1. The Dragon Mountain Thien Long Son

0

Milpitas, CA

Cancel

Open app

Search

The Dragon Mountain Thien Long Son

4.9 (88 reviews)

The Dragon Mountain Thien Long Son Photos

You might also consider

More like The Dragon Mountain Thien Long Son

Recommended Reviews - The Dragon Mountain Thien Long Son

Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
Yelp app icon
Browse more easily on the app
Review Feed Illustration

Reviews With Photos

Main area.
Quan D.

This is my 5th time here it is so nice to come here. It will be my to go for a quick hike and amazing views from the top

Regina N.

The most beautiful temple on top of a mountain! It'll make you forget you were in California. Parking lot is small, but the wait isn't long. At the entrance, there's a sign that said Stairway to Heaven, so you already know what you're getting yourself into. There are stairs and paths everywhere to explore. Come prepared with water and cover yourself up, since some parts may not have shade. After the initial ascent of stairs, the main area is lush with trees, succulents, and covered with fake lawn. There are statues of gods, demi-gods, and important figures lined up along the edge of the mountain. Jesus Christ also had its own praying areas. I loved that this temple was all-inclusive to believers. The paths are beautifully landscaped and felt so zen with the sounds of windchimes and coolness of the mountain breeze. Everywhere you go was a path to explore. There's incense and a lighter at each statue, but you can also get a bundle from the main house to the right. They don't take any donations, which is so generous. All they ask for donation is water for those who forgot to bring water. You can also light your incense with the candle, but remember to blow it out when you're done to not waste it. To the back right there are bathrooms also - 3 stalls for the women's. Not sure about the men's and I don't think I should know anyway haha. If you continue up the steep mountain, you can make it to various overlooks and to the final house with all the Buddhas on a platform held up by poles. Along the paths, you can see tons of birds, lizards, and squirrels. Looks like they are still building more paths and platforms. It would be interesting to come back and see the progress. Considering no donations, the entire place has really good upkeep. We were able to relax and have lunch at one of their many cute stone tables. We left feeling refreshed and cleansed of the daily stresses of daily life.

siri g.

When I was temporarily living in this neighborhood, a neighbor suggested I check out this place, and I'm so glad I did! It's located inside Ed Levin County Park, and you'll need to turn onto Calaveras Road to get there. This is where it can get a little confusing because there are two ways to get up to the temple, you can either take the stairs or hike up around the mountain, and you can also make it into a loop if you want. If you want to hike, take the first right into the parking lot once you get onto Calaveras Road and start the trail from there. If you want to take the stairs, continue driving on Calaveras Road until you see a huge boat in a parking lot on the right. Park there and the stairs are right by the parking lot. Both parking lots are pretty small, so I'm glad I came early on a Saturday morning. After a short stretch of stairs, I was so happy to see the temple. The whole place had such a calming and peaceful vibe. There's also a small prayer room, lots of statues, and plenty of tables and chairs where you can sit, relax, enjoy the views, meditate, or just catch your breath. The views from the top are beautiful! When I visited on a Saturday morning, there was a prayer service going on for about an hour. They also offer a free meal on Sundays, and they don't accept cash donations. Overall, the whole experience felt incredibly peaceful and was such a nice way to start my morning. One thing to keep in mind is that visitors should avoid wearing shorts or skirts above the knees and should be mindful of keeping quiet once you reach the temple. Unfortunately, quite a few visitors weren't following that, which did take away from the peaceful atmosphere a little. I can't wait to come back here again! :)

Elena K.

Beautiful, the stairs were an easy hike. If you like stair masters, definitely the easy to get up! I've been hiking here pretty often & get all the way up to the top of the mountain, with resting, I'd say 2.5-3 hour round trip! also great place to meditate or pray

Jro B.

I just couldn't get enough yesterday. I am back for Moore and today. They are featured a free Vietnamese Ragu soup with vegetables and somewhat chicken with orange slices and some delicious bread. I'm the best bread I've had this week. It was fantastic. I'm so glad I came. I am now an official regular.

Steps to temple
Alicia O.

Beautiful view, peaceful moderate walk, quiet place to be alone in your thoughts, pray and re-center yourself. Highly recommend this uphill walk.

LeeLee C.

What a great place to do a sunset hike! The total trail is about 4.6miles and we finished it in a bit over an hour. We arrived at the parking lot around 6pm, no fees needed. The first part is all stairs, after reaching the end of maybe about 200 flights, we arrived at a lawn patch with some big Chinese gods statues and a panel about Jesus. There's one man there burning the incense to pay respect but mostly it was just visitors checking out the place like visiting a museum than worshipping gods. This spot also has a restroom. Then there're more stairs up, and soon transitions to uphill trails with big patches of grass growing along sides. No cows or other animals insight. To our left is the beautiful valley and a dropping sun. When the wind blows, it was beautiful and magical. As we continued the climb and reached the top where there are a lot of smaller porcelain statues displayed on top of poles. It was super windy up there so we didn't linger. Going down was much quicker. There's a portion of the trail where it was slippery with gravel, fortunately, next to it there's a flight of stairs for easier walking and the steps are not that high. By the time we got down to the first gods lawn, there's a security car probably clearing out the place. A car just arrived and was told to turn back because they were closing. We were all very satisfied with this hike.

You can see the hole course below
Jay P.

