Took my mom on an adventure hike here for the first time for Mother's Day. It was really hot and dry, so make sure you have a hat and plenty of drinking water. Some things we enjoyed along our trail were a herd of cows, various birds you don't see everyday, little lizards, and just overall people watching as families hung out at the picnic area by the lake. Saw people fishing, riding motorbikes, playing volleyball, etc. Really nice park with plenty of wildlife. read more

We attended a 1-year-old's birthday party at Ed R. Levin County Park in Milpitas on June 7, and it was my first visit. I was surprised by how large the park is--over 1,500 acres of open space, rolling hills, and greenery. Our group had a picnic area near the lake, with restrooms conveniently located nearby. There was plenty of room for everyone, including a large grassy area. Even on a Sunday afternoon around 2:30 p.m., there were only two other large groups in the picnic area. The atmosphere was peaceful and relaxing, a nice change from the busy shopping centers, restaurants, and other crowded places around the Bay Area. Since the park is so large, we didn't have time to explore much beyond the picnic area, but the park also offers hiking, fishing, gliding, paragliding and a dog park. Parking was only $6, and we had no trouble finding a space close to our picnic site. Overall, I found this to be a great spot for family gatherings, picnics, and anyone looking to spend time outdoors. read more

Way back in the day, I used to ride my horse here. There was a nearby boarding stables where I kept my mare for a while. The trails are pretty and some are rather steep. My husband and I brought our dog here recently, since she had never been there. The sad thing is that I don't remember which trails I used to frequent; it's been so long. We walked around the man-made pond near the golf course. and watched the hang gliders/parasailers come down from the hill. I did not see any horses on this occasion, unfortunately. We did see a few cows in the pasture. It's a pretty place for a hike or a picnic. They charge $6 for parking. read more

Ed R. Levin County Park - Zoey and me - Dog Parks Near Me - Milpitas, California

Best dog park and walking trail with lots of cows and wildlife! Be sure to do a once around before letting your dogs run free -- there are snakes that climb out of the gopher holes. If you do see this, send someone to scout for a park ranger. read more

Ed R. Levin County Park - Dog Parks Near Me - Milpitas, California

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Went on a hike in Ed Levin County Park on a Sunday in June! We arrived at 7:55am, just as the park was just opening. Parking costs $6, and you can pay with cash or card. We decided to do the Agua Caliente trail and Calera Creek Trail loop and the parking lot for that was conveniently located right by the trailhead. The hike starts off with a steep incline, then flattens out, and then goes back down to the trailhead. My dad was able to do it but it was not that easy for either of us. The views were nice at the top - could see the lake in the park and all of Milpitas. We also encountered a friendly cow! The trails were not maintained very well. There were portions where tall grass and thorny bushes almost completely overtook the trail so make sure to wear long pants. Not very dog friendly. There were also not many trail markers so we ended up accidentally veering off the main trail a few times. No shade so make sure to start in the morning and bring lots of water! When we returned from the hike two hours later, the lot was full so another reason to go early. Overall, while the views were good, the trails should be maintained better considering there is a $6 fee to park. I wouldn't recommend read more

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I've been here several times, for hikes, casual strolls, and to bring my dogs to the dog park. This is simply a very peaceful park, with lots of space to explore and do different activities, with plenty of parking. It's a bit of a drive to get up to the park, but that's part of what makes it so serene - it's a little out of the city and that is a good thing :) parking is $6 but it's worth it! read more

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Great park with amazing views. Not too overcrowded and the areas were maintained well. read more

