Uvas Canyon

Location

Uvas Canyon Park is located at 8515 Croy Road in Morgan Hill. The park can be accessed from Bailey Avenue off of Highway 101 or Almaden Expressway, heading South of San Jose until the Expressway narrows to become a two-lane road. From Bailey Avenue, turn left onto McKean Road, following it 2.4 miles until the clearly marked signs to Uvas Canyon. Turn right onto Uvas Road and travel 3.7 miles until turning right onto Croy Road. You will travel a total of about 4.4 miles on Croy Road, with the final 1.5 miles narrowing as the road narrows to a single lane in some places, making room for the creek on one side and residences and forest land on the other. In the final mile, you will come upon the eerily vacant but quite charming town of Sveadal, a private Swedish-American community. Pass through the town; the entrance to the park is where Croy Road ends, immediately beyond Sveadal. Enter and pay the parking fee, then drive to the day use parking areas or a little further to the campground.

Use Google Maps for directions.

Attractions:

Shady throughout, so ferns, moss, and Miner’s Lettuce grow year round.
Neighboring Swedish community, Sveadal, makes you feel like this parcel of land is lost in time.
This park has a large, well laid out campsite with a large handicapped site. We recommend sites 1, 2, and 3 if you are camping in a larger group; they border the creek (100 feet below) so there is lovely white noise to lull you to sleep.
The park is small but hilly, so even a short hike is a workout.
Lovely waterfalls.
A shallow stream to play in, with some mildly scrambly access points.
Lots of little wooden bridges here.

Limitations:

No dogs or bikes allowed.
Stay on the trails to avoid ticks and poison oak!
The road narrows significantly about a mile before reaching the park. This can feel daunting, with a large drop off to the creek, along that road. Drive carefully!
With the water come a lot of bugs, including mosquitoes.
Watch out for poison oak and stinging nettles near the water.
This park sits in a box canyon, so avoid it at the height of fire season, late in a dry summer.

Season:

Open year round, 8 am to sunset, plus nighttime for campers (you cannot re-enter the park after sunset).

See the note above (Limitations) about the box canyon. This park is best in the Spring and Fall, when ample water make the waterfalls come alive.

Fees:

A parking fee applies, and the rangers are strict about enforcing it.

Maps & More Information:

Handicapped Access:

None of the trails are recommended for handicapped people. Wide paved roads in the park are handicapped accessible, as is the loop at the campground and the wide handicapped camping spot.

Recommended routes:

Waterfall Loop Icon Legend
From the campground or parking area, head uphill and towards the paved access road and bridge above the creek. This Waterfall Loop is one of the best traveled trails at the park, so it is well marked and central. Follow the path as it climbs uphill. You can stay on the wide fire road, or walk closer to the creek on narrower paths. Each waterfall is named and well labeled, and small paths abound allowing you to get closer to the water. The path crosses the creek via bridges a few times – one bridge was washed out and well marked with warnings when we were there in April of 2010; the trail and bridges are typically well maintained and marked. Leave the jogging stroller on the wide fire road (with the brake on) if you’d like to check out Black Rock Falls or Basin Falls; the trail is too narrow for it. Return back the way you came (recommended for a stroller) or head to the other side of Waterfall Loop, which runs largely on either side of the creek valley, once you have reached Upper Falls. Total distance is about 1.5 miles.
Creekside Trail Icon Legend
Creekside Trail: From the main bridge before the campground and where Waterfall Loop’s fireroad begins, you can head down the stairs to the creek, to follow a narrow path towards Sveadal. The path follows the creek where creek access is limited by large rocks and vegetation that includes poison oak, so stay on the trail. As the trail nears the border of the Uvas Canyon Property, the narrow trail climbs up and around a rock outcropping that is precarious for very young children – be careful! Climbing down the other side, you emerge in a lush, green area with beautiful views of another waterfall below, which is accessible with a small beach. Return back the way you came. Total distance is about 0.5 miles.