Grant Ranch County Park

Grant Ranch Park is the largest county park in Santa Clara County, California.[1] Also known as Joseph D. Grant County Park,[2] this site is situated in the Diablo Range foothills of the eastern Santa Clara Valley. The park is one of 28 owned by Santa Clara County and managed by the Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Department.[3]

Directional signage to Joseph D. Grant County Park begins at the ascent of SR 130 to Mount Hamilton.

Joseph D. Grant, son of a wealthy San Francisco merchant, began buying what had been the Rancho Cañada de Pala Mexican land grant. Grant used the property for grazing cattle, recreating, and hunting game. Joseph D. Grant died in 1942. Santa Clara County purchased approximately 9,553 acres (38.7 km2) of the land in 1975, and created this public park.

Grant Ranch Park is situated in the Diablo Range, near Mount Hamilton. Elevations range from about 1,400 feet (427 m) in Halls Valley to peaks over 2,800 feet (853 m) on the Park's eastern edge.[4] This upward gradient leads to even higher peaks in the crest of the range and to Mount Hamilton itself at 4,209 feet (1,283 m). The western slopes of Mount Hamilton drop into Smith Creek which forms the eastern boundary of the Park.

The park is known for mountain biking,[5] birdwatching and hiking. Some of the special status biota within Grant Ranch Park are the Burrowing owl and the Western pond turtle. The Park also offers camp sites.

  • Joseph D Grant Ranch Park, Grant Lake, Midwinter
  • Joseph D Grant Ranch Park, Corral Trail, Midsummer
  • Rusted Water Tank hosts a tree
  • Mount Hamilton Road
  • Historic cabin used for hunting and fishing
Panoramic View from Mano Seca Cowpie Bench, September 2012

See also

References
  1. Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Department Official Site: Joseph Grant Ranch County Park
  2. "Joseph D. Grant County Park. Parks and Recreation". County of Santa Clara. June 12, 2014. Retrieved 2014-09-06.
  3. "Welcome to all 28 wild and wonderful parks of Santa Clara County. Parks and Recreation. County of Santa Clara". County of Santa Clara. Retrieved 2014-09-06.
  4. Biology Study for Joseph Grant County Park, Santa Clara County, California, Earth Metrics inc, prepared for the County of Santa Clara, Report #7978, October 4, 1989
  5. "Mountain Biking in Grant Ranch Park". Archived from the original on 2010-05-13. Retrieved 2010-05-10.
  6. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Joseph D Grant County Park
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