Walking the Dog at St. Joseph’s Hill

St. Joseph’s Hill Open Space Preserve

"These motions everywhere in nature must surely be the circulations of God."

- Henry D. Thoreau

Directions: Highway 17 south through Los Gatos and up to Lexington Reservoir. Exit at Alma Bridge/Bear Creek roads, and cross Highway 17 (overpass) to the east side. Re-enter Highway 17, going north to Los Gatos. Take Alma Bridge Road exit, and drive across the dam to large parking lot overlooking reservoir. You can also access the preserve from the end of Jones Road in Los Gatos or from the Los Gatos Creek Trail.

Grade: Strenuous. Elevation gain of about 800 feet.

Distance: Five miles or more if you use intersecting trails.

Time: Three hours.

Special Conditions: All trails are open to dogs on leash. All trails except the Flume Trail are multi-use, including hiking, bicycling, and equestrians. This preserve is operated by the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (650-691-1200) and by Santa Clara County Parks.

It’s a fairly small preserve as open space areas go, but its 267 acres are loaded with diversity. At 1,250 feet, the top of St. Joseph’s Hill offers panoramic views of the Santa Clara Valley and points north, the Lexington Reservoir and points south, the Skyline Ridge to the west, and the Sierra Azul Range (blue mountains) to the east. The lower parts of the preserve run along Los Gatos Creek on its way to Vasona Reservoir in Los Gatos.

Along the way—from bottom to top—are oak woodlands, broad meadows, and chaparral that includes classic manzanita and a few stands of eucalyptus trees.

Good dog Mack was well pleased with this five-mile jaunt, especially the brief dip in Lexington Reservoir when the walk was over.

We started this hike at the Jones Trail gate marked SJ03, directly across the road from the large parking lot overlooking the reservoir. The trail climbs steeply on an old asphalt roadbed through mixed oak, bay, madrone, and eucalyptus trees. The trail turns quite muddy (February) halfway up for a short distance, but soon hardens and is in good shape throughout the preserve.

Portions of Jones Trail follow the historic Jones Road, which once connected Los Gatos with the town of Lexington and Alma. The road was originally used by stagecoaches and pack teams transporting people, supplies, and equipment over St. Joseph’s Hill. The town sites of Lexington and Alma now lie under the Lexington Reservoir, which was built in 1952.

After a half-mile hike and a gain of about 200 feet, you will reach the first junction. You can either continue straight .7 mile to the Jones Road trailhead or turn right on the Novitiate Trail and wind your way up St. Joseph’s Hill.

We suggest a right turn on the Novitiate Trail. As you walk along the Novitiate, a chainlink fence is on your left and open space is on your right. Three trails lead right from the Novitiate Trail—first the Manzanita Trail, then the Range Trail and the Brothers Bypass. You can also hike Novitiate Trail to the end, but then it’s two gates and a turnaround. On the grassy hillside beyond the fence you will see old terraces and stakes of a vineyard that produced the Novitiate wines.

We took the Brothers Bypass to the hilltop and the Manzanita Trail back. A wide grass area is on top with a low split-rail buffer that is also good for sitting. You will want to spend some time on top to enjoy the great view.

Your return to Jones Trail or the Manzanita Trail will treat you to large manzanita shrubs, much larger than those you will find along the damper Skyline Ridge preserves. We hiked back to Jones Trail and turned right for .3 mile to Flume Trail, a narrow hikers-only trail that follows in part the route of an old flume, which carried water from Los Gatos Creek toward San Jose. At the end is a hillside meadow area and at the bottom a nice wooden bench dedicated to the memory of Rick J. Kaufmann. If you walk from the bench up the hillside to the Flume Trail, you will see a concrete marker to the memory of Rick J. Kaufmann, 1958-1999–“In loving memory of our daddy.” There is a story here—perhaps a reader will share.

We returned to the parking lot going up and over Jones Trail (once a road) with visions of horses, coaches and pack trains on this route—now a distant memory as traffic speeds up and down Highway 17 below.

Your comments and hiking suggestions are always welcome.

E-mail <tom@tomdavids.com>

Footnote: Check out the Weekly Walker Web at www.weeklywalker.com.