Martial Cottle Park

Martial Cottle Park preserves a ranch that Edward Cottle established in 1856 and that his descendants farmed until 2014, keeping the land in agricultural production under one family for more than 150 years. It is a state and county park run by Santa Clara County Parks, but California State Parks passes are not valid here.

To honor the wishes of Ethel Cottle Lester and her family, the county works with partners who each farm or teach on their own parcel of the park: Jacobs Farm Del Cabo; UC Cooperative Extension's Master Gardeners, Composting Education, Small Farms, and Urban Agriculture programs and its Sunset 4-H Club; Our City Forest; and the City of San José. Visitors can join tours, classes, and workshops, see livestock raised by 4-H members, and attend seasonal celebrations. Walter Cottle Lester founded the Martial Cottle Park Foundation to help restore the family's historic buildings and equipment.

More than 3 miles of paved trails are open to walkers, joggers, cyclists, skaters, non-motorized scooters, and horses, and dogs are welcome on 6-foot leashes. Deed restrictions keep organized sports off the lawns. The Walter Cottle Lester Visitor Center displays objects from the family's daily life, including clothing, letters, toys, bakeware, a replica cattle brand, garden and farm tools, and butter-making supplies. Its hours depend on volunteers, so call ahead before visiting. The park is open from 8 a.m. to sunset, and the Snell Avenue entrance has paid parking, restrooms, and a hydration station.