It was chilly this morning!

We decided to try out a new park that we hadn’t been to before, and browsed the Bay Area Hiker website for inspiration. We decided upon going to Uvas Canyon County Park, and based our hike on the one described here.

The described hike is a loop of 3.2 miles, but we decided to add a little extra to take in another waterfall, and a nice view across to the Diablo range in the east bay from Manzanita Point:

Parking in the main lot, take the road past the restrooms (featuring running water and SOAP!!!!!) up to the start of the waterfall loop trail. Take the left fork – Alec Canyon Trail, follow the steep trail up to the junction with Contour trail (0.5 miles), instead of going right, for an extra workout and view keep on Alec Canyon Trail up to the junction with the Triple Falls Trail (0.5 miles), taking in Manzanita Point on the way. The walk up to Triple Falls from this junction is 0.2 miles each way, or you can continue on Alec Canyon Trail 0.3 miles towards the Old Logging Camp. Or both 😉

We then returned to the junction with the Contour Trail, and followed this to the Basin Falls Trail (1.6 miles), past the Upper Falls and the site of the old Hot House, where all that remains is a sign and some twisty rusted pipes:

Basin Falls is 0.1 miles each way from this junction.

Continue across the bridge (0.1 miles) towards the junction with Knobcone Trail (a steep there-and-back-again trail of 0.4 miles to Knobcone Point) and then continue onto the Waterfall Loop Road. There is another short 0.1 mile trail just off here to Black Rock Falls.

From here continue following the Waterfall Loop Road down to the parking lot.

It was a really lovely hike, nice and shaded, so still would be great on a sunny warm day.

The Santa Clara County Park website for this park includes both a trail map, and a nature trail guide for the (mostly) wheelchair accessible Waterfall Loop.