six months in advance by calling (408) 355-2201. No wood gathering is allowed in any of the campgrounds.
Joseph D. Grant, Mount Madonna and Sanborn are the only parks with showers. But all Santa Clara County parks have drinking water and rest rooms.
Horse riding
Henry Coe makes the perfect place for a horse ride. There are eight designated horse camp sites in the park. Calero and Mount Madonna are also excellent areas to ride in.
Clay shooting
Coyote Valley Sporting Clays, on San Bruno Avenue in Morgan Hill, offers ranges for clay and skeet shooting. Instructors are available to help people get started in the sport. For more information, call (408) 778-3600.
Archery
Mount Madonna is the perfect place to go to tune up archery skills. The course, maintained by the Mt. Madonna Bowmen Archery Club, is open to the public. There is an archery range and a mile-long archery course that runs through the forest. Targets are set up at various intervals throughout the trek.
In south San Jose, the Black Mountain Bowmen maintain a range off Bernal Road that is also open to the public.
Star gazing
With the many rural areas in the area, star watchers will find an abundance of night sky perfect for viewing. Fremont Peak State Park is the perfect spot to camp while bringing along a personal telescope to look at the stars.
The Fremont Peak Observatory, which opened in 1986, is open to the public April through October. It is complete with a 30-foot Newtonian telescope. For more information, check out www.fpoa.net.
Another popular place for star gazing is Grant County Park on Mount Hamilton Road in San Jose. There are many amateur star gazers who gather between 8:45 and 11 p.m. For more information, check out www.snap-design.com/HVAG.
Bird watching
South Valley’s vast landscapes attract many different birds. Bird watching is easy to get started in. All it takes is a good pair of binoculars and maybe a camera for people into photography. The best thing is it can be done anywhere in any park. There are about 50 different types of birds represented at Henry Coe Park. For more information on bird watching, visit the Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society at www.scvas.org.
Climbing
So you want to do some mountain climbing. One of the top places is Pinnacles National Monument. But it is also a tough place to hike with the weaker breccia rock rather than granite. Beginners are advised to start off on the East side and get to know the area first.
Water activities
Calero County Park offers power boating, sailing, fishing and water skiing. It is open year around for power and non-power boats. Bass, trout and crappie are the most common type of fish found here.
Another popular lake for both power and non-power crafts is Coyote Lake. It is stocked with trout, but also contains bluegill, crappie and bass.
The Chesbro Reservoir, just west of Morgan Hill, is open for non-power boats and is stocked with trout and bass.
Uvas Reservoir in open to non-gas powered boats and is the perfect spot for fishing. Anderson Lake County Park also provides a place for water skiing and boating.
In Hollister, San Justo Reservoir is ideal for wind surfing and for anglers. It is stocked with trout, bass, bluegill, crappie and catfish.
Looking for something away from the normal? If so, check out the back country fishing in the ponds and lakes of Henry Coe. Bass Pond and Frog Lake are near by, but both Coit Lake and Mississippi Lake are about 20 miles from headquarters. The more adventurous can make the two-day trek each direction to some of the best fishing spots on the east side of the park.
No swimming is permitted in any of the Santa Clara County Parks.
Skating
Morgan Hill, Hollister and Gilroy offer free skate parks for skaters to try out their latest tricks. Hollister and Gilroy’s parks are located in the two major parks. In Morgan Hill, the interm skate and BMX park is located on Butterfield Avenue.
For information about skate parks throughout California, check out www.caliskatz.com.
