The San Tomas Aquino Creek Trail offers a paved route running approximately 5 miles through Santa Clara along its namesake waterway. In the north, the trail connects to the Highway 237 Bikeway (a component of the larger San Francisco Bay Trail system) at the edge of the small community of Alviso situated on the southern end of the San Francisco Bay.
A cluster of attractions are a stone's throw from the trail along Tasman Drive, including the Santa Clara Convention Center, Levi's Stadium (recently constructed home of the NFL's San Francisco 49ers) and the popular amusement park, California's Great America.
Ample parking for the San Tomas Aquino Creek Trail is available at an official trailhead at 2380 Monroe Street in Santa Clara.
A public parking lot maintained by the City of Santa Clara is also available on the trail's northern end at the Santa Clara Golf and Tennis Club (5155 Stars and Stripes Drive).
Fantastic trail
One of my favorite ways to get to know streets and resources around a new neighborhood is to take some rides.
I've lived in the South Bay years ago, and have noticed: The sub-urban industrial, semi residential areas between El Camino and NorthEast to the bay tend to clear out on the weekends. I found the trail traffic light and fairly well heeled. I recently experienced more urban road riding than my typical mountain biking, by living in Oakland for a bit. On this trail I felt very secure and comfortable. It's nice to be in one of the safest communities in the country.
This trail meanders on the upwind side of this concrete drainage/semi-restored wildlife corridor (lots of ducks in the creek). I could not smell any foul stagnant water smells, but I also wish I remembered to take my allergy med. as there's a fair amount of bay breeze kicking up dust and pollen. The water appeared clean, clear, flowing and full of water plants the ducks seemed to enjoy munching. The flow coincides with the 99ft. elevation descent my tracking app. later informed me, over the 5 miles of this trail.
The trail does a nice job of providing continuation of the trail beneath major roadways using underpasses; or cut-outs if you'd like to get to street level for whatever cross street you'd want to enter the trail. I was a bit nervous about biking under 8 lanes of St. Lawrence expressway, but the structure appeared extraordinarily well built. It was practically silent beneath these bridges. Cool. Those were the only spaces there was no vegetation either. Very well maintained for very good visibility in all directions. I think this contributed to the comfortably secure feeling of the trail.
So the trail cruises along…you can check out fortune 500 hi-tech company architecture, vastness of empty parking lots, and get glimpses of the people on rides in the Great America flume ride and park.
It's just a little spin through the backstage of Silicon Valley. It's not redwoods, but it's a pretty nice for a semi-urban area. It's not a farm road, but it's not devoid of thought provoking vistas.
I was able to ride the trail without having to drive to it. That saved me 30 minutes driving each way. Less stress, more time in the sun. Seeing Levi's Stadium while empty is something in my book.
As a connector to the larger bay area trails or on it's own. It delivered more than I expected.
It is what it is for where it is, and I was well impressed. Nice job trail workers, thank you.
A bit crowded with pedestrians during lunchtime but great otherwise. Make sure you have a bell.
From 2/1 to 2/9
Fun trail for me and my kids (13 yo and a 1.5 yo on my bike).
This is the first trial that i have ever done on a bike. It was mostly flat with no such scenery to accompany you. It's good for beginners.
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