I frequently run the lower trail as it's closer to home, it's quiet and clean for the most part, I often pass by adorable waterbirds along the pathway, and good for me it connects to Alviso Marina Park (over the train tracks and past South Bay Yacht Club). The full trail is at least 11 miles long, but I usually try not to go more than a few miles beyond Alviso and definitely try to avoid the downtown SJ area, a less desirable portion of the trail, littered with trash and graffiti, and I've crossed paths with foul-smelling homeless camps and questionable characters, it just doesn't feel very safe. But on my recent run through the Guadalupe River Park on a Saturday afternoon, it was emptier than usual, still a few shady looking individuls around, and beautiful murals tarnished by dirt, graffiti, and wear and tear, but the area as a whole was tolerable, for a daytime run at least. Lupe the Columbian Mammoth, a life size sculpture made up of bent steel pipes, is a cool statue to check out along the trail as well, near West Trimble Road, about 4 miles from Alviso. read more

See all

Good trail for walking and running. You can see different birds including hawks. Also rabbits and coyotes over the years. It's a nice break from the nearby roads and busy streets. read more

See all

Water is pretty high up the tree in the middle of the river, but there's more capacity up the banks. Got a nice rainbow shot due to the break in the weather. read more

See all

I'm going to be honest...... I felt really uncomfortable running on this trail. I started at the trailhead at W Virgina and Harris and was immediately greeted by a homeless encampment. That's fine but the men there were watching me and appeared as if they might follow me. I kept running since I just started my jog but then a quarter mile into the run (~0.25 miles in), I saw a bunch more encampments with people standing close to the trail and couldn't justify continuing on and risking my safety so I turned around and was out of there. Maybe it would have been different had I started my run at a different point on the trail so please take my 1 Star review with a grain of salt. If you are a single female, I wouldn't recommend this trail - running or biking. But that's just my POV. Of course, there may be some of you out there who know how to kick some booty/self defense but I don't (aside from screaming and biting and scratching). read more

Guadalupe River Trail - At the trailhead at W Virginia and Harris - Hiking Near Me - San Jose, California

See all

To be clear, these reviews are for Guadalupe River Trail, even though they are considered two trails: the nine-mile trail in the north is Lower Guadalupe River Trail and the 2.4 mile one in the south extending from Almaden Lake is the Upper Guadalupe River Trail. I think the people who named these trails were the same tricksters who named Greenland and Iceland. The LOWER trail (which is actually higher) goes from Gold Street in Alviso, past the 237, light rail, and a distant Levis Stadium 1.65 miles to Montague (where parking is such sweet sorrow), past the 101 and airport, into Guadalupe River Park & Gardens, to the south of downtown with a dead-end at West Virginia, emphasis on the Dead. That's where we started, an entrance just a block from Prevost and West Virginia, site of San Jose's 17th homicide of 2021. I know this because the news stories popped up as I searched for a good parking spot. This is the only bike path sponsored by KRON. So, if you find chalk on your tires upon your return, it's probably not from a diligent meter maid but from parking on the outline of a body. Anyway, 1.1 miles of this trail is marked with a huge heap of overflowing trash cans and graffiti. Running parallel to the 87, we passed a few shirtless guys with more tattoos than teeth and "campsites" before reaching the Children's Discovery Museum downtown. There, we dodged a shirtless guy holding a pipe, a shopping cart or two, low-hanging maintenance-free trees, and a motionless body in a mummy sleeping bag (Barb??) that made this feel like the hood version of Paperboy. Paperboyz in the Hood. I ignored my wife's requests to turn back (which began way back at the entrance with used Huggies mile markers) until we had to pass two sketchers and their pit bull who probably wanted me to answer riddles three, so we gave up and headed back while we still could. Instead of giving up, we packed the bikes and started at the north end in Alviso. We parked at the Alviso Education Center, even though two of the ten parking spaces had remnants of window glass. (I recommend parking a few blocks north at Alviso County Marina Park). We rode five miles south to the airport and this paved, level, straight, and clean bike path was a much different scenario. Couples, fitness enthusiasts, cyclists, and some families were walking and riding in peace, with condos, trailer parks, a driving range, a park, hotels, corporate buildings, and Lupe the Mammoth (public art 441 W Trimble Rd) on one side, and the Guadalupe River on the other. The River is a fine view, though stagnant in some areas. Aside from the trash-filled field of Alviso Towing, there were no homeless, no graffiti, and no obstacles, other than some daring squirrels playing Frogger. Though the north side of the trail is fine for locals, if I am going to pack up the bikes, we much prefer Coyote Creek trail. read more

