General Information

Alum Rock Park was founded in 1872 and is one of California’s oldest municipal parks. Nestled within the Alum Rock Canyon in the foothills of the Diablo Range, the Park's 720 acres of natural, rugged beauty, provide visitors with many leisure outdoor activities including hiking, horseback riding, bicycling, family and group picnicking, and of course just relaxing. Picnic tables, barbecue pits, water and restrooms are available in most picnic areas, with lawns and a children's playground in the mid-canyon area.

• Hours: 8 a.m. to half-hour after sunset.
• Acreage: 720
• Council District: 4
• Contact Information
  • Park Operations & Ranger Staff: 408-259-5477
  • Permits & Reservations: 408-794-7275

Park & Safety Updates

TRAIL CLOSURES:

• Penitencia Creek Trail: the trail is closed at the Trestle Bridge portion due to current conditions. Please use the park road to pass underneath the bridge as a detour.
• Mineral Springs Trail: the trail is closed due to erosion. The historic mineral springs grottos can still be seen from the nearby Penitencia Creek trail. 

 

Alum Rock Park Map as of May 2025 

PRNS installed metered lights that will help the flow of traffic going in and out of the park on Penitencia Creek Road. This temporary installation will provide vehicle access to the rest of the park as we work on fixing Penitencia Creek Road damage from the 2023 atmospheric river events.

No Dogs Allowed

Dogs are not allowed. This park is considered a protected wildlife sanctuary.

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Rules and Regulations

• Dogs are not allowed. This park is considered a protected wildlife sanctuary.
• Fire Restrictions: During the fire season the use of fires and barbecues may be severely restricted, or the park may be closed to the public due to extreme fire conditions. For any concerns, call the Alum Rock Rangers' Office at 408-259-5477.
• Vehicle Access: Vehicles are not allowed on service roads or trails. Plan to carry any items you bring to the park, into and out of your area. Under special circumstances Park Rangers can provide vehicle escorts prior to 11 a.m. and after 6 p.m. only. Unescorted vehicles in or around picnic areas are subject to citation.
• Litter is a major problem in the park. A tremendous amount of time is spent cleaning up after park visitors. This time could be better spent helping improve your park. Take a few moments cleaning up your area.
• Photo permits are required for all commercial photo shoots. This includes professional wedding photographers.
• General Rules:
  1. Drums or loud radios are prohibited. No amplified sound or musical groups of any type are allowed.
  2. No pets are allowed. However, ponies are allowed at Log Cabin and Rustic Lands picnic areas.
  3. Balloons are prohibited at the park.
  4. Beer and wine are permitted in picnic areas only.
  5. Special activities or large equipment must be approved by Ranger or Picnic Reservation Staff in advance.
  6. Air jumpers and dunk tanks are not permitted.
  7. Party/Costume characters are not allowed to collect money on City property.
  8. Smoking is not allowed in City of San José Parks.
  9. All San José Municipal Codes and State laws apply.

Activities

The Youth Science Institute is a non-profit Science and Nature Center that has been open to the public since 1953. They offer school activities and have a museum open to the public on the following days:

• Wednesday and Friday at 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. 
• Saturday and Sunday at 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

The Santa Clara County Open Space Authority (OSA) offers free walks that meet inside Alum Rock Park.

Picnic Areas

This location both reservable and non-reservable picnic areas. Non-reservable picnic areas are occupied at a first-come, first-serve basis.

Reservation permit holders must arrive at the reservation site on the date reserved prior to 10:00 a.m. and remain at the site with a copy of the approved picnic application. The site will be opened to the public for general use at 10:00 a.m. if the reservation holder is not present. An adult representative from the group must be present at all times.

Visit the picnic areas' individual pages to view its amenities and fees:

• Ramada
• Live Oak
• Mick Brown
• Buckeye Lane
• Big Bear
• Sycamore Grove
• Eagle Rock
• Chaparral
• Log Cabin
• Rustic Lands

PICNIC RESERVATIONS >

 

Park Map

 

Avenza Maps

Avenza Map Store maps are all georeferenced - they are location aware. Users will be able to launch these maps without cell service - it will show and track your location on the map. Download Avenza Map from your device's App Store and follow instructions below to get ARP Maps. 

Alum Rock Park Avenza Map QR Codes
To use the QR Code simply open the app and tap on the + sign at the top right of the screen and in the new window you'll notice a QR Code icon on the top right as well. After tapping it and pointing the camera at the code, you'll be redirected immediately to the map.
ARP Avenza Map QR Code	ARP Trail Avenza Map QR Code

Trails

There are approximately 13 miles of trails including six miles of horse trails and three miles of bicycle trails. Hikers are welcome on all trails, while equestrian and cyclists are required to use designated trails only. Please observe trail usage signs. Do not endanger yourself and others by using inappropriate trails.

Alum Rock Park trails are the portal to Santa Clara County Open Space Authority trails. Occasionally, OSA trails are closed due to poor weather conditions, so keep posted on trail statuses online.

REPORT A CONCERN >

History

From 1890 to 1932 the park was a nationally known health spa with 27 mineral springs, an indoor swimming pool, tea garden, restaurant, and dance pavilion. At the time you could ride from downtown San Jose to the park on the Alum Rock Steam Railroad, a ride that cost a quarter. Today, remnants of the railroad bridges can be seen, some of the stone grottos that contain mineral springs are still accessible, but now the charms of the park focus on nature, wildlife, and hiking.

Natural Beauty

The unique east-west canyon and its steep sides contain many delicate plant and animal communities. Soils on the north canyon slopes are held in place by a variety of grasses, poison oak, holly leaf-cherry, sagebrush, and scattered live oak trees. Quiet, observant hikers can see black-tailed deer, brush rabbits and quail. Red tailed hawks and turkey vultures can frequently be seen riding the air currents over-head.

The opposite or south side of the canyon offers a totally different natural community. Trees such as the California black oak, bay, madrone, and California buckeye are abundant, while smaller shrubs like the toyon, wild rose, and wild blackberries are found in more sunny areas. The chattering of gray squirrels and Steller's jays are common sounds. On rare occasions, a hiker might see - only for an instant - the elusive bobcat as it disappears into the dense brush.

Penitencia Creek is lined with big-leaf maple white alder, and western sycamore. Wild honey-suckle vines, the arroyo and red willow add to its lush plant life.

Spring provides the park with color from a variety of wild flowers including the California poppy and sticky monkey flower. Ferns are prevalent during the winter and spring months. Alum Rock Park must be seen during all its seasons to be truly appreciated.

Planning & Historic Documents

• Alum Rock Park Gateway & Wayfinding Study (2017)
• Historic Resources Report (2008)
• Development Plan (1929)
• Cultural and Natural History (1972)
• Cultural and Natural History (2000)

Additional Resources

• Trail Report
• Junior Ranger Brochure
  • English
  • Spanish
• Alum Rock Regional Park Brochure
• Mountain Lion Safety Brochure