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 Alum Rock Park - San Jose, CA Posted by:  DougK
N 37° 23.748 W 121° 49.557
10S E 603920 N 4139427
Alum Rock Park, founded in 1872, is one of California's oldest municipal parks.
Waymark Code: WM6GXX
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 06/03/2009
Views: 4
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Alum Rock Park was acquired in stages over many years. The original claim is based on the first land grant by Governor Felipe de Neve, July 22, 1778. Alum Rock Park has survived many challenges to that original grant and on March 13, 1872, the California Legislature set aside this land "... for all time to come, as a public park." Since 1872 Alum Rock park has grown to be San Jose's largest, as well as our state's oldest, city park. Once a well known mineral spring health spa, the park has been restored to a natural area of majestic oaks, gently flowing streams and waving grasslands.
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| Mineral Deposits from a spring flowing into Penitencia Creek
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Alum Rock Park, and the stream that flows through it, has had many different names. The Native Americans that lived in the valley called the creek Shistuk and the early Spanish settlers called the creek Aguague, the watering place. At some point, the creek became known as Penitencia Creek, possibly from a nearby creek known as La Penitencia where the friars from the mission would go for penance. Penitencia Creek flows through the canyon of Alum Rock Park, and the creek is crossed by several beautiful stone arch bridges within the park.
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Alum Rock Bridge
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Arch Bridge with Arched Rails
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Pedestrian Arch Bridge
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The Park was originally known as The Reservation, but this was only an unofficial title. The first recorded use of the name Alum Rock was in 1890. At that time, people thought the white coating on the large rock nearthe park entrance was the mineral alum. John Martin Ogan gave the name Alum Rock to the entire canyon sometime near the turn of the century. By the early 1900s, most maps and official references used the name Alum Rock.
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From 1890 to 1932, the park was a nationally-known health spa with 27 mineral springs containing seven different minerals. Without a doubt, this was the park's most popular period. For a quarter, you could ride from downtown San Jose to the park on the Alum Rock Steam Railroad. The park charmed its visitors with mineral baths, an indoor swimming pool, a tea garden, restaurant and dance pavilion.
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| A hillside grotto
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The mineral spring within
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The mineral springs located in the park area played an important role in the history and development of the park. Between 1891 and 1902, the Parks Commission began developing the park, highlighting the springs. During this period, over 20 different springs were identified, including sulfur, magnesia, iron, and natually carbonated soda springs. To protect and identify the different springs, tunnels were dug into the hillsides and craftsmen were brought in to build the grottos and fonts that are found in this area. The masons created stone grottos using native rock collected from the canyon.
During the period between World War II and the early 1960s, thousands of visitors came to the park from the booming Santa Clara Valley. The park became so overcrowded that the facilities could no longer be properly maintained, and the plant and animal communities were severely endangered.
As a result of this over-use, the park underwent a change from a facility with a multitude of uses to a more natural setting emphasizing family outdoor activities that result in reduced impact on the park's natural environment.
Within the Alum Rock Canyon in the foothills of the Diablo Range, the Alum Rock Park's 679 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. Varied wildlife can be seen in the park.
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Owls Nest
High on a hillside above the park, a family of owls can be seen nesting in the rocks.
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Deer
A deer is seen peeking out from behind a tree in the park.
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| Youth Science Institute
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Alum Rock Log Cabin
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Two other attractions of Alum Rock Park are the Youth Science Institute, a nature museum for kids, and the old Alum Rock Log Cabin.
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Name: Alum Rock
Street Location: Penetencia Creek Rd near Dorel Drive
Local Municipality: San Jose
State/Province, etc.: CA
Country: USA
Web Site: [Web Link]
Date Established: 1872
Picnic Facilities: picnic tables, fireplaces
Recreational Facilities:
Playgrounds
Sand Volleyball Courts
Hiking / Interpretative Trails
Nature Center
Ponds/Lakes/Streams/Rivers/Beach: Alum Rock Creek
Traditional Geocaches:
GC1FYZQ - Alum Rock Mineral Springs (earthcache)
GC1NZD5 - Element #25
GCK0RC - Eagle Rock Trailhead
GC18A3C - Mr Keb (a brand new world)
GCK1JD - Eagle Rock
GC1775N - Paper or Plastic?
GCM38Y - Rustic Lands Hollow
GCM38Z - Railway Bridge
GCM391 - Woodland Trail
GCM393 - Inspiration Point Hitching Post
GCJB34 - Spring Time
GCJNJK - Alum Rock Overlook
GC11902 - Geo Baby's Picnic
GCJPTP - Quick Cache
GC1AD3A - Moooo!!!
GC17R45 - Almost Boccardo
Memorial/Commemoration: Not listed
Monuments/Statues: Not listed
Art (murals/sculpture, etc.): Not listed
Fountains: Not listed
Special Events: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
One photo of the park that is a different view from the one on the page, and give the date and description your visit.
Add any additional information that you may have about this park. A GPSr photo is NOT required.
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