Tuesdays on The Trail–Los Gatos Creek Side Trail

It’s nice, here in Campbell, to have so many places close by to get away to a little slice of nature. Away from the cars and the roads to enjoy the great outdoors on foot or by bike. Often times, these places are where we would not expect or don’t notice as we pass by them. In fact, there are many such places fairly close to Campbell.

I thought that, in this feature, I could write about some of my favorites in the hope that it might inspire you to get outdoors, off the beaten path, for a little while and discover them for yourselves. There’s often much beauty and tranquility to be found on the road less traveled!

It’s hard to be in Campbell for very long and not hear about the Los Gatos Creek Trail. It’s a nice, long stretch of well maintained, paved pathway that runs along Los Gatos Creek from San Jose through Campbell and onto Los Gatos and then more or less ends at Vasona Lake County Park. The trail is very popular and well used, especially on weekends.

In fact, it’s a little intimidating to walk on the path sometimes with all the bikes whizzing by. For the most part, people are very courteous and I have never had any real problems or accidents. There are a few trails that run along right next to the paved path and I like to walk along them when I’m out there. I’ve always thought that it would be a good idea to have these side trails as pedestrian only trails for those of us who don’t want to be wondering what the bike riders are going to do and how to best stay out of their way. Perhaps that’s a subject best saved for another time. It’s one such side trail that I would like to write about today.

There’s a nice trail that runs right next to the creek where the pathway passes through Los Gatos Creek County Park. One entrance is located off the paved path near the Dell Avenue parking area. By the first pond, watch for the small log on the left of the path. That’s a good trail marker. The other entrance is located near the bridge at the far end of the third pond. It’s a relatively short trail, less than a mile long, and it also has two other exits/entrances between one end and the other. It is quite pretty down there and you can get away from the crowds on the paved path. Since it runs along right next to the creek, I often see many types of water birds around there. There are many wild, naturalized areas along the path that offer shelter for the birds and other wildlife. There’s a great variety of trees and plants as well. Some of the trees look to be quite old and have certainly been around since the early times in Campbell. Although I usually see some trash and occasionally, a dead bird or fish, I consider the area to be quite safe.

I like to call this trail the old Indian trail, although I have no idea if it ever really was. I know that the Los Gatos Creek is still, pretty much, in the same location as a natural creek that existed before this area was settled, so it could have been part of an original trail. Anyway, for some reason, I always imagine it as a pathway that the Native Americans would have used to fish and hunt along the creek, travel between villages and connect with other trails to the nearby mountains or over to the coast. Perhaps it was a trade route of sorts with camps situated along the way where folks could meet and trade for goods? In any event, I definitely get a special feeling when I’m out on that trail. It always takes me back to a simpler time of long ago, in my own mind and imagination anyway.

A word about litter -  I always try to bring a bag or container when I go out. Most of the time I find some garbage left behind by others and I try to keep the areas picked up as best as I can. I don’t know what may be going through the minds of people who just leave their trash when there are plenty of garbage cans nearby to use. Maybe they think that people come along and clean up the area? Maybe they just don’t care or don’t see it as a problem? Who knows? I, for one, enjoy these areas much better when they’re free of trash and I’m sure that the wildlife that make their homes around there do as well. Maybe, if everybody who walked along there could pick up just a little bit as they pass through, the area would stay clean for all to enjoy?

So, if you can, please take the time to explore this little trail. I encourage you to take a walk off the beaten path and enjoy the wild, naturalized areas around our city. I find that beauty is sometimes hidden from us in our everyday routines, but is always there to be discovered if you have an adventurous spirit and an open mind.

Until next time ... Steve A.