#Almaden quicksilver county park how to

Over time, the mercury in the sediment may have been converted to methyl mercury by naturally occurring bacteria. Sediments that contain mercury have been deposited in some of the local reservoirs and streams. Almaden Quicksilver County Park was once the site of extensive quicksilver (mercury) mining. Mercury has been found to accumulate in Guadalupe and Almaden Reservoirs at levels that make the fish from those reservoirs unsafe to eat. For information on school field trip opportunities and custom tours of the Mining Museum, visit the education pageВ or email AND RELEASEвЂ¦ PLEASE DONвЂ™T EAT THE FISH Guided nature and history walks are available upon request. For your safety, please do not climb on any structures. However, the San Cristobal mine may be viewed from behind a locked gate. There are also remnants of mining structures throughout the park. No potable water is available within the park except at the Hacienda and Mockingbird Hill entrances. All trails in the park are also open to pet owners to walk their dogs on leash.ДЄ number of picnic tables are scattered throughout the park adjacent to the trails and horse water troughs are available in a few locations.

The park includes over 37 miles of hiking trails, including 30 miles of equestrian trails and 16.6 miles of bike trails. From Almaden Expressway, proceed 3 miles along Almaden Road through the town of New Almaden to the unpaved staging area on the right. This entrance is accessible to all users, including bicyclists. The Hacienda entrance is located at the south end of New Almaden. At the intersection of Wood Road and Hicks Road, turn left into the staging area. Turn right on Hicks Road and follow for 6 miles. From Highway 85 take the Camden Avenue exit south. The Wood Road entrance is accessed off Wood Road. Proceed 0.5 miles on Almaden Road to Mockingbird Hill Lane, turn right and continue 0.4 miles to the parking area.

From Highway 85, take the Almaden Expressway exit south 4.5 miles to Almaden Road. The Mockingbird Hill entrance is accessed off Mockingbird Hill Lane. The park may be accessed from three areas. You can reach the New Almaden Quicksilver Mining MuseumВ at (408) 918-7770.

#Almaden quicksilver county park how to

How to Get ThereДЄlmaden Quicksilver County Park is located at:21785 Almaden Rd San Jose, CA 95120ДЄlmaden Quicksilver County Park is located in south San Jose, in the town of New Almaden. Remnants of the mining era also offer an exciting look into the mining operations of the latter part of the 19th century. During early spring, the park offers one of the most spectacular wildflower displays in the region. The park encompasses 4,163 acres, occupying a majority of Capitancillos Ridge. The park is the site of over 135 years of mining activities and former home to more than 1,800 miners and their families. We visited the museum in 2017 but we were not prepared for the long hike through the park on such a hot day.Almaden Quicksilver County Park is spectacular in natural diversity and a landmark of California history. I would not be surprised if all of the history had been reduced to the museum. A quick google search reveals years of environmental study and big spending. Recent Google Earth images show lots of earth moving activity around the retort. The roads within the park are gated at several entrances so leave your 4Г—4 behind and bring your hiking boots or mountain bike. One popular mine shaft is referred to as the вЂњSan Cristobal MineвЂќ or вЂњStВ Cristobal MineвЂќ (photos below) but I believe this to be the mines nick name as it doesnвЂ™t appear in any historical maps or documents I could fine. The county claims that all shafts have been sealed but the USGS Topo (see below) shows quite a few to choose from, some of them very remote. The mining camps like English Camp and Mexican Camp housed up to 1800 miners. The mines are among the earliest in California as well as the most profitable. Huell Howser featured the park as what he called the вЂNew Almaden MineвЂ™ in episode вЂњCaliforniaвЂ™s Gold #801 вЂ“ QUICKSILVERвЂќ. Mining of mercury began a few years before the Gold Rush in 1845 and continued until 1976 when the County of Santa Clara began converting the are to a park for hikers and mountain bikers. The area features several furnaces, dozens of shafts, bunk houses, offices, equipment, railroad trestles, and more. In the foothills above the affluent San Jose suburb of Almaden Valley lies dozens of mercury mines and the ruins from nearly 140 years of mining operations.