Motorcycle - the County of Santa Clara

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COUNTY
OF
Motorcycle
SA
COUNTY OF SANTA CLARA
Regional Parks and Recreation Areas
E
A
12:47 PM
1850
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9/29/11
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Motorcycle Broch:Motorcycle Broch
TA C LA
L E G E N D
To Monterey Rd. & U.S. 101
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registration. All OHV’s must also have a U.S. Forest Service approved spark arrestor
and meet sound regulations.
2. All riders must wear a helmet while starting, sitting on, or operating any OHV.
TRA
IL 3
Goggles, boots, knee/elbow guards and chest protectors are highly recommended.
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Private Property
1. All OHV’s (off-highway vehicles) must have a current off-highway or street legal
00
3. Persons under age 18 operating an ATV/ATC must be in possession of a current
ATV Training Certificate. Other regulations apply for riders under age 14 and for
riders between the ages of 14 and 17. For more information, contact the park office.
4. Alcoholic beverages are prohibited on park premises.
5. Riders may operate on designated trails and OHV facilities only. All trails and
track traffic are one-way.
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1150
6. The speed limit in the parking area is 5 MPH.
7. No stopping on trails. If you must stop, move off to one side of the trail and
select a stopping point where you are clearly visible to other riders.
50
0 FEET
8. Off Road motorcycles under 80cc engine size are not allowed on the main
200 FEET
500 FEET
1000 FEET
1320 FEET
950
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Fence
FOR YOUR SAFETY
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10
Creek
Note: Park may be closed during inclement weather.
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Gate
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Elevation Contours (feet)
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Tracks
The park is open Thursday through Monday and closed on Tuesdays and
Wednesdays. Hours vary seasonally, call park office, (408) 226-5223 to
obtain current park hours.
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Expert Trails (Motorcycles Only)
BEGINNER’S/
NOVICE
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Public Telephone
Two Lane Paved Road
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Restrooms
Picnic Area
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Service Road
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Ranger Station/Visitor Center
Phone: (408) 226-5223
SCALE
.25 MILES
Motocross Track.
9. ATV’s are allowed on the main trails (not black diamond) and on the GP & ATV
750
Track.
10. Red sticker riding regulations will apply accordingly.
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RIDE AT YOUR OWN RISK AND WEAR REQUIR ED
SAFETY EQUIPMENT
Off-highway vehicle use may be hazardous. Use of protective apparel, skill
levels, vehicle condition, terrain, weather, common sense and following the
park rules, all affect your safety.
Page 2
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County of Santa Clara
COUNTY
OF
SA
Motorcycle
E
A
12:47 PM
1850
R
9/29/11
TH
Motorcycle Broch:Motorcycle Broch
TA C LA
Parks and Recreation Department
298 Garden Hill Drive
Los Gatos, California 95032-7669
(408) 355-2200
Reservations: (408) 355-2201
51
1500-13 REV 1/05
Printed on recycled paper.
WELCOME
FEES
NATURAL DIVERSITY
Welcome to Motorcycle County Park, the County park system’s only off-road
vehicle park. This 459 acre park is located in the grass covered hills of south
east Santa Clara Valley. Motorcycle County Park offers trails for the advanced
and beginner motorcyclist and ATV rider. In addition to the 20 miles of dirt
trails, there are 6 different types of tracks, picnic areas and restroom facilities.
Fees are subject to change, call park office at (408) 226-5223 to confirm current fee rates.
Motorcycle County Park is sited on rolling to steeply sloping hills, with
elevations between 285 to 1357 feet above sea level. Soils are mainly clay
loam with igneous or serpentine parent material. The park receives an average
of sixteen inches of rain per year.
HOW TO GET THERE
The park entrance is located at 300 Metcalf Road in San Jose. The park may
be accessed from the Bernal Road exit off Highways 101 and 85. From the
Bernal Road exit, proceed west about 0.2 miles to Monterey Highway south.
Take Monterey Highway south 1.25 miles to Metcalf Road. Turn left and
proceed up Metcalf Road 2.5 miles to the park entrance.
(note: Annual passes may be available. For more information, inquire at the
park office or call the park office at the number noted above).
PARK RULES
Your cooperation is requested in the important task of helping maintain the
beauty and orderliness of the park by observing the following general rules:
Vehicles: For the visitor’s safety, motorists must observe posted
speed limits. Vehicles are allowed on established
roadways and parking areas only.
Pets: Dogs and other pets are prohibited except in designat-
ACTIVITIES
ed areas and must be controlled on a 6-foot (or less)
leash.
Garbage: Place in receptacles provided. Recycling is encouraged.
Motorcycle Park’s 459 acres contains over twenty miles of OHV trail and
tracks. Straddling a thousand foot high ridge, these park trails afford riders
vistas ranging from Gilroy to San Francisco. The park facilities include:
Fires: Permitted in designated fire and barbecue pits only.
No fires on open ground. No wood fires. No wood
gathering.
• Motocross competition track, T.T. Track, G.P. Track, A.T.V. Track and Oval Track
Weapons: Firearms, air guns, archery equipment and paintball
• Mini-motocross track (100cc two stroke engine size or 150cc four stroke
engine size or less)
guns are prohibited.
Alcohol: Prohibited in the park.
• Beginner’s oval track, 12 miles of main trails (beginners/intermediate)
Helmets: To be worn at all times while on vehicle.
• 8 miles of single track enduro (expert) trails
• One hill climb area
Spark Arrestors: U.S. Forest Service approved spark arrestors are
required for all vehicles.
