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Santa Clara, CA October 03, 2024 1:58pm 7-Day Forecast \| Traffic

Biking in and around Santa Clara

Santa Clara: Silicon Valley's Bike-Friendly Urban Area

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Santa Clara County is known for its outdoor activities and recreational areas. Residents of Santa Clara are active and are accustomed to having facilities to enjoy their favorite activities. The beautiful surroundings and temperate climate are idea for biking. If you are looking for paved (or unpaved) trails to ride your bike in Santa Clara, you’ll discover that you have many options depending on what you are in the mood to do.

For cyclists looking to ride around Santa Clara on streets, there are a multitude of bike friendly thoroughfares with bike lanes and ample space to accommodate cyclists and vehicular traffic. If you are hoping to get around town (or around the South Bay) on your bike, you’ll find that there are a variety of routes to choose from and that Santa Clara has a bike-centric street system.

Santa Clara County Parks maintains an extensive network of paved bike trails throughout four separate parks. Bikers can try a quick and easy ride with the kids or a more intense workout spanning many miles. Below are some of the more popular parks in Santa Clara with paved trails for cyclists.

Coyote Creek Parkway – One of the longest paved trails in the South Bay (15 miles) will take cyclists from San Jose to Morgan Hill if they choose to complete the trail. Following along the banks of Coyote Creek, this is a multiuse trail is paved over most of its length and offers a relatively easy (if longer) ride.

995 Hellyer Ave., San Jose, CA 95111 (Hellyer Park)

Los Gatos Creek Trail – This paved multiuse trail takes cyclists on a quiet shaded ride along Los Gatos Creek. One of the high points of this ride is the fact that Los Gatos Creek is one of the few unbroken remaining urban creeks in the South Bay. This means that it is a prime example of a Northern California riparian habitat and offers visitors a wonderful natural adventure.

1250 Dell Ave., Campbell, CA 95008

Penitencia Creek Trail – This paved multiuse trail runs through several separate open space and regional park properties and gives riders a glimpse of several different ecosystems along the way. As yet incomplete, sections of the trail are available for cyclists to go on least partial rides along the creek.

Maybury & Jackson Ave., San Jose, CA 95112

Ranch San Antonio – “Rancho” as it is affectionately known by locals is among the most popular (and largest) of the South Bay’s parks. Offering many multiuse paved and unpaved trails for hikers, runners, cyclists, and equestrians, Rancho San Antonio is a rare chance at an outdoor adventure without ever leaving the city.

22500 Cristo Rey Dr., Los Altos, CA 94024

Looking for Some Off-Road Bike Fun?

These unpaved/shared-use trails are easily accessible, quick to get to from most areas in downtown Santa Clara, and give cyclists the opportunity to get out and enjoy some off-road fun in the South Bay.

All of these trails are managed by Santa Clara County Parks, and specific information by park can be found here.

Almaden Quicksilver Park

21785 Almaden Rd., San Jose, CA 95196

(408)268-3883

Alviso Marina

Mill St., Alviso, CA 95002 (No physical address)

(408)262-6980

Coyote Lake-Harvey Bear Ranch

10840 Coyote Lake Rd., Gilroy, CA 95020

(408)842-7800

Ed R. Levin Park

3100 Calaveras Rd., Milpitas, CA 95035