I've been on this trail many times. I try to avoid going during busy times which is usually after work hours or during lunch. On weekends, it does get busy from late mornings to mid afternoon. I always go early mornings. This works for me since I am a morning person. Also there is not a lot of people during that time. There is not much shade. So sunscreen is a must! I am fortunate enough to live close by so I don't have to drive to get to the trail. The areas that I typically go on are suburban neighborhoods between San Jose and Santa Clara. Pretty quiet and clean area. Levi stadium is close by. People come here to walk, run, and cycle. There are a couple of parks along this trail or at least the area of the trail I go on. Plenty of space to have the kids and dogs play. One of the parks has a tennis and basketball court. read more

Guadalupe River Trail - Hiking Near Me - San Jose, California

See all

This is a clear 4 star trail to take a long bicycle ride from San Jose to Alviso where you can enjoy the southern most part of the San Francisco Bay. I love the freedom and safety of never having to cross a busy street or wait for a stoplight. Oh , please do be mindful of pedestrians ‍ . We bicyclists need to share the road. The trail follows the Guadalupe River (actually more of a creek than a river). It is a lovely for the most part, but can be improved upon. City planners should take another look at the Trail to see how it can be further developed with public parks and public transportation stops nearby for easier access to the trailheads. Then, it would be a 5 Star rating. read more

See all

This is a go-to trail not only for me, but for many as well. I've walked, ran, biked in this trail multiple times and have always felt goodness about this trail. There's also a residential park just at the start of the trail, which people can enjoy if they want to. There's CorePower Yoga before the start of the trail and again people can opt to use CPY out of convenience too. Since there are lots of options available in this trail like walking/ running/ jogging/ biking, this is my go-to place and thankfully I also live in the same area. Since this also comes with outside options like park or yoga, it's very easy for me to combine any two, either walking at the trail and yoga or running/ biking at the trail and relaxing in the park side. Overall, I Highly Recommend Guadalupe River Trail ! read more

Guadalupe River Trail - Hiking Near Me - San Jose, California

A paradise lost. Not safe anymore: As a local I'm used to other pestilence on this trail south of the city- I've ridden between the infested part of coyote creek (north of Heller) through the badlands that become the southern part of GUAd. So We thought riding from the children's museum up to the airport would be OK. It's not. Seems like these days you have to start at the airport and ride north. We didn't try it after 5 miles of filth. Setting aside the tragic waste of humanity, this is one of the best regional trails that moved from being a tweakers den to a veritable dark ages' thieves forest. There are now burned out cars, parked decrepit recreational vehicles stolen vehicles stolen bikes and hundreds of tents all the way to the airport. Whether you're a local by yourself or a visitor in a group you should be very careful. And if you're bringing your kids to the children's museum you should be careful. If you get up near the airport it seems OK. I need to ride north from SJC to the bay connection another day and will update my review. We rode it this day because the rock 'n' roll Marathon was going on and there was a police presence as well as the additional several thousand attendees of the run. One of the people in our group had an anxiety attack because they we're worried what would happen if we got a flat tire on the trail. read more

This is underwhelming urban park with lots of potential to be great. Some public art is up, rose garden in need of TLC. Amid COVID, people walk and bike the trails. Upkeep is low and trash, debris around the area. Albert, great place to walk and connects to parts of downtown. read more

Guadalupe River Trail - Hiking Near Me - San Jose, California

See all

Nice trail for starters . As this is a flat trail no mountain etc so it is good way to spend some time on a weekend before going back in city life (malls movie etc) I have started with this trail and gonna say i loved it . read more

