Best Wildlife Park San Jose Near Me

4worldlovers: Happy Hollow Park & Zoo is a place for the young and the young at heart. To better serve older adults in our community, visitors age 50 and up are invited to take over San Jose’s iconic Happy Hollow Park & Zoo and feel like a kid again! Get some fresh air and exercise as you enjoy early entry into the park and zoo and much more!

Ready for some paw-some summer fun? Be sure to join us for our summer shows, starting next Thursday! From June 22 through July 30, Canine Champions for Conservation will be performing an exciting show full of fur, paws and amazing stunts at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. every Thursday through Sunday. Plan your visit to make sure you don't miss out on the fun!

Jumping for Joy! Happy Hollow Park & Zoo Welcomes Two Baby Red-Ruffed Lemurs

Happy Hollow Park & Zoo's red ruffed lemur pair, Ally and Razoky, became first-time parents on the Friday of Mother's Day weekend. The two male pups are doing well and already showing their adventurous side.


Happy Hollow Foundation's annual report celebrates another year of partnership with Happy Hollow Park & Zoo! Please enjoy reading all the ways our community of donors supports our shared mission of promoting education, conservation and play.

Happy Hollow offers NGSS-based programs for PK through 6th grade classes, and can customize programs for older students. Classes can take place in your classroom, on-site at Happy Hollow or by Zoom. Check out all the options, then contact our Zoo Education team to make your reservation. Scholarships are available for Title I schools.

4worldlovers: Nestled between the Santa Cruz Mountains and the Diablo Range at the southern edge of San Jose, lies the stunning Coyote Valley. As our top conservation priority, it encompasses a unique combination of nature’s benefits such as floodplains, local water supply, wildlife connectivity, agriculture, recreation, and more.

Coyote Valley offers a rare opportunity to connect over one million acres of core habitat in the surrounding mountains, creating a Landscape Linkage allowing species to disperse, migrate, and shift ranges in response to climate change. With California’s prolonged droughts and more frequent flooding and wildfires, protecting and restoring Coyote Valley's natural benefits is the smartest long-term investment we can make together for the health and sustainability of our region, especially in the face of a changing climate.

The Authority, through an innovative partnership with Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) and the City of San Jose, has protected 1,000 acres of open space in North Coyote Valley, creating the North Coyote Valley Conservation Area. As identified in the Coyote Valley Landscape Linkage vision, protection of the North Coyote Valley is a key link in connecting wildlife habitats, providing opportunities to restore natural floodplains and improve water quality, and helping to build a climate resilient future for the residents of the 10th largest city in the nation.

Recognizing the importance of protecting nature for the benefits it provides our communities, this landmark transaction pulled together funding from the Authority’s Measure Q, San Jose’s Measure T, and POST, with support from multiple local and state agencies to take the first step towards a re-imagined and greener future for Coyote Valley and put an end to sprawl in the Santa Clara Valley.

4worldlovers: Did you know that you could survey for bats using acoustic detectors that record echolocation calls? The calls are unique to each species so it's a valuable non-invasive technique to survey for bats. This year, the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay NWR was part of the North American Bat Monitoring Program. Staff from Bat Conservation International deployed a single recorder for one week at Bair Island and recorded two bat species: the Hoary Bat (Lasiurus cinereus) and the Brazilian free-tailed Bat (Tadarida brasiliensis). Bats play an important role in the ecosystem by consuming insects and pollinating plants. To learn more about bats, visit the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service story about bats and Bat Conservation International (batcon.org).

Mallard Slough Trail and sections of Alviso Slough Trail are Closed due to construction at Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge in Alviso California. South San Francisco Bay Shoreline Project (Phase I) between the Alviso Slough/Guadalupe River and Coyote Creek is underway.


For more information see the South San Francisco Bay Shoreline Fact Sheet


In the heart of California's high-tech industry lies a wildlife oasis in an urban sea with 30,000 acres of habitat for millions of migratory birds and endangered species. Established in 1972 through local activism, the refuge provides not only critical habitat for threatened and endangered species, but opportunities for people to enjoy the benefits of nature.


We are so excited to welcome your campers back for another year of Marsh-In Summer Camp at Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge. This is the 44th year of free Summer Camp being offered to Bay Area youth entering Grades 1-6. Campers will have the opportunity to learn, complete fun self-guided activities, interact with Refuge Rangers & Biologists, learn to fish, explore the Refuge in Fremont, and much more!


Applications are due on June 9th. Here is the application link: https://forms.gle/cq6vCc9uYtM37ddR6. The form provides the rest of the camp details.


Please reach out to summercamp@sfbayws.org if you have any questions.


