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John Nicholas Trailhead in Sanborn County Park
4.9 ★★★★★ 135 Google reviews · Running trail in Los Gatos, California · Posted hours
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Natural surface
- Distance
- Not reported
- Shape
- Not reported
- Shade
- Tree cover
- Access
- Posted hours
Confirmed from John Nicholas Trailhead in Sanborn County Park's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
Popular site for hiking and mountain biking, featuring mostly shaded trails, and a reservoir.
What runners say about John Nicholas Trailhead in Sanborn County Park
“It's a beautiful trail, especially right now due to the blooming wildflowers.”
“It's shady and an easy trek.”
Beautiful trail, very well maintained, deep in the forest. I'm relatively new to MTB and found it easy from the tech ical point of view, although the downhill section is definitely not for someone who is completely untrained on riding position and braking
All pullouts within a quarter mile of the trail entrance have been posted with No Parking signs, leaving room for only about 4-5 cars. This severely limits access to the trail for any hiker that can't leg it up from Lower Sanborn or down from Skyline.
Exhilarating! Gorgeous! Great for a hike, jog, run or ride! Come remind yourself just how small you are in this incredible world.
Great for biking but not so much for hiking. Trail is nice fire road switching to a single track after the lake and starts to climb up the mountain. Nice Bridges and views along the way. Top connects to Skyline trail.
Trail conditions & character
“All pullouts within a quarter mile of the trail entrance have been posted with No Parking signs, leaving room for only about 4-5 cars.”
“The pay off is the view from the top (reference pic) and the down hill jam session.”
“Then the trail turns left just after the pond and meanders uphill for an elevation gain of 1000 ft to a bench near skyline.”
“By the way i did get a warning for not having my sisters dog on the leash.”
“The trail head is on Black Rd, and is relatively flat for the first mile or two to a pond.”
“Trail is nice fire road switching to a single track after the lake and starts to climb up the mountain.”
Plan your run at John Nicholas Trailhead in Sanborn County Park
The practical stuff
- AccessPosted hours — posted hours below; park gates sometimes close earlier than the listing says
- SurfaceNatural surface — easiest on the joints and the most fun, but expect roots, rocks and mud after rain
- DistanceNot reported. Trail systems often quote total path mileage rather than a single loop, so measure the route you actually want before you drive out.
- ShadeRunners describe real tree cover here — it makes a summer afternoon workable
- At the trailheadparking — reported by runners
- DogsWelcome, per reviewers. Leash rules vary by park — the trailhead sign is the authority.
- Trail mapOfficial trail map
- Websiteridgetrail.org
- Social Instagram · Facebook
Hours
| Monday | 7 AM–8 PM |
| Tuesday | 7 AM–8 PM |
| Wednesday | 7 AM–8 PM |
| Thursday | 7 AM–8 PM |
| Friday | 7 AM–8 PM |
| Saturday | 7 AM–8 PM |
| Sunday | 7 AM–8 PM |
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