See all

Nice trail for a walk, jog, or a bike ride! Tip for the ladies: make sure to pull your hair back!... it gets really windy up there! read more

Guadalupe River Trail - Hiking Near Me - San Jose, California

See all

The girlfriend and I had this brilliant idea (sarcasm) of checking out Guadalupe River Trail / Park because it looked good in pictures. Well, the pictures lied. Many parts of the trail are littered in trash, there's nobody there except people shirtless, hauling carts full of stuff, sleeping on benches, and dozens of tents along the river. There must be more than a hundred homeless people living there. The trail is ugly, exposed to the sun, smells of urine... Water fountains are dirty or do not work. I am not blaming the homeless for this, it is the city's job to clean up, repair facilities, and provide homeless housing (that accept dogs!). Instead of repairing missing parts of the fence overlooking the creek 20 ft above, the city simply has put 2x4 there. Trail signs are unreadable/sprayed over (a totally fixable problem), etc. read more

Great way get around San Jose by bike or take a daily walk or run. The trail goes thru San Jose for miles and there Are plenty of blue ford gobikes to rent along the way. read more

See all

Great short trail for biking, running, walking, and commuting. It is flat, paved, and well maintained. The longest part I do is from Gold St in Alviso, past the airport, to W Julian St in Downtown which is about 16.8 mi round trip with no street crossings. Past Julian St is not worth it, because there are a few street crossings and a homeless camp, then no obvious place to go... Things to be aware of: There is no lighting, be sure to bring a light even if walking at night. There are a lot of homeless people doing drugs and a homeless camp I did not know about the first time. It was in a blind turn and almost could not brake fast enough on my bike to stop in time, luckily I did. There is some terrible sewage smell near the park by W Trimble road, hold your nose and go faster lol. It is a great trail, have fun out there! read more

Easy trail to ride no matter where you start nor the age of your riders. I do not recommend starting in downtown, as lots of violence and homeless encampments tend to be high there. I used to enjoy that area a lot long ago, like 2009-2012, before the invasion of homeless people. There's nothing wrong with it, it just sucks when there are the few people who mess it up for the rest. I tend to start at Lupe the mammoth and end at Alviso. There's a few areas that may be deemed "sketchy". People don't mess with you on the trail and I see lots of families on this trail. You can do the full route for 11 miles. read more

Great Bike path! Nice and smooth just stay clear at the end near San Jose. There are too many homeless pets with people doing drugs and drinking. Just the last 1/2 mile. read more

See all

This is is the trail I have been looking for since I moved back, an urban trail with paved roads (some part are gravel) to walk or jog on (biking is also allowed on the trail), it is also long enough for me not getting bored and just long enough for my to run a loop. I read on Wiki that the trail is 11 miles long connects the Upper Guadalupe River and Lower Guadalupe River, but the Upper Guadalupe River is disconnected from the rest. I parked in the River Oaks VTA station and ran a loop of almost 3 miles You can also get to the Ulistac Natural Area from the trail. Too bad, this trail isn't close to my house, sigh. read more

See all

Urban trail, perfect for a walk or jogging, although looks like the bike riders are the most abundant. I have been at different times of the day and afternoon, and I prefer the afternoon hours where there are some families from the close by condo complexes walking around. Otherwise it can get a little solitary (not that I have ever feel unsafe walking alone there, but you can get that sense of what the hell I am doing jogging here by myself and no soul to be seen). I like to walk around the area close to the river (sometimes you are lucky and can see real water, it is has rain,otherwise it can get pretty dry).It is an easy, well maintained trail perfect for all ages. read more

Guadalupe River Trail - Hiking Near Me - San Jose, California

I was considering this trail as a route to the Diridon Train Station in downtown San Jose as I commute to work by bike. This is the route that Google Maps provides. It does seem to be the ideal route because there are bike paths or lanes all along it. This route is as follows Children's Discovery Museum - Guadalupe River Trail - San Fernando St. - Montgomery St. - Diridon Train Station. In order to prepare, I biked this route on a Saturday. This was a good idea because the trail is kind of confusing and it took me a little while to figure out the route to the train station. However, there are homeless camped along the trail in tents as well as homeless wandering about the general area. Many spots run underneath overpasses and are not visible from the street above. An ideal place for an ambush! The whole thing had a creepy vibe. Probably not a good place to bike through at 5:15 AM. I think I'll just drive to work. read more

