Uvas Canyon County Park
| Uvas Canyon County Park | |
|---|---|
|
Swanson Creek in Uvas Canyon | |
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| Type | County park |
| Location | Santa Cruz Mountains west of Morgan Hill, California |
| Coordinates | 37.08, -121.79 |
| Area | 4.5850883 km2 (1.7703125 sq mi) |
| Operated by | Santa Clara County |
| Status | Open daily |
Uvas Canyon County Park is part of the Santa Clara County Parks System.[1] This 1,133-acre natural park is located in upper Uvas Canyon on the eastern side of the Santa Cruz Mountains, west of Morgan Hill, California. The park has several small waterfalls, some of which flow perennially. It is relatively close to San Jose and Silicon Valley. It facilitates picnics, hiking and overnight camping. It is one of the few parks in the area that allows dogs in the campgrounds.
Access to Uvas Canyon County Park is via Croy Road, a two-lane paved secondary road off Uvas Road with no outlet that narrows to a single lane within the small private community of Sveadal, just before the park entrance.
Flora
A partial list of trees and plants found in the park is described in the park's Waterfall Loop Nature Trail Guide. Some are non-native species, brought in by early settlers.
- Bigleaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum)
- Blackberry (Rubus ursinus)
- California Buckeye (Aesculus californica)
- California Laurel (Umbellularia californica)
- California Nutmeg (Torreya californica)
- California Sagebrush (Artemisia californica)
- Canyon Live Oak (Quercus chrysolepis)
- Coast Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens)
- Coastal Wood Fern (Dryopteris arguta)
- Coyote Brush (Baccharis spp.)
- Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)
- Golden Back Fern (Pityrogramma triangularis)
- Madrone (Arbutus menziesii)
- Poison Oak (Toxicodendron diversilobum)
- Sticky Monkey Flower (Diplacus auraniacus)
- Western Sword Fern (Polystichum munitum)
- Tanbark Oak (Lithocarpus densiflorus)
- Thimbleberry (Rubus parviflorus)
- Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima)
- Western Sycamore (Platanus racemosa)
- White Alder (Alnus rhombifolia)
- Wood Rose (Rosa gymnocarpa)
- Periwinkle (Vinca major)
- Trailing Myrtle (Vinca minor)
Waterfalls
The park has seven small waterfalls, five of which are named on park maps and identified with signposts:
- Basin Falls 37°04′47″N 121°48′22″W / 37.07973°N 121.80613°W
- Black Rock Falls 37°04′57″N 121°48′03″W / 37.08246°N 121.80095°W
- Granuja Falls
- Triple Falls 37°04′41″N 121°47′39″W / 37.07806°N 121.79417°W
- Upper Falls 37°04′47″N 121°48′08″W / 37.07972°N 121.80222°W
The streams are rain and spring fed. Even though the streams are perennial, the best time to visit these waterfalls is after recent rains.
| Waterfalls of Uvas Canyon County Park | ||||||||||
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References
- ↑ "Uvas Canyon County Park. Parks and Recreation. County of Santa Clara". County of Santa Clara. Retrieved 2014-09-06.
External links
- Leon Turnbull. "Black Rock Falls". Waterfalls of California. waterfallswest.com. Retrieved 2009-12-06.
Coordinates: 37°05′N 121°47′W / 37.08°N 121.79°W
