Wildlife Encounters in Rancho San Antonio near Silicon Valley

Silicon Valley conjures up images of high tech companies in shiny buildings with busy employees working far too much. We sometimes forget that word valley. A valley is an area between hills or mountains, and Silicon Valley sits near some hills which have been preserved for the valley citizens to enjoy and experience nature.

One such location is Rancho San Antonio which is an open space preserve in the Santa Cruz Mountains west of the valley. Here visitors will find a variety of activities and points of interest to keep them close to nature.

My daughter Andrea and I went there on a sunny afternoon in mid April. The sun was quite warm that day, but when we were in the shade of the trees, it was actually quite comfortable. Since we were there on a weekday, we didn’t have any problems finding parking. Going to the final parking lot (6) will get one closest to the hiking areas. However visitors on the weekend may have trouble finding parking due to how popular the park is.

The first part of the hike is on paved pathways and is pretty level. There are some large meadow areas which we passed by. Squirrels were quite abundant here as they scampered about. While squirrels are not all that unusual, these were different from the ones in my home town. These squirrels looked for food in the grassy meadows while I am used to squirrels running around in the trees.

When we returned to this part of the trail on our way back, a herd of deer had come into the meadow. There were about ten deer munching away on the grass. They were actually quite a distance from the trail so I needed a telephoto lens to get any decent shots of them. This wasn’t the only deer we saw in Rancho San Antonio, however. We also saw one hiding through the trees along the trail.

  • A herd of deer in a meadow at the base of a mountain in Rancho San Antonio in Silicon Valley, California
  • Deer eating in a meadow at Rancho San Antonio Park near San Jose, CA
  • A deer looks up among others who are eating in a meadow in Rancho San Antonio Park in Silicon Valley, California
  • One deer looks toward the camera while the others eat in a meadow in Rancho San Antonio Park Near San Jose, CA
  • Deer hiding in the brush at Rancho San Antonio Park near an Jose, California

Toward the edge of the meadow is a large tree. It is a bay laurel tree and the third largest one in the state. It is a striking tree.

There are a number of trails in the park, 29 miles worth. Bikers are welcome only on the paved trails not the dirt trails. The paved sections were nice and flat. The dirt trails were generally is good condition but sometimes a bit narrow.

  • Wide trail beside a large meado in Ranch San Antonio in Silicon Valley, California
  • Nearby hills seen from Rancho San Antonio near San Jose, California
  • Large bay laurel tree beside a trail in Rancho San Antonio near San Jose, California
  • Sign for Rancho San Antonio at a trailhead near San Jose, CA

While water can be an issue in California, they have enjoyed a fair amount of rain this year. As a result the meadows are green, and the creeks and streams are filled with water. The streams add a coolness to the hike as well as the relaxing sound of running water. I think one of nature’s best sounds is water flowing down a stream. A few times we crossed from one side of the stream to the other on small bridges.

  • Shaded dirt trail in Rancho San Antonio near San Jose, California
  • WOman standing on a short wooden bridge over a creek in Rancho San Antonio near Silicon Valley in California
  • Tall dead tree stump sticking up near a trail in a park near San Jose, CA
  • SHirtless man running on a trail in Rancho San Antonio near San Jose, California

One stop along the trail we enjoyed is Deer Hollow Farm. This is the last working homestead in the area so there is a major effort to keep it going. The farm is small, but it still has animals and grows a garden. It is open to the public and is a common field trip destination for schools. We passed the farm after they were closed for the day. However, we could still see the buildings and some of the animals. One of the buildings was an original worker’s home. There is also a barn, and at the end of the farm a large covered gathering area useful for lunches for kids on a field trip.

  • Very old tractor sitting in a field at Deer Hollow Farm near San Jose, CA
  • Original small cabin on the Deer Hollow Farm near San Jose, California
  • Sign for Deer Hollow Farm on a fence at its entrance.
  • Metal containers holding plants at Deer Hollow Farm in California
  • The old barn at Deer Hollow Farm near San Jose, CA
  • Rock garden with some herbs growing at Deer Hollow Farm near Silicon Valley, CA
  • Covered shelter for gatherings at Deer Hollow Farm in Rancho San Antonio Preserve near San Jose, CA

I think our favorite animals were two lambs. One was black, and one was white. They were very active frolicking in the pasture. Unfortunately the pasture they were in was a distance from the trail so I wasn’t able to get very good photos. The goats, on the other hand, were much closer to us so they were easier to photograph. We also saw some pigs and some very fat chickens.

  • An ewe with two lambs, one black and one white at Deer Hollow Farm near San Jose
  • Black and white goat walking across the pen at Deer Hollow Farm near Silicon Valley
  • Brown goat with white ears walking in its pen at Deer Hollow Farm near San Jose, California
  • Goat sticking out its tongue on a farm near San Jose, California

Not all the typical farm animals we saw were fenced in. We also saw some wild turkeys. We initially saw them in a meadow, but when we were hiking back some were running down a trail. Their necks were going forward and then back. They were pretty funny to watch.

Wild turkeys were not the only wildlife around. We saw signs warning of mountain lions and coyotes in the area, but fortunately we never saw any.

After the farm the trail began a gradual ascent following next to a stream. This was a fairly shaded part of the trail and a relaxing place to walk. The trail continued to cross the stream a few times so we experienced both sides of the creek. Because we were going uphill, there were a number of small waterfalls along the trail.

  • Small stream running beside a trail in Rancho San Antonio, California
  • Trees form an arch over a trail in Rancho San Antonio near San Jose, California
  • Creek flows on the left side of a trail through Rancho San Antonio near San Jose, CA
  • Small waterfall in a creek in Rancho San Antonio in California
  • Trail winding upward in Rancho San Antonio near Silicon Valley, CA
  • Simple wooden bridge crosses a creek in Rancho San Antonio, California
A blue heron walks in heavy grass at Rancho San Antonio in Silicon Valley, California

The trail eventually turned away from the creek, and at this juncture we turned around to go back to the car. When we arrived back at the parking area, we had one last surprise. We saw a heron next to the parking lot. Rancho San Antonio had certainly shown itself to be an area with plenty of wildlife to discover.

While we passed a number of people as we hiked the trail in Rancho San Antonio, it was not particularly busy. It was also a pretty easy hike. Andrea pointed out a loop trail we could follow that had a steeper section to it, but we chose to keep to a more level pathway. With so many miles of trails to follow, I’m sure there is something for everyone’s level of ability in this large natural preserve.

While we enjoyed the hike around Rancho San Antonio, we had more nature to explore in California. Next week I’ll share about an area near San Francisco where we walked among the redwoods. In the meantime, keep traveling.

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