Alum Rock Park

Hike Review

• Searching for a not-too-long hike, Cassie and I hiked a balloon-shaped loop at Alum Rock Park.

• We were surprised at how green the trail was. I suppose it’s not too surprising given that the portion we hiked was along the Alum Rock Creek, as well as sticking to the north-facing slope. Still, given how barren the hills are around the neighboring Sierra Azule Open Space Preserve, we were surprised.

• There was shade 30-40% of the time, with it being fully shaded at the halfway point.

• The trails were well marked, with about half the hike being paved. The rest was a well-defined single-track trail.

• There were multiple restrooms available along the trail. Not all were open, however.

• Given how beautiful this park was, there were not too many people on the trail.

What Happened?

7.1 miles, 2 hrs 46 mins, 1007 ft of ascent

Recovering from overuse injury can be a bit complicated, at least for us. We don’t want to do nothing as we are outdoorsy people. So, we try to find new (to us) trails that will challenge us just enough without injuring us further. This trail at Alum Rock Park was just what the doctor ordered.

The hike itself was so green and pretty. We had hiked this trail after a storm, so there were downed trees, but the rangers were on it and all trails remained open with sawdust visible in certain parts where downed trees were cut. We also ran into a painter who Cassie found out was pursuing an art degree at San Jose State University. They had a nice plein-air painting easel that Cassie was interested in.

Overall, this recovery hike was a nice and easy trail and one that I would recommend for people who are newer to hiking or are looking for easier footing. Almost all of the hike was nicely graded and there weren’t many sections where it was slippery or overly steep. For us, we did not get further injured, which was just perfect.