Have you had any day that it was so hard to handle? Work, homework and life stuff can give you so much stress that you just want to forget all about it for a while. You may have family, friends and food to help you feel better. But it does not hurt to add something more, doesn’t it?
I am talking about the view of the mountains. You do not have to go to Grand Canyon or any other National Parks, because right here in San Jose, we have Sierra Vista Valley Open Space.
If you live in East San Jose or other cities nearby, you cannot miss the mountain range that changes its color as the seasons go. It is so near that you might wonder what is going on up there. Let’s not wait and find out while also escaping from reality for an hour or two.
All you need is a car with a tank full of gas and a good pair of hiking shoes, and you are all set.
Sierra Vista is as close to Downtown San Jose as 15 miles. For your convenience, I hereby copied and pasted the guide to get to the parking lot from the official website as below:
“From 680 exit east onto Berryessa Road. Follow Berryessa to Piedmont Road and turn left. Go right at Sierra Road. The free public parking area and equestrian parking are at the top of Sierra Road, on the right.”
CAUTION:
Even though Google says that the address is 6980 Santa Teresa Boulevard, it is actually an incorrect address. Please do not follow Google Maps on this one, or you would wind up at a random house.
Once you park your car at Sierra Vista, you are free to choose a Trail out of four, or you can do them all. At the start of the Trails, there will be a sign to inform you of the difficulty level. I chose the Aquila Loop Trail because it is the safest and easiest one. The gates may be closed, but you are allowed to open them.
[su_box title=”Important Note” box_color=”#c93b3b”]Please be reminded that there is no restroom and no shop inside, so you should make sure you are ready to be without these facilities for at least an hour.[/su_box]
When you get inside, you may be welcome by a herd of cows, which are totally harmless. They will move away from you slowly as you walk pass by.
The further you get inside of Sierra Vista, the more you forget you are actually in San Jose.
You could say that you are on a different planet.
You might even run into a cowboy or two.
But of course, the city shows up to remind you of your problems.
But it feels really, really good to look at it from here.
And that is Sierra Vista Open Space for you. It is a place you can relax that is so close and does not cost you a single cent. For more details, you can visit their official website at openspaceauthority.org/trails/sierra.html
Been to Sierra Vista? Comment and share your stories with us. We are all ears.
I envy Californians sometimes. From north to south there is just so much variety and natural beauty in the state that it just makes my home state look like a cornfield. That view of the city from the top is just amazing!
Thank you for your comment. And don’t envy. I’m sure there is good and bad in everything. ^_^