Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve
Los Gatos, Santa Clara County, CA
- Size
- 6,620 acres Source
About Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve
The largest of the open space lands that Midpen manages, Sierra Azul Preserve protects more than 19,000 acres of wilderness in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Overlooking the Lexington Reservoir, Los Gatos and southern neighborhoods of San Jose, the preserve encompasses much of the Sierra Azul range and its foothills - topped by the 3,486-foot peak of Mount Umunhum .
Facilities
- Drinking Water
- Historic Site
- Picnic Area
- Restrooms
- Tennis Courts
Facility details: OpenStreetMap, official park information
Sunrise & sunset
Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve hours follow the sun (Sunrise to sunset ±30 min). Mid-month times for this location:
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7:20 a.m. | 5:12 p.m. |
| Feb | 6:57 a.m. | 5:46 p.m. |
| Mar | 7:20 a.m. | 7:14 p.m. |
| Apr | 6:34 a.m. | 7:41 p.m. |
| May | 5:59 a.m. | 8:07 p.m. |
| Jun | 5:46 a.m. | 8:28 p.m. |
| Jul | 5:58 a.m. | 8:28 p.m. |
| Aug | 6:23 a.m. | 8:01 p.m. |
| Sep | 6:48 a.m. | 7:17 p.m. |
| Oct | 7:14 a.m. | 6:32 p.m. |
| Nov | 6:46 a.m. | 4:59 p.m. |
| Dec | 7:13 a.m. | 4:51 p.m. |
Calculated from the park's coordinates (NOAA solar equations), Pacific time.
Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve at a glance
- PParking · 4: Jaques Ridge parking area, Sierra Azul, Kennedy Trail parking (2 spaces)
- WCRestrooms · 4
- WDrinking water · 1
- Named trails · 8
Outline: CPAD. Points and trail lines: OpenStreetMap contributors. Not for navigation.
Trails
| Trail | Mapped length | Elevation | Surface & uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Woods Trail | 6.3 mi | 2,477 ft up & down1,278–2,977 ft | UnpavedBikesHorsesNo dogs |
| Kennedy Trail | 5.2 mi | 2,675 ft up & down797–2,900 ft | UnpavedBikesHorses |
| Limekiln Trail | 4.3 mi | 2,424 ft up & down720–2,858 ft | UnpavedBikesHorses |
| Mount Umunhum Trail | 3.8 mi | 1,113 ft up & down2,309–3,469 ft | UnpavedBikesHorsesNo dogs |
| Priest Rock Trail | 2.6 mi | 1,657 ft up & down1,223–2,619 ft | UnpavedBikesHorses |
| Barlow Road | 1.9 mi | 1,048 ft up & down1,751–2,421 ft | UnpavedBikesHorses |
| Bald Mountain Trail | 0.7 mi | 148 ft up & down2,322–2,389 ft | BikesNo horsesUnpaved |
| Reynolds Road | 0.4 mi | 241 ft up & down2,269–2,512 ft |
Trail names and mapped lengths come from OpenStreetMap; lengths count only the part inside the park boundary. Up-and-down totals (climbing plus descent, one way) and elevation ranges are estimates from USGS 3DEP elevation (about 15 m grid) sampled along the mapped line. Use the official guide map for the route and current closures.
Rules & reservations
Official park page- Dogs
Leash 6 feet or shorter; dogs are not allowed in any Midpen water areas (district rules). Source
Open a half-hour before sunrise until a half-hour after sunset. The Mount Umunhum area opens at 7 a.m.; its entrance gate closes at sunset.
Map & directions
Nearby parks
Straight-line distanceContinue exploring
Santa Clara County parks Parks in Los GatosSources & verification
Last verified: Oct 15, 2026- California Protected Areas Database (CPAD) 2026aname, county, agency, access, acres
- Midpen preserve pageofficial_url, hours, hours_note, dogs, facilities.restrooms
- Midpen visitor FAQ (no entry or parking fees)fees
- Midpen dog access rulesdogs
- OpenStreetMap facilities and trailsfacilities.drinking-water, facilities.historic-site, facilities.picnic-area, facilities.tennis-court, trails
- U.S. Census Bureau place boundaries (nearest place)city
- OpenStreetMap: parking, restrooms, water, trailheads, trail lines, and bus stopsvisit
- Terrain Tiles elevation (USGS 3DEP), sampled every 20 m along OpenStreetMap trail linestrails.elevation
- Official park page (introduction excerpt)intro