Nice park, but smells in some places. Smells like fresh cut grass, wet towels, or burning wood…read moredepending on where I am on the path. Please pick up your trash so the animals can live peacefully.

Came for a run with a friend…read more Pros - a lot of greenery, very scenic - got to see a beautiful sunset here, decent size trail Cons - a little unkempt, right by a busy street, no dedicated parking

There will be no hiking the full trail again till projected summer 2025, due to construction. But…read moreif coming from SJ, you can go as far as the Don Edwards SF Bay National Wildlife Refuge Environmental Education Center via Grand Blvd, and even onto the boardwalk stretching over the marshland and saltwater ponds where I got great views of the sun setting earlier today before the rain, on a cloudy Tuesday afternoon. From Don Edwards, there is currently no access to the Mallard Slough Trail leading to the Alviso Marina (as of January 2024), which is actually a nice hike also connecting to the Drawbridge Ghost Town lookout point. Last time I did the Mallard Slough loop was a couple years ago, and it may seem simple and monotonous trekking the dirt and gravel pathways, but it was beautiful and serene, and definitely memorable. So hopefully when all of this construction is done, there's something to look forward to. For now, if you come out here on foot prior to the marsh trails fully opening up again, you'll have to backtrack toward SJ without any dedicated pedestrian pathways, so you'll be sharing the road with vehicles and cyclists. I recommend you make it worth your while and check out the marshland views as well as the lovely gardens and informational boards in the vicinity of the Don Edwards Environmental Education Center... there's a lot to learn about the surrounding environment, the plant and animal life, and the history of how things came to be.

The Mallard Slough Trail Spur is a short spur located off the Mallard Slough Trail Loop in San Jose…read moreCalifornia. It is inaccessible unless you arrive there from either the Alviso Slough Trail or the Mallard Slough Trail. As such its is accessed from either the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Environmental Education Center or the Alviso Marina County Park. The trail is a rough one. I ride a fully suspended mountain bike and normally ride with the suspension locked out. However for this one I had to chose the middle setting to dampen some of the bumps. The spur runs parallel to the Amtrak Train tracks and takes you 0.5 miles east till the trail is chained off. It was tempting to go around the chain, but in looking at the maps after, the train dead ends not far from the chain and is impassible. You are treated to a pretty cool low slung railway bridge crossing the channel, but little else. Trail: Dirt Suitable For: Hiking, Mountain Biking Services: None Length: 0.5 miles

It had been a while since the last time I was here, more than a year ago. The area was under…read moreconstruction and not very inviting back then. This past weekend, I returned to check out the changes that had been made while going for a run, and had a pleasant experience. There's a parking lot available at the Don Edwards SF Bay Environmental Education Center in Alviso. But the gate on Grand Boulevard was closed to vehicle traffic this past Saturday. I was able to park at the Marsh View Trail which has a foot path that leads directly to the Environmental Education Center, which is the starting and ending point of the New Chicago Marsh trail. The boardwalk and gravel path is less than a mile long and allows for beautiful views of the salt marsh and wildlife in the area, especially birds. LOTS of birds. A variety of species including songbirds, geese, and black-necked stilts. Even with on-and-off sprinkling (and heavier rains days earlier), it wasn't muddy, probably due to the terrain. This short trail connects to the Mallard Slough Trail which takes you deeper into the wetlands and makes for a more ideal hike or run. I love that the place is not inundated with visitors, just a scenic spot where the surrounding nature can be appreciated in peace.

The Boardwalk into the Marsh is an easy adventure…read more This is a great spot for bird watching and enjoying the sounds of nature. I've seen pelicans in this marsh and all sorts of birds: American Avocet, Black-necked Stilts, Dowitcher and swallows that like to nest under portions of the dock. So very peaceful here. You can easily get to the Mallard Slough Trail from here which has a big loop around a larger pond. I highly recommend this spot. Parking can be had nearby the entrance of the Don Edwards Education Center.

THIS TRAIL WAS NOT IT Having just moved from Portland to San…read moreJose, I was eager to find my new go-to biking route. I spotted this trail along the Guadalupe River on Google Maps and thought it had potential, so I set out on a Sunday morning to test it with a ~20-mile round trip from DTSJ to Alviso and back. Let's just say, I PR'd because I've never biked so fast in my life. LMAO! DON'T RECOMMEND Starting from Arena Green Park on the east side of the trail, my initial excitement quickly dwindled. The beginning of the trail was NOT ideal. There were numerous homeless encampments, piles of trash, and stretches where I honestly felt unsafe - even in broad daylight. HALF OK, HALF BAD Some sections ran alongside the highway, with no one else in sight for miles. In other areas, I had to bike under long, dark overpasses. It wasn't until I passed the airport and the tech company buildings near Montague Expressway that I finally felt a bit more secure, especially seeing other people walking and biking. Unfortunately, that feeling was short-lived. Past Southbay Freeway and into Alviso, the trail became increasingly barren and far less scenic. TLDR While I did like that this trail goes on for miles, I wouldn't recommend tackling it alone, especially in certain areas. Some parts are decent, but this overall first experience left me looking for another go-to biking route.

