Almaden Valley
Almaden Valley lies between the Santa Cruz Mountains and the Santa Teresa Hills. It takes its name from the New Almaden quicksilver mines, whose hills are now a county park.
Discover Almaden Valley
The Ohlone used the area’s red cinnabar for paint. Mercury was identified here in 1845, and the mines, named for Almadén in Spain, produced from the Gold Rush until 1975. (Wikipedia)
History San José notes that the mines produced more wealth than any California gold mine. By 1865 New Almaden had 1,800 residents in three settlements, the Hacienda, Spanishtown and Englishtown. (History San José)
Casa Grande, built in 1854 for the mine’s manager, now houses the Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum, and the old miners’ boarding house by the creek is a French restaurant. Almaden Quicksilver County Park covers about 4,150 acres of the former mines. (Wikipedia)
Up the valley, Mount Umunhum is topped by a five-story radar tower known as the Cube, and Calero Reservoir is open for boating. (Visit San Jose)
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