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Joseph Grant County Park is a gorgeous and massive trail system located in Hall's Valley, not far from San Jose. I've only scratched the surface of this park with the hike on the Dutch Flat Trail. After hearing that it might snow near San Jose on a cold February night, I started looking for the closest park with access to the snow. Joseph Grant has many trails with relatively high elevation compared to the valley. I assumed we could drive on Hwy 130 toward the peak of Mount Hamilton until we encountered snow. It turns out that during the rare snowfall, Hwy 130 closes at the main entrance to Joseph Grant County Park. What a blessing in disguise. We turned right onto Grant Road into the main entrance of the park (just after intersection of Quimby and Hwy130) and parked in the second parking area, near a traffic circle and Stockman's Group Picnic Area. The Dutch Flat Trail starts just up the road by the Equestrian Campground. It took just 5 minutes of hiking to reach the magical inch of snow. Hiking only about 0.5 miles up this trail leads to incredible views of the Hall's Valley. This view was satisfying enough but you can continue on as far as you desire, then come back the way you came.
Alert: I followed Google Map's recommendation and took Quimby Road over the mountain to get to Joseph Grant County Park. This road was extremely narrow, windy and at times terrifying. The park's website recommends taking Hwy130 instead.
Bathrooms
Yes, near traffic circle parking lots.
Playground
No
Kid transportation
Walking or kid carrier. Too steep for strollers. Bikes allowed, but this route is not suitable for trailers or young kids.
Suggested Route
Enter the park through the "Entrance Kiosk" and continue on Grant Road. Park near the traffic circle (at Stockman's Picnic Area). The Dutch Flat Trail begins just up the road by the Equestrian Campground. Hike out as far as you are comfortable with and turn around. Less than 1.5 mile roundtrip for great views of Halls Valley. Go even farther for San Jose vistas.
Difficulty
Moderate. Steep at times.
Parking Situation
Abundant
Entrance Fee
$6
Bonus
High enough elevations to potentially see rare Bay Area snow!
Official Park Website
https://www.sccgov.org/sites/parks/parkfinder/Pages/JosephDGrant.aspx Trail map: https://www.sccgov.org/sites/parks/parkfinder/Documents/JDGrantGuideMap.pdf
Date Updated
February 2019
