Part 4: Los Gatos Creek Trail

This is part four of a five-part series introducing beginner riders and families to safe, calm and family-friendly routes through Campbell and into surrounding cities. The series will also highlight some connections and resources that intermediate riders could use to replace more and more car trips. The author is a journalist and bicycle commuter who loves living car-free in San Jose.

Check out a video introduction to the route in the attached images, and see a Google Map of the route here.

The Los Gatos Creek Trail is one of the most popular bike routes in Campbell, and because it's completely car-free its an ideal place for brand new riders and young children to get used to maneuvering on two wheels. The speed limit is 15 miles per hour, so this isn't a good route for commuting except when there are very few people on the trail, like early in the morning.

To the south, the trail reaches Vasona Lake County Park and downtown Los Gatos. To the north, it goes as far as Meridian Avenue, about 12 miles in all. It's a beautiful ride along a creek and natural habitat, with parks and percolation ponds to stop and rest at along the way. It's a great destination for a weekend afternoon picnic.

You can access the trail from many streets, including from Knowles Drive on the East side of the Pollard bike route or from Hacienda Avenue. There's also an easy entrance to the trail—which runs on both side of Los Gatos Creek—at .

At the park, we can jump off the creek trail and get on Campbell Avenue. The city is widening Campbell to make space for bike lanes going in both directions. You could get off the trail and ride on Campbell to the or Bascom Avenue. There are many other exits from the trail between here and Meridian, depending on where you're headed.

Thanks for checking out Bikeable Campbell—ride safe, and have fun!

1. Always stop at stop signs and stop lights.
2. Always wear lights and a helmet when you ride.
3. Never ride on the sidewalk—it's far more dangerous than riding in the street because cars can't see you, you can hit pedestrians and driveways are major hazards.
4. Avoid the dangerous five-foot "door zone" of parked cars, or you may be knocked out by an opening car door.
5. Ride as closely as you safely can to the right side of the road, but don't be afraid to "take the lane." California law allows us to take the lane to avoid the "door zone," skirt debris on the roadway or pass other bicyclists.

• Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition—our excellent local bicycle advocacy organization.
• League of American Bicyclists—longtime organization for cycling advocacy and resources.
• Street Films—great films about bikeable, walkable and liveable streets around the world.
• Valley Transportation Authority countywide bike map—for trips beyond Campbell's borders.
• City of Campbell Bike Facilities Map—for trips within Campbell's borders.
• Almaden Cycle Touring Club Academy—offers a 6-week training for beginning bicycle riders.
• Google Maps bicycling directions—just enter your start and end, click the bicycle symbol (not the car) and Google Maps will give you pretty good options for bike routes. It shows you the best nearby routes, and highlights streets with bike lanes.

Download the movie