Lushly wooded Uvas Canyon County Park has 6 miles of hiking trails on 1,133 acres nestled in upper Uvas Canyon on the eastern side of the Santa Cruz Mountains. The canyon is filled with oaks, laurels, big-leaf maples and Douglas firs, all thriving in the moist environment around Swanson Creek, which in winter and spring sports multiple waterfalls.
The 1-mile, fairly flat Waterfall Loop Trail can be extended to 5 or 7 strenuous miles by adding a circuit on the Alec Canyon and Contour trails.
Getting there: From Highway 101 in San Jose exit at Bernal Road and turn left on Santa Teresa Boulevard. Travel south 3 miles and turn right onto Bailey Avenue. Follow Bailey Road 2.3 miles to McKean Road. Turn left onto McKean Road (McKean Road becomes Uvas Road 2.2 miles south of Bailey Road). From Bailey Road travel 6 miles south on McKean/Uvas Road and turn right onto Croy Road. Continue 4.4 miles on Croy Road, through Sveadal, to reach the Park entrance. Sveadal is a private resort belonging to the Swedish American Patriotic League. Please respect their privacy and drive slowly as you pass through.
