uvas canyon county park

Since we've had some rain, my hiking group wanted to view the waterfalls. The trails have lots of shade. No waterfall on the first out and back trail we hiked, but we had driven 45 minutes so we wanted to hike all the trails we could. The next trail led to an area where the waterfalls were slightly flowing. The loop took us back to the parking lot where we ate our lunch in a lovely picnic area. The bathrooms are extremely clean with flush toilets and running water in the sinks. Some members of our group have camped at Uvas and said the amenities are quite nice. Parking on Tuesday was plentiful, but I would think it would be crowded on a weekend. $6 entrance fee, but with a senior county park pass, it is free.

Lots of shade here, and the streams still had a bit of water flowing at the end of August 2014. The picnic area, where the trails begin and end, has restrooms and water, lots of picnic tables and barbecues, and a lot of quiet shade. Parking was not a problem on a Sunday afternoon. We left the picnic area on the Waterfall Loop trail, going counterclockwise. The trail is wide, shaded, smooth underfoot, and mostly uphill. At the far end, we took a detour up the Knobcone trail to Knobcone Point. This is labeled "Steep" on the maps, with good reason. I was glad I had two trekking poles. The trail is in good condition with intermittent shade, but it is steep and occasionally covered with loose gravel. After returning to the main trail, we headed back on the longer Contour Trail instead of the lower section of the Waterfall Loop. Although not labeled steep, the Contour Trail still has plenty of up and down. It's a narrower trail, mostly wooded, just beautiful. Again, I was glad I had poles, but there were trail runners out too!The park is immaculate and trails are well maintained and signed.

The Waterfall Loop Trail was nice. There was running water in the creek and some mini waterfalls also. Didn't hike up the steep trails, maybe next time. Nice to visit early morning before it gets too hot!

When you look at the reservoir in summer 2014, one realizes how important it is to practice water conservation measures. Water is so far down. The area is still pretty for hikes, and equestrian activities.

Lived in the Bay Area for 30+ years and just discovered this place! Way off the freeway, up a beautiful windy road, lush and green and the creeks and waterfalls full of water even in a drought year. Nice day hike, even dogs allowed - perfect

Love getting away to this park... Some wonderful hiking trails makes you feel like you are miles away from the city.

several trails, at various lengths and elevation gains. The trails are well marked and maintained. Nice waterfalls in late winter and spring. there is a nice marked nature trail. Lots of lady bugs in late winter. There is parking fee, 5 or 6 dollars. Picnic tables and fire pits. Nice restrooms. also campsites are available. Also fairly shady, good for summer hikes.

Easy waterfall loop has beautiful falls in the Spring. Plenty of picnic tables at the trail head. There is a fee to park.

I camped out in Uvas Canyon last weekend and had a great time. It's only a 1 1/2 h drive from the Berkeley area, which is very convenient. The park is small but has some very nice short hikes with beautiful waterfalls and streams. The light fall through the trees in the canyon is amazing. Mind you, it is a canyon, so parts of the hikes could still be a bit of a challenge if you are not in shape. The campground is small. The sites are relatively open, so if there are a lot of families on Saturday it can be a bit noisy. The best time to come is during the week or Sunday after 12PM. Sooo peaceful! The amenities are brand new and super clean! I can totally recommend this park for a short camping trip or even just for a nice picnic and hike on the weekend. I will be back!

fantastic park for hiking and taking the kids. You can hike down by the creed which is real fun and depending on the time of year there are waterfalls. Also very nice picnic and campgrounds.

This park was a nice little gem of a find on our trip to the central coast. The park's website did not mention the six dollar day use fee. The drive in is along a two lane country road, which my husband loves. H calls it a motorcycle road. Just before entering the park you pass through a private Swedish enclave where the road narrows to one lane. You may have to wait a bit for the oncoming traffic. The park entrance has an electronic toll booth which accepts MasterCard and Visa, but not American Express. Park website states the Waterfall Loop Trail is a one mile loop. It actually is about one mile out and one back. By my calculation that is a two mile loop. Since this is a trail to waterfalls, expect an uphill hike. We chose to go up the right side which is mostly a service road above the creek. The falls had enough water in early July to see a good show. We honestly expected a trickle since California had such a bad year for rain. We took the trail along the creek in the downhill leg.There is a nice campground area in addition to the day use area. The restrooms had flush toilets and were well maintained. Overall, we had a lovely time enjoying this park and recommend it.

its beautiful at night during a full moon, you could see the whole area when the moon is shining up in the sky and its quiet, but be careful to not be there too long because sheriffs pass by there doing patrol duties, but they are just concern for your safety and they are friendly too.

What's not to love about this place?No, seriously, the drive there is a bit long and unusual (the cabins remind me of a Steven King novel), but the whole park is accessible to dogs, the main hike nicely shaded the whole way, usually there are cascading rapids and lush foliage, and if you want a rougher hike, there are two other trails (one to the peak that's full of lizards and the other around the ridge to below the parking lot) which you can explore and appreciate. Really, this is some of the best hiking in the South Bay.

From the San Jose area, it's about a 45 minute drive, but well worth it. If you go at the right time of year, the waterfalls are very nice, although anytime of year is still awesome. There are several trails available depending on how much time and how much energy you want to exert. The parking is about $10/car and no other fees. Great for family's, pets, and for general nature walks.

It's a long back road to this park, but a walk up the creek, along the series of waterfalls, under the mixed canopy, will convince you it was worth the drive.