Sits on the southern end of San Francisco Bay. It is indeed a wildlife oasis in an urban sea. The refuge, created in 1972, was largely the result of grassroots efforts by the local community to protect the San Francisco Bay ecosystem. Today, it provides not only critical habitat for threatened and endangered species, but opportunities for people to enjoy the benefits of nature.


Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge was established to preserve and enhance wildlife habitat; protect migratory birds and threatened and endangered species; and provide opportunities for wildlife-oriented recreation and nature study for the surrounding communities.


Fifteen habitat types exist on the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge, contributing to the diversity of wildlife on the refuge. More than 340 plant species and 280 species of birds call the refuge home, and millions of individual birds fly through the area during peak migrations. In addition to plants and birds, the refuge provides habitat for fish, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates!

4worldlovers:
Welcome to Calero County Park, one of Santa Clara County's most diverse regional park and recreation areas. Once part of the Pueblo lands of San Jose, and Rancho San Vincente land grant, this approximate 4,471 acre park is nestled in the eastern foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Two distinct areas define this park: the reservoir, which offers a host of water-oriented recreational activities, and the adjoining "back country" which reveals to the visitor California Oak woodland, chaparral, riparian plant communities and associated wildlife habitats. During the months of March, April and May the "back country" offers a spectacular display of wildflowers. In addition, the park offers breathtaking views of southern Santa Clara County and the surrounding Santa Cruz Mountain Range. Enjoy your visit today, and return again to experience the diversity of Calero County Park.


The boat launch area and the park entrance/trail head are located off McKean Road. Traveling to the boat launch area from Central San Jose, take Almaden Expressway south to Harry Road. Turn right onto Harry Road; then left onto McKean Road. The reservoir is on the right; about three miles south of Harry Road. Traveling to the park on southbound Highway 101, exit Bailey Ave (Exit 373) and turn right. Head west on Bailey Ave until you reach McKean Rd. Turn right and continue about 0.5 miles and the entrance to the reservoir will be on your left. Traveling on northbound Highway 101, exit Bailey Ave (Exit 373) and turn left onto Bailey Ave heading west. Continue on Bailey Ave until you reach McKean Rd and make a right. In 0.5 miles is the entrance to the reservoir.

To reach the trailhead staging area and access to the 18.9 miles of trails, follow the directions above but at Bailey Ave and McKean Rd turn left onto McKean Rd (southbound) and continue 0.5 miles to the park entrance on your right.

The reservoir is open year-round to both power and non-power vessels. Power boating, sailing, fishing, water-skiing and jet-skiing are all activities for which Calero Reservoir is ideally suited. Two sites near the water's edge include picnic tables and barbecues, and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. A reservable group picnic area is also available. Group picnic and boating reservations can be made online at Go Outside and Play or call (408) 355-2201.

The back country offers 18.9 miles of trails available to hikers and equestrians. At the trailhead is a large staging area , which can accommodate vehicle and equestrian parking and is adjacent to the park office. Bicyclists can now enjoy the 0.5-mile segment of the Serpentine Loop Trail that connects to Longwall Canyon Trail in the Open Space Authority’s Cañada del Oro Open Space Preserve. All users will now be able to use trails that connect these two parks.

Dogs on leash will be allowed on Bald Peaks Trail and all trails north of Bald Peaks Trail.

First-come, first-served picnic sites with barbeques are available. This area may be reserved for organized events and gatherings. Arrangements can be made with park staff for a wide range of interpretive programs and outdoor projects.

Mercury has been found to accumulate in Calero Reservoir at levels that make the fish from Calero Reservoir unsafe to eat.

The nearby Almaden Valley area of Santa Clara County was once the site of quicksilver (mercury) mining. Sediments containing mercury have been deposited in some of the local reservoirs. Over time, the mercury in the sediment may have been converted to methyl mercury by naturally occurring bacteria. Methyl mercury is absorbed by aquatic plants and fish, and subsequently by humans who may eat the contaminated fish. If you have any questions regarding mercury and its effects, please contact the County's Environmental Health Services, (408) 918-3400

The park is open year-round from 8 a.m. until sunset. The reservoir use hours are 8 a.m. until 30 minutes before sunset. Reservoir and vehicle use fees are collected daily. Launch and entry fees are posted at the kiosk. There is no fee for parking at the trailhead staging area.

In compliance with the requirements of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 ('ADA'),the Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Department will not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities on the basis of disability in its programs, services, or activities. The Department will make reasonable modifications to policies and programs to ensure that people with disability have an equal opportunity to enjoy our programs, services, facilities, and activities. If you need assistance with an ADA request, please contact our ADA Coordinator.