North Rim Trail to Boccardo Trail

The park is on the southeast edge of Silicon Valley. If you start out from Alum Rock Park you can easily see the distance from San Jose to mountain-lion country. The track will take you to the wilderness in about an hour. The beginning of the journey goes from the parking lot of the park on the southeast corner of San Jose to the hills just beyond the city limits to the section of the park that has drinking fountains and other civilized amenities. You can take a walk along the burbling Penitencia Creek back to your car. There are trails on this hike, including the Penitencia Creek Trail, the North Rim Trail, and the Boccardo Trail. The best times to go are spring for the flowers and winter for the views after a rain. It is advisable to avoid in the summer when there is a high risk of wildfires.