Los Gatos Creek Trail is located on East Main Street near CA-17. Hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, and dog walking were popular on these trails. We parked on Park Avenue and did not see restrooms near the trail head. My cell phone service was strong while in the park.
We hiked a four mile counter-clockwise loop with a range in elevation of 500 feet.
The trail was smooth and wide enough to support the numerous hikers, trail runners, and mountain bikers.
The first mile and a half was gently sloping and followed the west bank of the Los Gatos Creek.
The slope was steeper starting with the approach to the Lexington Reservoir and then continued that way for the remainder of this loop.
After reaching the reservoir, we walked along the ridge side of the road and followed it to the left.
From there, we entered the St. Joseph’s Lexington Reservoir Park and hiked on the Jones trail. Across from the entrance (seen below) was a boat launch parking lot, which included a portable restroom.
After a short climb, we entered the St. Joseph’s Hill Open Space Preserve.
The trails within the preserve were smooth and wide. At the fork below, we went left on the Jones trail and headed back towards downtown Los Gatos. The trail to the right led to a collection of interconnected loops and the summit of St. Joseph’s Hill.
On our descent, we traveled on the hiker-only Flume trail, which was narrower and shaded because of a late morning shadow.
The trails seemed very well maintained and clear of any debris.
We continued by taking a left at the last fork on our loop and which took us closer to the creek.
The last leg of our hike followed the east bank of the Los Gatos creek and was quieter and more secluded than the west side.
In sum, the trail systems along the Los Gatos Creek and within the St. Joseph’s Hill Preserve were enjoyable and easy to do. After our hike, we had fun walking through a nearby street market.
Two Knobby Tires 