sbay.org Home About sbay.org Presentations Forums Mail Lists Social Events SBAY Pizza Interest Groups Linux Picnic  Stratofox SVWUX

SBAY Geek Ride Los Alamitos Creek Trail [back up to the SBAY Geek Ride] This page contains directions to sbay.org's Geek Ride when it is held on the Los Alamitos Creek Trail in the Almaden Valley of South San Jose. The trail begins at the Almaden Light Rail Station, goes through Almaden Lake Park and follows Los Alamitos Creek. The bike route runs over an easy paved bike/pedestrian trail while following Los Alamitos Creek, running to a somewhat uneven dirt equestrian/bike trail. The road can get VERY rough if the group decides to go up into Santa Teresa County Park. Road bikes are usable along the paved creek trail, along with rollerblades, although several bumpy/dirty streches exist. Variations on this route can run about 8-15 miles. By default the route comes back to the starting point at the Almaden light rail station. But if everyone in the group has a mountain bike and wants a more aggressive course, the route can go over the hills through Santa Teresa County Park and end at the Santa Teresa Light Rail Station. The SBAY Geek Ride used this route for August 2000 and March 2001. See an overview of this route at Ian Kluft's web page on "Cycling in the Almaden Valley".

Select the map to get to VTA's bikeways map:

GPS Coordinates:

If you have a GPS receiver, enter this as a waypoint in order to get a direction pointer and enroute distances.

• Latitude: 37 degrees 14.669 minutes North (37° 14' 40.1" N)
• Longitude: 121 degrees 52.237 minutes West (121° 52' 14.2" W)

These coordinates will put you between the tail tracks on the Almaden Light Rail Station platform.

Via Public Transportation:

• VTA Light Rail: Unless you already have a pass (such as an Eco-Pass), purchase a ticket at the station before boarding the trolley. Bikes board at the center of each light rail car - the doors have bicycle symbols next to them. There are four bike racks per car and room for two more cyclists to hold their bikes. Stay in the center/turntable area of the car.
  • From Willow Glen, Downtown or North San Jose: Depending on the boarding point, allow 15-60 minutes for trolley travel each way. Take the Guadalupe Light Rail line, southbound to the Ohlone/Chynoweth light rail station in South San Jose.
  • From South San Jose and the Coyote Valley: Depending on the boarding point, allow 10-20 minutes for trolley travel each way. Take the Guadalupe Light Rail line, northbound to the Ohlone/Chynoweth light rail station in South San Jose.
  • From Mountain View, Sunnyvale and Santa Clara: Depending on the boarding point, allow 60-90 minutes for trolley travel each way. Take the Tasman Light Rail line eastbound to the Baypointe light rail station in North San Jose. Change trolley to the Guadalupe Light Rail line, southbound to the Ohlone/Chynoweth light rail station in South San Jose.
  Once at the Ohlone/Chynoweth light rail station, wait on the southbound platform for an "Almaden Shuttle" trolley and board it. Take the Almaden Shuttle to the Almaden Station (two stops away at the end of the line.)

• VTA Bus: the following routes operate on Sunday afternoons.
  • VTA Bus Route 13: Ohlone/Chynoweth to Almaden Valley
  • VTA Bus Route 27: Santa Teresa Hospital - West Valley College (stops at Blossom Hill and Almaden Expwy)
  • VTA Bus Route 64: Almaden Light Rail Station to Alum Rock
  • VTA Bus Route 65: Almaden Light Rail Station to San Jose State University (last return trip at 6:05PM)

From Downtown San Jose:

• Take Hwy 87 (Guadalupe Parkway) southbound
• Exit at Santa Teresa Blvd at the Hwy 85 junction.
• Continue straight southbound on Santa Teresa past Blossom Hill Road.
• Turn right at Coleman Blvd. (This road has no relation to Coleman Ave near the airport.)
• After passing the traffic light at Winfield, turn right at the next traffic light (before the bridge), which has no street name marked. This road is the entrance to the Almaden Light Rail Station and Park & Ride lot.
• You'll be facing the light rail's tail tracks (end of the line). Turn left into the parking lot.

From Santa Clara, Sunnyvale and North San Jose:

• Take US-101 or North First Street to Hwy 87 (Guadalupe Parkway) southbound. (From US-101, this is also the exit for San Jose International Airport.)
• Continue southbound on Hwy 87 to downtown.
• Continue with the directions from Downtown San Jose shown above.

From Milpitas, Berryessa and East San Jose:

• Take I-680 southbound until it ends at the I-280/US-101 interchange.
• Continue straight - the freeway changes names to I-280 northbound.
• Exit at Hwy 87 southbound.
• Continue with the directions from Downtown San Jose shown above.

From the West Valley (Los Gatos, Campbell, Saratoga, Cupertino, West San Jose and southern Sunnyvale):

• Take Hwy 85 "Southbound" toward Hwy 87. (Your compass or GPS will say it's eastbound and it's right.)
• Exit at Almaden Expressway southbound.
• Turn left on Coleman Blvd. (This road has no relation to Coleman Ave near the airport.)
• You'll immediately cross over Almaden Lake on a short bridge. Turn left at the next traffic light (just after the bridge), which has no street name marked. This road is the entrance to the Almaden Light Rail Station and Park & Ride lot.
• You'll be facing the light rail's tail tracks (end of the line). Turn left into the parking lot.

From Fremont and the East Bay:

• Take I-880 southbound until it ends at the I-280/Hwy 17 interchange.
• Continue straight - the freeway changes names to Hwy 17 southbound.
• Exit at Hwy 85 southbound.
• Continue with the directions from the West Valley listed above.

From Los Altos, Mountain View and the San Francisco Peninsula:

• From the peninsula, use I-280 or US-101 southbound.
• Take Hwy 85 southbound.
• Once past I-280 on southbound Hwy 85, continue with the directions from the West Valley listed above.

From South San Jose and the Coyote Valley:

• Take Hwy 85 "Northbound" toward Hwy 87. (Your compass or GPS will say it's westbound and it's right.)
• Exit at Santa Teresa Blvd at the Hwy 87 interchange.
• Turn left (southbound) on Santa Teresa and continue past Blossom Hill Road.
• Turn right at Coleman Blvd. (This road has no relation to Coleman Ave near the airport.)
• After passing the traffic light at Winfield, turn right at the next traffic light (before the bridge), which has no street name marked. This road is the entrance to the Almaden Light Rail Station and Park & Ride lot.
• You'll be facing the light rail's tail tracks (end of the line). Turn left into the parking lot.

Last updated: July 31, 2006