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8 MILE STATE MONUMENT PEAK HIEK TRAIL!! SOO HILLY and hardest hike. we went summer hottest day of week. trail had barely any shade, one short forestry cool area, and the killer is that its hilly for miles unlike most that level out with gradual hills if yk. i'm anemic and love hiking, walk 4-6 miles daily and have ran for 5 years. but i was SORE. had to grab onto my teammates' backpack to pull me up occasionally, started seeing stars and heatwaves when i stopped to squat down. a bit dizzy for hours after + headache. the view on the top was okay. u could see all of milpitas. NO BENCHES, u sit on rock and metal platform thing on the ground. thought there would be a monument. there is a shortcut route. not sure if i'd do again. i don't hate it, i had a fun bonding experience with my track team read more

Ed R. Levin County Park - State Monument Peak - Dog Parks Near Me - Milpitas, California

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This park is so beautiful and is a great place for a stroll or to have a picnic. The large lake in the center is so calming to look at and there are so many beautiful yellow flowers in bloom in the spring. I like how there's a park and also a hiking trail area. Just keep in mind that parking is $6. read more

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Beautiful, Peaceful Park I had a great time at Ed R. Levin Park. The park is clean, spacious, and has a beautiful lake that adds to the peaceful atmosphere. There are plenty of picnic areas, perfect for families or a quiet afternoon outdoors. There are so many trails in the area. The walking trails are scenic and not too crowded, which made it even better. There's a $6 entry fee per vehicle. Definitely a spot I'd visit again! read more

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MLK weekend: we went to have a picnic. A stray dog seen in this picture disrupted the entire plan. It chased many kids and a lot of families were afraid. I informed the lady at the exit and entry gate and she said "oh yeah we know the park ranger has been trying to capture the dog for two weeks." We left within 30 minutes very unhappy with the experience. I wish I got the refund for the entry fee. read more

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Beautiful park here and it's nice and peaceful place to hang out with families. The park is nice and clean and they have a dog parks , trails and you can fish there . read more

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Oh yeah, Ed Levin Park and I go way back. Like when I was in high school. This was the place where my science teacher met a bunch of us in his class to collect bugs for our projects. We had to catch them in Mason jars filled with chloroform and pin their dead carcasses on styrofoam. Except mine would still be flapping their wings days later. I guess that's why I got a C- on my collection. I've returned all these years later just to take advantage of the network of trails to be found in this family-friendly 1,558-acre park anchored by two large ponds, Spring Valley Pond south of Calaveras Road and my destination, the bigger, bird-populated Sandy Wool Lake, which required a $6 entrance fee. There were a lot of guys around with fishing poles planted on the shore. But as for me, I walked the surrounding trail that leads to Monument Peak, that is, until I tuckered out and chose to be entertained by some animated cattle. I swear I saw the descendants of the insects I captured and killed because they were after me that day. I've come home, Ed Levin. RELATED - Up for a hike? Here's a collection of trails I've walked and reviewed: http://bit.ly/2OrC8nU read more

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Ample parking space. $6 parking fee. Nice hike spot with a lake as soon as you walk towards the trail. read more

Ed R. Levin County Park - Dog Parks Near Me - Milpitas, California

My ratings are based off the trails. The trail is unfortunately not well kept which is disappointing bc you do have to pay to get in. On the AllTrails app, apparently multiple people have gotten ticks. I wouldn't recommend walking in their trails. Maybe just hang out at the picnic areas read more

It's a nice park. There's a nice dog park. A tiny lake you could fish for trout. A playground for kids. Hiking trails and hang gliding. You pay $6 for parking. There's no free parking nearby, unless you want to walk a mile uphill. You can pay $95 for an annual parking permit across several parks in Santa Clara county. However, do NOT buy this online. The annual permit activates on the day of purchase, BUT Ed Levin Park for won't accept this. They'd rather have you buy at the park itself. The park ranger's argument for not accepting the online receipt is that the rangers who check for parking permits won't be able to see your permit on the car dashboard and they'll ticket you. (BY THE WAY, the website CLEARLY SAYS that it should be OK TO USE before the actual permit arrives) You cannot refund the online ticket, so you're wasting about a month's worth of parking waiting for the printed ticket. Too bad the county doesn't read Yelp reviews. Your policies are not tech-friendly and you're in the Silicon Valley. Get it effing together! read more

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Beautiful spot. It's not that big but very picturesque with a small lake and a nice hiking trail.