I had seen some major work to clean out camps near the airport. It's holding, but the rest of the…read moretrail (as well as large parts of Coyote creek trail and the hwy 87 interconnect) are littered with encampments, active drug use, trash and likely stolen piles of bikes and other valuables. Riding North of First street to Alviso isnt too bad. There are regularly flooded sections- the city does clean them but the river needs to be dredged as fresh rain just backs up on the trail again. There are currently significant closures and detours too.

Paradise reclaimed. It's not perfect, but the city of San Jose has done a great job of helping…read morepeople find housing and cleaning detritus. I wrote through recently and was pleasantly surprised to see a couple other riders and even person jogging with no tents.

I frequently run the lower trail as it's closer to home, it's quiet and clean for the most part, I…read moreoften 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.

Hmm, maybe I just missed the full beauty of the Coyote Creek Lagoon trail but on my recent walk…read morehere, I just wasn't as impressed. There are two locations to park for the Lagoon trail. The first is right in the middle of the business area and it's easy to miss so keep an eye out! We were driving in the business building lots for awhile and eventually gave up in trying to find the entrance to the trail lot. We ended up driving down to the South lot, closer to the industrial building/warehouse side. The trail does connect the two so we eventually saw the north lot. Both are smaller lots but we had no problem finding parking when we got there on an early Saturday morning. From the south to the north, it's not a very long trail, maybe 1-2 miles. The trail we walked on was also not a loop, but we may have just not gotten to explore the whole thing. It's very flat so super easy for folks who just prefer to walk and not hike. However, there's not much to look at. Sure, there's the lagoon and the birds/animals around it, but there aren't any exciting landmarks or hidden spots. There's also no trees for shade so if you're coming during sunny weather, be sure to pack a hat and some sunscreen.

When it rains as hard and long as it has been, I have limited options for taking my daily…read moreconstitutional when I'm out and about because like Adele, I'm always chasing pavements. Even if it leads nowhere. Like this trail. I walked only the northern half near McCarthy Ranch where a fence prevented me from walking underneath Hwy 237. Not a problem for me since it smelled of fecal matter. Northbound it is. I headed north alongside the mostly hidden Coyote Creek to Dixon Landing Road. There was a series of homeless encampments and even an open campfire. I kept walking. Sights along the way included landfill and the back of an Amazon distribution center. It was only five miles to go back and forth, but hey, I did get a lot of my steps in without getting mud on my shoes. No small feat between atmospheric rivers. Up for a hike? Here's a collection of trails I've walked and reviewed: http://bit.ly/2OrC8nU

This is an historic rest stop on the long trek to Lick Observatory, the tallest mountaintop…read moreoverlooking Silicon Valley. The 19 mile road to the Observatory (part of CA state route 130) is a twisting steep road, popular with bikers and hikers. This location, is at the intersection of Mt. Hamilton Rd. (originally known as San Antonio Valley Road - and still is on the back side of the mountain) and Isabella Creek, and is a respite before the next steep climb on the road to the Summit - where Lick Observatory (established in 1887) is located. This site provides stunning view of the Valley.

I used to come here waaay back when. Back in the days when Pokémon Go reigned supreme. While my…read moreobsession with the game didn't last very long, I did catch wind of Noble Park being one of THE spots in my neighborhood to hit up. I made a few trips out here to enjoy a nice evening stroll and managed a few memorable Pokémons. My visits now consists of totting along a 3 year old and heading to the play area. Noble Park is nestled next to Noble Elementary & The Berryessa Branch Library. While there is a pond containing geese & ducks, the only other main offerings are the picnic benches. These are first come first serve basis and there are no BBQ pits or restrooms available. Lucky for you, the restrooms at the library aren't located too far. 4 stars. There is plenty of shade available and the park provides you with a quiet & serene spot to gather your thoughts.

This is a cute neighborhood park located behind Noble Elementary School, with a parking lot at the…read moreBerryessa Branch Library, as well as easy street parking available along the border of the park. The most charming element is the small lake at the center of the park, with a couple tiny fountains in the middle of the water and plenty of geese and ducks for visitors to engage with or just enjoy the view. Also, there is a small playground, several picnic tables and benches scattered randomly on site, a few trees, and plenty of grass for picnicking... though the grass doesn't seem well-maintained (as of Jan 2023). One drawback to this park is there are no trails for walking/running (came here on a Monday and went running in the neighborhood instead, after spending some time at the lake). Only two sides of the park are open to the streets, one side of the grassy field meets the fencing of the elementary school, and the last side hits the backyard fencing of neighborhood homes, so not really the most convenient layout. The only public restroom is at the library, and library hours usually close around 6 or 7pm depending on the day of the week.