Mt Madonna CP: MerryGoRound Sprigs Loop
One of the most majestic of Santa Clara County’s regional park and recreation areas. This 3,688 acre park is dominated by the redwood forest so characteristic of the Santa Cruz Mountain range. To the east, the park overlooks the Santa Clara Valley, to the west, Monterey Bay. As the slopes of Mt. Madonna descend toward the valley, the landscape changes from redwood forest to oak woodland, dense chaparral and grassy meadows.
Ed Levin: Monument Peak
Explore the high ground on the border of Alameda and Santa Clara counties via this aerobic route, which uses the Tularcitos, Agua Caliente, and Monument Peak trails, and you will be rewarded with great views and the chance to spot aerial hunters such as hawks, falcons , and even golden eagles. Open grasslands dominate here, but you also cross wooded canyons holding Calera and Scott creeks.