Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Department facts for kids
 Guadalupe Reservoir, in Almaden Quicksilver County Park |
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| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1956 |
| Headquarters | 298 Garden Hill Dr. Los Gatos, California 37°14′38″N 121°57′53″W / 37.2439°N 121.9648°W |
The Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Department is a government group in Santa Clara County, California. It is also known as Santa Clara County Parks Department or Santa Clara County Parks. This department takes care of 29 parks. These parks cover a huge area, more than 52,000 acres (about 21,000 hectares).
Contents
History of Santa Clara County Parks
Santa Clara County bought its first parkland in 1924. This was a 400-acre (160-hectare) piece of land near Cupertino. It later became Stevens Creek County Park. Another park, Mount Madonna, was bought in 1927.
The Parks and Recreation Department officially started in 1956. The number of parks grew a lot in the 1970s. This was thanks to money from the state and special taxes that voters approved. In 1972, a big plan was made for new parks and trails along creeks. In 1995, the county made another plan to connect park trails with trails from other groups.
There is also a separate group called the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority (SCCOSA). It started in 1993 and works in Santa Clara County. However, it is not a direct part of the county government.
Parks to Explore
The department manages many parks, including:
- Almaden Quicksilver County Park: This park used to be a mercury mine. The county bought it in 1976. In 1978, they also bought the historic Casa Grande building. It is now the New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum.
- Alviso Marina County Park
- Anderson Lake County Park
- Calero County Park
- Chesbro Reservoir County Park
- Chitactac-Adams Heritage County Park
- Coyote Creek Parkway
- Coyote Lake Harvey Bear Ranch County Park
- Ed R. Levin County Park
- Field Sports Park
- Hellyer County Park
- Joseph D. Grant County Park
- Lexington Reservoir County Park
- Los Gatos Creek County Park
- Martial Cottle Park
- Motorcycle County Park
- Mt. Madonna County Park
- Penitencia Creek
- Rancho San Antonio County Park (managed by Mid-Peninsula Regional Open Space)
- Sanborn County Park
- Santa Teresa County Park
- Stevens Creek County Park
- Sunnyvale Baylands (managed by the City of Sunnyvale)
- Upper Stevens Creek County Park
- Uvas Canyon County Park
- Uvas Reservoir County Park
- Vasona Lake County Park
- Villa Montalvo County Park
Park Ranger Division
County Park Rangers help keep visitors safe and protect the parks. They do many different jobs. They make sure people follow park rules and state laws. Rangers also give information to visitors and help with camping or picnic reservations.
They respond to emergencies and give medical help if someone gets hurt. Park Rangers also search for lost people and fight wildfires in the parks. They manage volunteer events and work to protect and restore natural areas. Rangers patrol the parks using trucks, on foot, by boat, bike, and motorcycle. They also make sure people are safe on the county's lakes and reservoirs.
Junior Ranger Program
Since 1998, Park Rangers have offered a "Junior Ranger program." This program is for children aged 9–11. Junior Rangers meet four times and learn about what Park Rangers do. They also learn about wildlife, animal homes (habitats), and the Ohlone Native American culture. At the end of the program, students can go on an overnight campout with park staff. If you finish this program and are 12 to 17 years old, you can join the Junior Ranger II Program.
Special Learning Places
Santa Clara County Parks has several places where you can learn about history and nature.
- The Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum is at Casa Grande. It shows the history of mercury mining during the Gold Rush. Casa Grande was once the home of the mine managers.
- Chitactac-Adams Heritage Park teaches about the Native American culture in Santa Clara County. You can take a self-guided walk and see a replica of a tule hut. This type of hut was used by the Ohlone people.
- The Bernal-Joice-Gulnac Ranch at Santa Teresa County Park was once a family home. The Bernal family lived there from 1834. The county bought the ranch in 1980.
Images for kids
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Guadalupe Reservoir, in Almaden Quicksilver County Park
