Finally! It’s been way too long since I’ve been able to get out on a simple local dayhike, but today was the day. After last week’s nasty storms it felt great to get out under the clear blue sky and bright sun. Today’s destination was Almaden Quicksilver County Park, a unique park with as much for the history buff as the hiking enthusiast.
Almaden Quicksilver contains the remnants of mining sites and structures that were active (and very profitable) during the California Gold Rush. These mines didn’t mine gold, however; they mined the mercury needed for extracting the gold that was being mined in the Sierra and southern mountain ranges.
Now, the park has several entrances and a large selection of trails to choose from. This was my third visit to the park, and I haven’t had to retrace any steps from a previous visit. There are still many parts of the park I still have to explore, but its close proximity means I’ll be back.
Today’s hike included visits to the remains of the Senador and Enciendas mines, along with a walk along the Almaden Reservoir.
