Alum Rock Park, founded in 1872, was the first municipal park in the U.S. state of California.

Located in a canyon in the Diablo Range foothills on the east side of San Jose, the 720 acre (2.9 km²) park offers 13 miles (21 km) of trails, varying from fairly level along Penitencia Creek to sharp switchbacks climbing to the ridges to the South Rim Trail and the North Rim Trail.

The narrow floor of the canyon includes a visitor center, picnic areas, a playground, and sand volleyball pits.

The ridge trails offer superb views of Santa Clara Valley and of the canyon in which the park is located. Trails in the park also connect to the Bay Area Ridge Trail and the Boccardo Trail, which leads into part of the Santa Clara County Open Space Authority's property.

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