Spacious dog park within Ed R. Levin county park. There's two sections, I assume one for smaller dogs and one for large ones but they are not labeled. Seems like a lot of people bring their dogs here as the park itself is dog friendly, but the admission into the park is $6 so you might as well take advantage and also do some hiking with your pup while you're there. You can avoid the entrance fee if you park outside alongside the street and walk in, but I highly do not recommend that. The walk is long and steep. read more

Ed R. Levin County Park - Dog Parks Near Me - Milpitas, California

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I feel like this Santa Clara County park is underrated. I very much enjoyed my visit. I've seen ducks, and other animals. There are 2 lakes not far from each other, public restrooms, a nice playground, and a few places for having a picnic. You can find really nice and easy hikes that take on average around 1h. Or through this park you can actually reach Mission Peak if you really have a lot of time and feel adventurous. Parking is spacious and costs $6 per vehicle. read more

This is one of the better county parks. It has everything. You can fish(with a license) hike, picnic,or watch the people hangglide off the mountain. I usually come here for the dog park. It has a really big dog side and a smaller side for the smaller dogs. I prefer the larger size because it has grass,the smaller side is mostly dirt. The park supplies water and doggie poop bags. A bonus is you can walk your leashed dogs on the many trails around the park. read more

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We entered the park through the Spring Valley entrance. Quiet and peaceful park. We were trying to go through the Spring Valley trail. However, it was closed due to the road being muddy after a few days of rain. There is a ranch at the place, so watching the horses on the ranch is fun for kids. There are also a lot of cute rodents (looks like ground squirrels), which somehow the kids really enjoyed watching. The mountain view to the east of the park is fantastic after a few days of rain -- covered in green with a few cows wandering around. read more

Ed R. Levin County Park - Entrance sign - Dog Parks Near Me - Milpitas, California

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Cute little park with pond for kid's fishing! My boyfriend, dog and I spent a couple hours here walking around the trails. One thing I wished this park had were signs warning about ticks...we went up one of the trails in the park and immediately found 3 ticks on our dog, and luckily flicked them off before they could latch. Spent the rest of the time looking for more and being cautious. I wouldn't bring our dog here again for this reason, and are hesitant to come back personally. read more

Ed R. Levin County Park has quite a few things to offer while you are here. The park is split on both sides of Calaveras Blvd. Heading east on the right is a smaller park with a picnic area, trails for hikers and equestrians, a pond and even a historic cemetery. The larger section of the park is adjacent to the golf course. It has a range of trails, from strenuous hikes heading towards Monument Peak and Mission Peak down to taking a short post-lunch stroll around the serene Sandy Wool Lake. Picnic tables are available and a large grass area is sometimes used for the Summer Movie Nights. Along with all of the above, the park also provides an unobstructed launch site for hang gliders. Another nice thing is they have a decent dog park for our four-legged friends to play around. It is one of the twenty eight county parks. Entrance fee is $6. There are no off-street parking. The trails are exposed so come prepared. read more

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We absolutely love this park and are so grateful to the rangers for all that they do to keep it functional and safe, making for many many memorable experiences. Recently I needed some help and the rangers were more than helpful. Angel (truly one :), Tyler, Ben and Bill really made my day. Thanks, you guys are amazing read more

When searching on Yelp, I found this park and it said it had a dark park. Upon arrival we found a lake with a trail closest to the lake along with an outer ring you could walk. We walked the bigger circle around the outside of the lake and came upon a small group riding horses in a gated area. Sadly, at the time we did not realize that the dog park was almost directly behind the secondary parking lot, so we ended up leaving. Lol on my Strava app, the dog park did not show up. I wish I looked at the county park app or a map nearby. Beautiful surroundings and the puppies loved smelling and watching the horses walk by!! We will definitely have to go back and actually go to the dog park! Lol I would be worried, about the dog park and ticks since there's horses nearby. read more

