Los Gatos Creek County Park

Los Gatos Creek County Park sits at the midpoint of the Los Gatos Creek Trail, a 110-acre urban park built around six percolation ponds. The trail is shared by walkers, joggers, cyclists, skaters, and non-motorized scooters. Santa Clara County Parks, the City of Campbell, the Town of Los Gatos, and the City of San José each run a section, so the rules change from one stretch to the next.

The northernmost pond is open for fishing, and anglers catch black bass, catfish, bluegill, crappie, and carp; fish are not stocked in these waterways. The other ponds are good for watching waterfowl, though feeding the birds is prohibited. Casting ponds with targets are open daily from 8 a.m. to sunset for fly and plug casting practice. Hooks and dogs are not allowed in the casting area, and walkers should watch for back casts. Radio-controlled model boats need a permit and inspection but no reservation. Along the trail, a dog park with artificial turf has shade, seating, and water.

The ponds are part of the valley's water supply. Runoff captured by Lexington Reservoir is released down the creek to Vasona Lake and on to percolation ponds here and elsewhere, where it seeps through the soil into underground aquifers and is cleaned along the way. The creek, one of the few relatively intact urban streams in the Santa Clara Valley, then joins the Guadalupe River and flows north to San Francisco Bay, and during storms it helps carry runoff for flood protection.

The park is open from 8 a.m. to sunset. The Dell Avenue entrance in Campbell has paid parking and restrooms; vehicle entry fees are collected year-round, and hourly parking is available at the pay machine.