Outdoors
Day-use and picnic areas near Santa Clara on public land, from quick drives to full-day outings.
Good to know: Group picnic sites can often be reserved; fire rules change with the season, so check before bringing a grill.
Contra Loma Dam and reservoir are part of the Central Valley Project - Delta Division and offers recreational opportunities for the East Bay area near San Francisco.
Kirby Cove is located just north of the Golden Gate Bridge at historic Battery Kirby. Visitors are awarded breathtaking views of San Francisco, its famous Golden Gate Bridge, and the rugged Pacific Coast of northern California.
The Bay Model was built in 1957 as a research tool to test the impact of proposed changes to San Francisco Bay and its related waterways.
The San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge located in Stanislaus County encompasses more than 7,300 acres of riparian woodlands, wetlands, and grasslands that host a diversity of wildlife native to California’s Great Central Valley.
Recreation facilities at San Luis Lake were constructed under a cost-share agreement between the Bureau of Reclamation and the State of Colorado during the late 1980s and early 1990s.
San Justo Dam and Reservoir are features of the San Felipe Project. The reservoir is approximately 3 miles southwest of Hollister, California . Facilities open for use Wednesday through Sunday. Operation hours: sunrise to sunset.
Experience a park so rich it supports 19 distinct ecosystems with over 2,000 plant and animal species.
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary is one of the most spectacular marine protected areas. This sanctuary also has one of the largest underwater canyons and closest-to-shore deep ocean environments.
O'Neill Dam and Forebay are joint Federal-State facilities located on San Luis Creek 2.5 miles downstream from San Luis Dam. O'Neill Forebay Dam is a feature of the Central Valley Project - San Joaquin Division - San Luis Unit .
The Los Banos Dam and Reservoir are on Los Banos Creek above the San Luis Canal, near Los Banos, California. The dam and reservoir are features on the Central Valley Project - San Luis Unit .
Nestled between Blue Ridge and Cedar Roughs east of Napa Valley, Lake Berryessa provides ample public recreation opportunities.
Distances are straight-line miles from downtown Santa Clara. Listings come from Recreation.gov’s federal recreation database; check each official page for hours, fees, fire restrictions and closures before you go.
Contra Loma Reservoir (Bureau of Reclamation), about 43 miles north of Santa Clara as the crow flies. Next are Kirby Cove Campground (44 mi) and S F Bay Model Regional Visitor Center (44 mi).
Based on Santa Clara’s average highs, February–November. Conditions at higher elevations can be much cooler.
Federal agencies including Bureau of Reclamation, National Park Service, US Army Corps of Engineers. Each listing links to its official page for hours, fees, closures and current conditions.