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Pros: - Kid playground was nice with various structures for different aged kids - Good for kite flying - I saw people fishing (we didn't) so that's a nice option. Not sure if anybody caught anything though. - Nice walk around the lake - Big hill that kids enjoyed going up and down - Bathroom was small but pretty nice Cons: - bugs!!! - Fair amount of shade to hide under for the hot day but you may get bugs on your head... - $6 parking - kid playground parking was hard to find (it's the first turn labeled picnic area) read more

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Brought my dog here in the spring and it was beautiful. Everything is green and there are yellow flowers everywhere. I came on a Monday mid day and it was pretty empty so I'm not sure how a weekend would work but it was very quiet and plenty of trails to do. The lake is the center of the park. Cost $6 to get in. Park ranger at booth was very friendly. read more

Ed R. Levin County Park - Dog Parks Near Me - Milpitas, California

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Love this place, it's huge and there are two sides to this park separate by Calaveras with two separate entrances. If you pay for parking at one you can have in and out privileges to the other side as well. Tho parking can be a bit tricky on weekends as this is a very popular place to hangout. There are not street parking , so bet on your luck folks :) The main park side has horse back riding and has a huge meadow area with big tree scattered so perfect for picnic under the tree. You can hike as well. It's is beautiful. The other side of the park has paragliding and hiking is more hilly but with fantastic view ! Absolutely gorgeous places to be for a relaxing Sunny day ! read more

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Love the park. Really nice path but there is no shade. You basically hike under the sun shine. Good place for bird watching and bird photography. It is also good place for fishing. The view is very nice. Walking trail is considered easy unless you take short cut. Some part is quite steep. read more

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Park is near my place, but never actually been here. Well, it was time to rectify that atrocity. Brought my daughter here and there is a nice little lake and plenty of geese and ducks for the kids. Be careful thought, they do hiss and will hold their ground. It's a large area, and not a ton of people, so you will get some privacy. Overall, a nice little park and I surely will come here again. read more

Don't remember coming to this place even though I lived in Milpitas when I was younger. The day my boyfriend and I decided to go hiking here was during summer time. I think it was during the month of August. After grabbing some lunch from a local bakery, we decided to have a picnic here. By the time we arrived, there were quite a few people there already. We were not able to find a spot on the grass because all the shaded areas were taken. We did however find a spot at one of the picnic tables. While eating our lunches we keep getting bothered by bees. After eating, we decided to hit up the hiking trail. There was definitely no shade and the weather was super hot. We only hiked the trail for 1 hr. We both enjoyed the scenery and also it was nice that we had the whole trail to ourselves. read more

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Yes, still $6 parking fee, so pay at the gate or machine at entrance and leave the printed permit on your dashboard. It doesn't accept AMEX though. Beautiful park, especially during the Autumn season when you can still catch some colorful leaves. Lots of trees, grassy areas, and paths to walk around. You get a great view of the hills which makes this landscape beautiful. The pond is not huge. I still prefer Sandy Wool Lake park area for walking and photos for the same price all day. That place has more picnic areas and peaceful parking lots all around. Not much happens around here. Beautiful fire department building and golf course area across the street. Busy cars going very fast on Calaveras Blvd. Sometimes, there would be deers or horse crossing, but I haven't seen much on the roads yet. Each person has his/her own preferences in local parks and amenities. They don't have much trash bins here. Public restrooms are available. Park rangers are always maintaining the place. Few benches and picnic tables. Overall, Autumn is beautiful here if you catch it at the right day and time. Gorgeous outside when weather is warmer. I haven't seen many bikers around here, but they usually would go up and down Calaveras. What you'll likely see are birds or ducks at times. read more