An excellent road trail for bikers, runners, and walkers. The road is well maintained, in good condition, and is enough wide for two-way traffic. The trail, 9 mi long, connects the Guadalupe River Trail from Gold St in Alviso in north to San Jose downtown in south. The trail is in the open with hardly any shade, so be sure to wear sunscreen and cap. There are slopes and inclines in the trail near the underpasses. I usually park at the River Oaks VTA station. read more

See all

I just read one quote saying " Sometimes people didn't recognize and appreciate your presence until it disappear ". So true ..;-) This trail is close by where I live, perfect for daily exercise if people don't want to pay for the Gym's membership, lol. You can come here to walk, jog, bicycle, roller skate, walk your dogs or even for having a cheap date ( fresh air, holing hands & watching sunset, sounds romantic huh ? ). I've committed to myself to come here more often. The trail is flat, nice, clean and easy but trust me you can have a good sweat and your legs can get sore as well if you run for a long time ( this trail is long enough to make you feel that ). Get your shoes on or flip flop ( you can do it at this trail ..;-) get some fresh air, some sun, some wind on your face. Enjoy the nature, the sound of singing birds, frogs, also when you pass the route 237 and see terrible traffic you will appreciate your feet more than a car, lol..;-) It's just boring for me to just get on the trail to walk or run, I do enjoy taking pictures every time I go. I do share them with you guys a little bit of course .:-) I believe your eyes will get the real images than that. Just come and experience for yourself.. Love this trail. Feeling blessed and appreciated for what I have in life now.. Keep on moving ..;-) read more

See all

Guadalupe River Trail is perfect for hiking, jogging, or bike riding. It's a wonderful exercise or outdoor scenery destination. My completely unofficial personal survey on my last visit determined that the vast majority of the visitors here are joggers ;-) More often than not I'm something of a rebel - my preference is to hike the area closest to the river. All seriousness aside, the trail is very well maintained, and a good fit for everyone - regardless of age or preferred mode of trail travel. Whatever mode of transport you prefer, if you (like me) like to visit when the trail is least crowded, I suggest you come during the afternoon. read more

Nice trail for running and biking. Was flooded a couple of months back but is now up and running, will take you from North San Jose right into downtown San Jose. read more

Guadalupe trail is the best for walking/running or biking! I love this trail for morning walks mainly because it is so fresh and it is never deserted and you can always find people on the trail. It is clean and well maintained. The two roads run parallel to each other with one being the tar road and another gravel. The one with tar is best for biking and the other for walk/jog. The gravel road is adjacent to the Ulistac Natural Area and has direct entrances. There are some really pretty flowers on that side of the road. read more

See all

This place is ok. There's a lot of people around so it's a safe trail. Not much water in the area, it's all dried out.

Best walk around by far! So beautiful and runs right by the ulistac nature area I only wish it was entirely paved :( some areas are inky gravel which makes me avoid those parts when I have a dog with me. read more

Perfect running trail in north San Jose. I discovered this a few months ago doing a photoshoot for two little cuties for www.afewgoodclicks.net Fell in love with the metal bridge pass just across the river view apartments. Although I have been here at different hour of he day, I still feel it could be crime prone trail especially later in the evening. So watch it and don't get carried away while listening to music on your iPhone. The view of Levi stadium looks astonishing in the evening with sun setting behind- perfect backdrop for photography enthusiasts. read more

