Almaden Quicksilver County Park

Featured hike:
Mile:
0.0: Start at the Hacienda Trailhead, and begin climbing on Mine Hill Trail.
0.4: Signed junction with Hacienda and English Camp Trails. Continue straight on Mine Hill Trail.
1.1: Capehorn Pass and signed junction with Hacienda and Randol Trails. Turn right, then left onto nearly level Randol Trail.
1.6: Day Tunnel site and signed junction with Day Tunnel Trail. Continue straight on Randol Trail.
2.1: Signed junction with Santa Isabel Trail. Continue straight, now on Santa Isabel Trail.
2.5: Signed junction with Randol Trail, again. Bear left back onto Randol.
3.6: Signed junction with Prospect #3 Trail. Turn left on Prospect #3 Trail and start a moderate climb.
4.2: Signed junction. Prospect #3 Trail ends at Mine Hill Trail. Turn left onto Mine Hill Trail.
4.9: Signed, but easy to miss junction with Catherine Tunnel Trail. Continue straight on Mine Hill Trail.
4.9: Signed junction with Castillero Trail, at Bull Run. Proceed straight on Castillero Trail.
5.7: Just past an area dotted with old mine buildings, a signed junction with Hidalgo Cemetery Trail. Stay to the left on Castillero Trail.
6.0: English Camp site and signed multiple junction. Walk downhill, to the right of the flagpole, then stay to the right and begin downhill on English Camp Trail.
6.2: Unsigned closed trail departs to the right. Continue downhill, straight, on English Camp Trail.
7.3: Signed junction with Mine Hill Trail, again. Turn right onto Mine Hill Trail.
7.7: Back at the trailhead.

Getting there:
From Interstate 280 in Santa Clara County, take CA 85 south (toward Gilroy). After about 12 miles, exit at Almaden Expressway, stay in either of the ramp's two right lanes, make the first left, then the next right onto Almaden Expressway. Drive about 4 miles, then turn right to stay on Almaden. Drive on Almaden about 3 miles to the Hacienda Trailhead on the right side of the road. (If you reach the Hicks Road intersection you've gone too far.)

GPS Coordinates* for Trailhead:
Latitude 37�10'26.28"N
Longitude 121�49'30.95"W
(* based on Google Earth data, shown as degrees, minutes, seconds)


Read about this hike in more detail and view photos at http://www.bahiker.com/southbayhikes/almadenquicksilver.html

© 2002 Jane Huber/Bay Area Hiker.