View Vasona Lake County Park - September 2012 in a larger map
What
- Lake
- Biking
- Hiking
- Boating
- Fishing
- Canadian Geese
- Playground for kids
More Info
- $6/car parking fee
- Several parking lots in the park and ample parking space
- Restrooms at several places in the park
- Boat rentals are $10 for 30 minutes and $15 for 60 minutes; Credit cards accepted
- No swimming permitted in the lake
- Several BBQ pits and picnic benches in the park
On a
warm Saturday afternoon, a bunch of us went to the Vasona Lake County Park. As
we were driving on CA 17 freeway, we saw glimpses of the beautiful lake to the
right, glittering in the sunlight. After paying at the park entrance, we drove
past the playground area for kids and parked the car in the parking lot next to
the lake. There are multiple parking lots inside the Vasona Lake County Park.
Vasona Lake, with the iconic bridge |
There
is a kayak rental place just next to the parking lot and the undisturbed lake
was just so beautiful that we couldn’t resist the temptation to kayak on the
lake. A small island in one corner of the lake is home to several birds.
There
are several picnic benches and BBQ pits in the park and the meadows are ideal
to relax while enjoying the peaceful lake. The popular Los Gatos Creek Trail
runs along the Vasona Lake and one can also walk on the iconic red bridge that
runs across the lake.
Creek with Canadian Geese |
We
walked from the kayak rental place to the Oak Meadow Park, which took us about
15minutes. On the way, we stopped at the Creek Lot, where the water is so
shallow that one can jump into the water to get his/her feet wet. Several kids
were playing around in the creek and all of us jumped into the creek, which was
occupied by a gaggle of Canadian geese. It was so much fun!
Billy Jones Train |
After
playing in the creek for a few minutes, we continued walking to the Billy Jones
Train Station of the Oak Meadow Park and took the 10min train ride around the
park. There is also a carousel right next to the train ticket booth. We snacked
on one of the picnic benches nearby, relaxed on the green meadows and called it
a day.
Tips
- Park the car in one of the parks, either Vasona or Oak Meadow and you can walk to the other one. Separate parking fee for both the parks
- Christmas lights are put up in Vasona from the end of November to the end of December. Click here for more information
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