The Guadalupe trail is one of my top trails for biking, running or simply taking a nice walk during the evening sunset time. The Levi Stadium can be seen from the trail and there are just enough hills and slopes to make this a great joyous workout since you can simply go from one end to the other and back again as often as you'd like. There are 3 different paths I like to take and each one leads to another great trail. One direction the trail connects through to the Mineta airport onward to Downtown San Jose. Second direction with just a quick detour off the path will take you to the beautiful and scenic Shoreline in Mountain View onward to Palo Alto. The third direction takes you to Alviso headlands where there are birds galore and beautiful scenic views all around. Willow Glen, Downtown Campbell and near Los Gatos can also be crossed all from the Guadalupe river trail. There are connecting paths that will take you to Google, Downtown Mountain View and just about anywhere your heart desires. Numerous happy and friendly folks, dogs, birds, dragonflies, butterflies, bunnie rabbits and squirrels as well. It's always a great adventure and road trip when cruising along on the bike. Would highly recommend always wearing sunglasses as there have been numerous times bugs have squashed on my lenses and if it were not for the shades the bugs would have ended up in my eye for sure. Eeeks! Anytime and any day of the week there are numerous of folks enjoying the trail. Sunset time is simply beautiful and breathtaking especially when there are clouds galore up above. read more

Guadalupe River Trail - Summer 2016... Always a treat biking on the trail. - Hiking Near Me - San Jose, California

Trail was nice and the flower garden was beautiful. I will have to go back when the first bloom happens. It was a bit hot though not enough shady places to cool off. read more

Loved this well maintained trail. Ideal for biking and running. With some looping you can do a 13.1 mile route. My first time and ended up running twice of what I was planning to do - can't help but keep gong as it's so inviting. Early morning delight! read more

How do you not give a trail in the middle of an urban setting and amidst great weather anything but 5 stars? And so I did too! I could run and assume others can bike there for hours. It hasn't been overly crowded and I have run along the trail during the week and the weekend as well. For runners, I suggest cross the bridge and run on the 'Santa Clara' side. It is not asphalt and paved so easier on the knees. At least my knees :). So come out and enjoy a day in the sun or see the sunset! Along the way, say hi to other enthusiasts. read more

I've done this trail halfway a few times from Alviso but still have not gone all the way to downtown SJ. read more

See all

Funally got a chance to discover this place. Such an amazing and tranquile trail despite being right beside a busy area. read more

See all

I am a regular on this trail ! Perfect place to do your cardio before gym . There is a nature reserve hidden on the side closer to stadium , which is serene . read more

Guadalupe River Trail - Hiking Near Me - San Jose, California

See all

Biked the trail beginning on the entrance near the 1st street Target all the way up to the Target on Coleman Avenue. This was a little over 8 miles and took us over an hour. It is 95% trail and approx. 5% road. It's quite nice and perfect for beginners. There's some uphill but overall, the trail is relatively flat and a fairly easy ride. There's not a lot of shade so I wouldn't recommend on hot, summer days. I like how there's not that many people on the trail so you can go fairly fast and not have to worry about running into people. For a short part of the trail, you're literally biking right by the SJ airport which is pretty cool. read more

Nice trail in the middle of San Jose. I have run this in the middle of the day and at dusk and have never felt unsafe. There are plenty of people on the trail to where you do not feel alone. Are there homeless camps dotted about...yes this is California, but I have never seen anyone have a problem with anything. Would recommend. read more

Love that this trail really connects all the different parts of The South Bay, it's hard to find long, protected bike trails near downtown. Runs by the San Jose airport and even up towards Fremont I think. Actual paved trail is maintained fairly well, but lots of trash, overgrown areas in certain parts. Perfect for long bike rides and trail running. Not well lit at night Evident homeless population Bring water as there are barely any water fountains read more

I found this entrance in Alviso. It is a nice little entrance with relatively clean bathrooms. The walk is paved and you walk along the Guadalupe River and some wetlands. It is flat, easy to walk. I think you could tale this trail all the way to the San Jose Airport but I just took it a couple of miles and got bored. read more

I bike from Downtown 280 all the way to Alviso every month or so, I've biked back and forth this trail and it's small parks many times. this is by far the most underutilized and underated trail in SJ. Sure it may not be the cleanest in some spots but what would you expect. It's great for jogging, biking, and even walking with kids and elderly. People take pictures and even bring their dogs here. I encourage nearby residents to actually use this trail as it is something not every big city can afford and we easily take for granted. Only advice is to bring a flash light and a partner at night as it gets real dark and the areas near downtown can be sketchy. read more