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Today (Thursday morning during Covid-19) was my first time coming here for what I hoped would be a good hike. This beautiful park didn't disappoint in views-who knew uneventful Milpitas had such a gorgeous hidden gem? Pros: + Gorgeous views that are perfect for the 'gram or your family photo backdrop + short trail for beginners and casual walkers + pond area for kids to fish + picnic tables, grills & picnic perfection + parking Cons: -$6 parking fee (but they take card!) - Not a strenuous place to get a good workout but I shall check out the other side next time (yes, there are two main entrances) - saw a carcass of what appeared to be a small animal that looked creepy right on the trail but who knows Summary: Go! Check out the awesome pics I took on my Iphone. A photographers dream! read more

Great park to do some walking amidst nature. Since the beginning of covid, they haven't taken any parking fees. During good weather, this park is frequented by a lot of people and their friends + families. There are a lot of trails to walk around. There are trails by the water body, by nature, by the trees, and a small hiking area. Parking is plenty as there are various spots to park. Bathrooms are operational but have never visited them. They have nice benches throughout the park to sit and relax. Some people fish and some just sit by the water body on the seats that are provided by the city. Some people do picnics with their families on a nice day. Overall a nice place to spend an evening or a pleasant day. read more

An excellent park with lots of activities going on. There is a beach volleyball court. There is a dog park and dedicated area for large and a small dogs. There's a cattle area that's off limits. There is place to take the trail Lots of fishing. People were finding fish. The park has a $6 parking fee. I fee it's worth it. read more

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A lovely park. However there is duck poop in various spots but not an overwhelming amount. Great spot for fishing, walking and place to have a picnic. read more

4.5 Stars Ed Levin County Park is lovely! I have been here twice now. First time was 3 years ago for a team building event for work. That time, I was over on the side closer to the Spring Valley Golf Course. We got catering and the whole company had fun playing golf, playing frisbee, drinking beer (yes, it was one of those startups!), etc. on a Friday afternoon. But I digress back to my visit yesterday. Quite nice! This time, we were over on the lake side. When we arrived, the park ranger was very friendly and gave us a map. Yes, there is a $6 entrance fee, but it goes towards keeping the bathrooms & park nicely maintained, so well worth it in my opinion. Anyhoo, after we drove through the gate (he gave us a map too! Bonus points... we didn't event have to ask), we headed towards the lake area and parked. Quite busy on a Saturday afternoon! My sister in law put my very adorable baby niece into the stroller, and off we went. There were 5 of us total in the group. We did a breezy two-mile walk around the lake. There is also a dog park nearby so baby Elena loved seeing the dogs. Overall, what a nice park! read more

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Hiked Agua Caliente to Caldera trail loop on HOT day. All exposed. Not the best trail markings. Went wrong way once or twice. Nice view of the bay. Saw some folks paragliding. Recommend to come back when cooler or earlier in year when still green. read more

Ed R. Levin County Park - Dog Parks Near Me - Milpitas, California

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Ed Levin has been my go to park for hikes during the pandemic. This park has the best trails for those wishing to hike lots of hills and inclines. The peak at this park is called Monument Peak, which is about 2.5 miles one way up. The incline is pretty moderate, however there are some areas that can get pretty steep at times. It has a nice mix of both exposed and covered trails. Watch out for cow poop on the trails. There is a lot of it. Also, as you get closer to the top, you may run into a herd of cows blocking the trails. The view from Monument Peak is gorgeous as you can see the bay and the cities below for miles. If you are not in to hiking, the park also offers a lake, picnic areas, and an off leash dog park. There is a parking fee of $6, but it has been waived during the entire pandemic so far. read more

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Good hiking place with a lot of parking. No shade when going up here though. There's 2 ponds nearby and a dog park. There's actually two sections in this park. Do not go to the horse portion of this park. When you go in, make a left and not a right. If you park and don't see any pond/lake, then you went to the wrong hiking trail. read more