Review Date
July 5, 2011

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 3 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 2 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Once a week

Reviewed by: Tjay ,  Cross Country Rider

Summary:
All the trail below Eagle Rock are perfect trails for newer riders. Then when they feel ready to move up a level, hit up Todd Quick. It's a little steeper that requires a bit of technical skills and descending on this trail is super fun! It has a lot of flowy and tight switchbacks. If you want to up your level, go hit up Boccardo Loop (it's on top of Todd Quick) to the right and try to make it up there with out stopiing. It's about 1.8 miles of steep climb. Then descend the same way. You may also want to climb up Boccardo to the left. It's 1.6 mile but it's steeper. Descender here is fast so watch your speed and for the other hikers/bikers. Also, keep an eye out for rattle snakes, taratula and cows. They're everywhere in spring and summer season.

4 for overall rating because this trail showed me how to climb and descend properly. After one year of riding my MTB, I am able to climb Kennedy Trail (4.1 miles 2300') and Mission Peak (3.3 miles 3000') without stopping and descend fast on most of the trail around the area on my HT.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
Grant Ranch up on Mt Hamilton

Review Date
July 28, 2010

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 3 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 3 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Once a week

Reviewed by: Lost Biker ,  Weekend Warrior

Summary:
Great trail for beginners. Close to my house so I am here twice a week for an after work ride. Small section of single track on Todd Quick trail that is fun. Large climb up Boccardo trail. First 1/8 mile is steep (20-30% grade) but levels off to about 8% most of the way up. Great view from the the top.

Be ready to share the trail. Alot of hikers use this park.

Recommended Route:
All routes are good.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
Fremont Older in Saratoga

Review Date
March 2, 2009

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 4 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 3 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Once a week

Reviewed by: AnewMadrid ,  Cross Country Rider

Summary:
For the Beginner to the Advanced rider. You have nice steady climbing on pavement or can stay on the mountain and never touch the street.
Boccardo Trail is great to climb up (i think 1900 feet) and bomb down.
Penitencia Creek trail will take you right through the park.
It's a nice training ground but can have a bunch of walkers if you go later or stay on the flat lands.

Recommended Route:
North Rim Trail to Todd Quick trail then up to the Boccardo Trail..it's a nice ride for sure and if you hitting some good jumps on the way back down..you will dig it.

Enjoy

Other recommended trails in the same area:
Grant Ranch

Review Date
January 30, 2007

Overall Rating
 3 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 3 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 2 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Every few months

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 1.00 votes

Reviewed by: switchbaxr ,  Downhiller

Summary:
When I used to live a mile and a half from the trailhead, I rode this trail network quite frequently and found this park to be a great weekday afternoon ride during the long days of summer and a nice early weekend ride with just enough of a fix to keep me a happy dad. You have to mix this type of ride in because you can't be gone the whole day riding every singele weekend or it can put a strain on the family. It's definitely no Soquel Demonstration Forest - Braille Trail ride, but if you live in East San Jose it's not a 45 minute drive to the trailhead either and when the demands of a young family require you to be home before 10AM, then this ride can be just the ticket. It can be moderately technical in some sections and very easy on others. There is a singletrack section off to the left of the paved road just past the parking lot entrance where there is a quick drop with a jutting rock right in the middle of the trail and a very steep and loose ascent that puts you about 80 feet above the paved road with a sheer cliff to the right. I clear this section most days, but during the summer when the trail can get very loose and powdery, it's very tough to climb without a dab. The Boccardo trail that is located at the top of the Todd Quick trail is a challenge for even the most fit riders...12-15% grade in some sections...definitely on an ass on the tip of the saddle with your chin low to the stem to maintain your cadence kind of climb in some sections of this climb.

Best views - at the top of Boccardo trail and the top of Eagle Rock. From these vantage points you can see the Saratoga mountains and downtown San Jose and all the way north to the Dumbarton Bridge on a clear day. The view of the canyon while you're on the North Rim trail looking down into the park floor below and heading East into the canyon is very nice especially in the early morning and late afternoon light. Because of the sheer drop to the south, you feel like you're gliding in the air.

Best section - The Todd L Quick trail heading from the park bench at the top to the trail head sign...it goes by in a flash but it's enough of a quick rush and I usually do two loops in the park so you can ride this part twice.

Plants and wildlife - Oaks, Sycamores, and Bay trees, wild yellow mustard, blue lupine and thistle in the spring. Bobcats, deer, turkeys, cows, hawks, and squirrels.

Recommended Route:
Take a look at a park map and ride every trail in the park, you can easily hit every trail in under 2 hours, even if you do the Boccardo climb.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
Grant Ranch, but it's another 6 miles up Mt. Hamilton road to get there and well worth it if you like to climb and downhill on fast wide open fireroads with sweeping hillside views.

Mission Peak if you head another 10 miles north to the Milpitas/Fremont border.

Review Date
November 20, 2006

Overall Rating
 3 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 2 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 2 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Once a week

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 1.00 votes

Reviewed by: Gina ,  Cross Country Rider

Summary:
Folks - the comments about 'thugs' on the trails? Those riders must live and work in Palo Alto...guess what? You are on the EAST Side folks! People here aren't wearing Tommy Hilfiger and driving beemers. Just because they dress or look a certain way doesn't mean they are thugs. I live right outside the park and ride there several times a week and never have had a problem.

You can have a lot of fun at Alum Rock - although the trail system is not very extensive, and some of the trails are crowded with hikers so bombing downhill on the main fire roads can be curtailed.

Recommended Route:
Park outside the park entrance in the lot at the end of Penitentia Creek. Ride the road, past the kiosk, wind along until you see a single track trail marker off to the left - take this. It runs straight, then dips, then climbs a short technical climb. Afer it flattens out, you come to a juncture veer left up the hill for a short gut-buster. At the top, turn right and continue on to the juncture with the main fire road - the North rim trail. Head up, take the lower trail at the next juncture, down a little drop, until you get to the Todd Quick Single track trail on your left. Go up. At the top, you can continue on Todd Quick which loops back down to the North Rim trail, or you can venture up the Boccardo trail...which is a great 1.5 mile climb where you come face to face with beautiful cows with huge horns. The view at the top is fantastic, and the descent is fast and fun, particularly when you are doing slalom around the cow pies.
After Boccardo, head down either side of Todd Quick, and basically re-trace your ride back. You can head up to Eagle Rock - but the view is nothing after Boccardo. Also, go to the end of the park - which is a nice ride just for the historical aspect. Great old rock bridges, mineral water grottos...really cool

Other recommended trails in the same area:
Alum Rock is the only game in town in the north east area...it's eighter north to Misison Peak or South to Grant Ranch or Santa Teresa.