• Shaded picnic areas, restrooms, visitor center, drink vending machines
TRAIL MARKINGS
SPECIAL EVENTS
Marathons, Hare Scrambles and M/X races have been held at the park by
promoters in the past. Any person interested in holding a special event,
please contact the County Parks Administration Office at 355-2200.
All trails are one way. Proper direction of travel and trail dificulty will be
indicated on carsonite posts and will appear as follows:
WRONG
DIRECTION
RIGHT
DIRECTION
N
N= Expert
G
= Intermediate
Trail Difficulty Symbols
G = Beginner
Motorcycle County Park may be home to several species of endangered plant
and animal species including the California red legged frog, bay checkerspot
butterfly, Metcalf Canyon jewelflower, Santa Clara dudleya, and the Mount
Hamilton thistle. Most of the endangered plant species are found in the serpentine soil habitats. These habitats have been identified and the County
Parks Department is committed to preserving these areas by restricting new
trail development, while closing some trails in these sensitive habitat areas.
The Department is also in the process of implementing an ongoing erosion
and sedimentation control program for the park.
CULTURAL HISTORY
The Ohlone Indians lived around Coyote Creek and the surrounding hills for
more than 3,000 years prior to the arrival of the Spanish in the late 18th
century. The Ohlones probably utilized the area for hunting and gathering.
• A 1/20th mile paved oval track operated by the Baylands Quarter Midget
Racing Association, for quarter midget racing and practice.
In addition to a restroom building, there are picnic tables with some
barbeques, located at several locations. The park offers a hot catering trailer
on Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm (Burger Man). No tools
will be loaned from the office.
There are three dominant plant communities within the park which include
grassland, chapparal and oak riparian woodland. The grassland comprises
about 60% of the park and contains mainly exotic grasses such as wild oats.
The grasslands include some native perennial grasses such as Purple
Needlegrass. The grasslands support an amazing assortment of wildflowers
which may be seen in the spring and summer. Some of the more prominent
species include the Mariposa lily, blow wives, goldfields, yarrow and
California poppy. Chapparal, which is primarily comprised of chamise and
sage species, covers about 26% of the park. The oak riparian woodland is
found in the drainage swales and seasonal creeks, comprising roughly 13% of
the park area.
Most of the park falls within the historic boundaries of the Rancho Refugio de la
Laguna Seca, with small portions fall within the Rancho Yerba Buena y Socare
and Pueblo Tract III. Rancho Laguna Seca, meaning “dry lake” included almost
20,000 acres, ranging from today’s Metcalf Road south to Morgan Hill, incorporating the valley and surrounding foothills. The rancho was granted to Juan
Alvirez in 1834 by Governor Figueroa, the Mexican governor of Alta California.
William Fisher, born in England in 1810, arrived in Massachusetts as a young
man and left for Baja California in 1830 as a mate on a sailing vessel. He settled
in San Jose, Baja California, where he owned a vessel and navigated upon the
Gulf of California. William Fisher married Liberata Cesena in Mexico and eventually raised four sons and two daughters. At a public auction in April of 1842,
he purchased Rancho Laguna Seca for $6,000 and four years later erected an
adobe on the current site of Coyote Ranch, part of Santa Clara County Park’s
Coyote Creek Parkway near Metcalf Road and Monterey Highway. At the
rancho, FIsher engaged in cattle and stockraising until his death in 1850.
One of Willam’s sons, Fiacro C. Fisher, born on the ranch in 1850, continued
ranching on the 2,600 acre farm while caring for his mother. By 1876, much of
the ranch was parcelized, with the Fishers retaining most of the northern
portion of the original rancho around Coyote Station including the original
homestead. The ranch was reported to be one of the most productive grain
farms in the valley. Most of the ranch was devoted to hay, grain and pasture.
The Thompson and West Atlas of Santa Clara County, published in 1876,
shows a man named Dan Rola owning 1,865 acres in the Motorcycle Park area.
Fiacro Fisher received his primary education at local County schools and attended Santa Clara University for two years. After school, he worked as a foreman
for Daniel Murphy, another pioneer of Santa Clara County, who owned much
land in and around Morgan Hill and Gilroy. Fiacro also ran the family ranch
while, in 1877, taking charge of the Hill and Murphy ranches in Nevada as
General Manager until 1894. After 1894, he turned to cultivating and improving
the Fisher Ranch (Coyote Ranch) property consisting of about 1,300 acres.
Fiacro built the Coyote Ranch house which is located on Coyote Ranch Road
on County park property, currently leased for catered group picnics.
In 1917 the Motorcycle Park area was deeded from Oliver and Amy
Blanchard to Maria Ramelli which became the Ramelli Ranch Company. The
land which would eventually include Motorcycle Park was acquired by the
County in 1971 from Roland Ramelli, a total of 914 acres. In 1972, 14 acres
were deeded to the State of California for the South Valley Freeway (US 101).
In 1976, 207 acres were traded to United Technology Corporation (UTC) for a
98 acre parcel which became Field Sports Park. Six of these 98 acres were
deeded to the state for the freeway. In 1974, the County transferred 227 acres
to the County Parks Department for the establishment of Motorcycle Park. In
1982, an additional 215 acres were added.
The Central County Safety Committee operated the park and subleased it to
the South County Micro Midget Racing Association and then the Baylands
Quarter Midget Racing Association. In 1988, the Safety Council declared
bankruptcy, and the park was temporarily closed due to insurance problems.
In 1988, the County Parks Department secured funding from a State of
California Off-Highway Vehicle Grant which was used to make major
improvements, including a parking lot, signage and fencing. The park
reopened under the auspices of the Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation
Department in 1990.
A Micro Midget
speeds down the back
stretch on the Metcalf
Raceway Park clay
oval, 1986.