I've had this bookmarked since Covid when they would were closed for years and would randomly be closed. Thankfully whatever issues they had seem to be resolved and their opening hours are more predictable now. The site is a Vietnamese religious monastery though I'm not exactly sure if it's for something specific or more many-faiths. The prevailing symbol is a cross with an upside down heart on the bottom but there are also catholic imagery and statues and well as majority Vietnamese Buddhist. The drive up is VERY steep. You can also park at the bottom near the sign and "boat people" commemorative boat. If you choose this you will be taking the "stairway to heaven" stairs on the right and walking up the steep mountain. If you drive further there is a small parking lot that can fit maybe 4-5 cars. From here it is also a steep walk up to the monastery area with the statues and nice views. -The views are some of the prettiest I've seen in this area. On a nice day the sky looks amazing and immediately under the mountain is a nicely maintained gold course. -There are a lot of nice Buddhist and Vietnamese statues at the top worth checking out. There is a small temple on top of the stairs at the very peak. -It is SO peaceful and quiet. I heard a strange sound and it was a hummingbird's wings.

Joyce T.

Great place to hike especially when it's spring time, lot of greenery there. There are stairs to the hilltop, along the way there's tree shades and chairs which's nice to stop and rest and enjoy the view. It's pretty busy in the weekend and parking may be difficult. We went all the way up to the top and the views were pretty amazing

Pranathi B.

Such a gem of a place!! This is a Vietnamese temple situated atop a hill, there are steps leading all the way to the top. The views during spring time are exceptional as we see all the surrounding hillsides covered in a lush green blanket. We went over a weekend and did not get parking in the lot at the bottom, looks like cars are allowed to drive up to the half way point which has several statues. This is a great option to transfer senior citizens and young children so that they can atleast visit the statues and enjoy the views from there. It can get super hot during peak afternoon but will cool down towards sunset which is the best time as the views are amazing. It took us an hour -90mins to go up and come down. We spent a lot of time soaking in the views, this is easily the best view of the bay across all my hikes so far. The divine smell of orange blossom when we visited during spring was beyond tantalizing and just made me happy!

Tiffany S.

A gem! About 30 min to get to the first clearing- where all the temple statues are. It was fairly lively when we went and fairly hot. Steep stairs! Also be careful- saw a snake on the other side of the railing on the way down. A lot of families and kids on this walk - keep them close! Beautiful views of the bay- you can continue to hike through the unpaved trails if you want. An hour to explore the place and walk around the grounds felt right for us

Emily G.

As an avid gym rat that does leg workouts twice a week, these stairs actually left my calves sore that night and the next day. Nonetheless, I would still do it again - the view was so worth it and the trek was peaceful! Love that there are many picnic tables within each couple flights of stairs to rest and enjoy the green scenery and mountains. Quiet place for praying and open to the public so hope it stays this way!

Monica C.

This is a peaceful spot on the edge of Milpitas. It was a bit of a drive to get there. There's a small parking lot right in front of the main gate. Once I entered, there was a long staircase that leads up to the main area. I had to take a break midway. I'm glad there were benches along the staircase to rest at. At the top, there are amazing views looking out. I walked around and explored the space. There are statues, plants, and little details tucked around the grounds. There's also another staircase that takes you up to the peak of the mountain. It's shorter than the first one and not as much to see. Overall, it's a nice place to get some walking in and spend time in nature without having to go too far.

See all

13 days ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

22 days ago

Helpful 9
Thanks 4
Love this 7
Oh no 0

2 months ago

Helpful 7
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 1
Photo of Quan D.
20
363
338

6 days ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 months ago

Helpful 12
Thanks 6
Love this 10
Oh no 2

12 days ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

7 days ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Benny H.
2474
2696
16713

5 months ago

Helpful 6
Thanks 3
Love this 3
Oh no 0

2 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 2
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 months ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 3
Love this 2
Oh no 1
Photo of LeeLee C.
136
1424
10729

6 months ago

Helpful 6
Thanks 5
Love this 6
Oh no 2

10 months ago

Helpful 54
Thanks 21
Love this 48
Oh no 2

7 months ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 1
Love this 2
Oh no 0

6 months ago

Helpful 8
Thanks 3
Love this 3
Oh no 0

7 months ago

Helpful 4
Thanks 1
Love this 1
Oh no 0

4 months ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 2
Love this 1
Oh no 1

10 months ago

Helpful 5
Thanks 1
Love this 1
Oh no 0

5 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 1
Love this 1
Oh no 0

6 months ago

Helpful 9
Thanks 3
Love this 4
Oh no 1

3 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

9 days ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 month ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

8 months ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 2
Love this 1
Oh no 0

6 months ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 2
Love this 2
Oh no 1

1 year ago

Helpful 6
Thanks 8
Love this 2
Oh no 2
Photo of Rohit A.
8
149
95

1 year ago

Helpful 4
Thanks 3
Love this 1
Oh no 0

5 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Sunil R.
1137
10683
37385

2 years ago

Helpful 4
Thanks 1
Love this 1
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 17
Thanks 6
Love this 15
Oh no 2

3 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 6
Thanks 6
Love this 7
Oh no 2
Photo of Judy T.
183
23
53

7 months ago

Helpful 4
Thanks 4
Love this 3
Oh no 0

4 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

7 months ago

Helpful 6
Thanks 2
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of James P.
310
13
11

4 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 1
Love this 1
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 1
Love this 1
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 1

2 years ago

Helpful 7
Thanks 6
Love this 6
Oh no 3
Photo of Katie N.
97
200
249

3 years ago

Helpful 4
Thanks 3
Love this 2
Oh no 3

Page 1 of 3

Ask the Community - The Dragon Mountain Thien Long Son

It is open yet?

Public access to the park was shut down by the county due to some site code violations. The owner is working with the County to re-open the park as soon as possible. Support for re-opening can be voiced to the local Santa Clara County Supervisors… 

Is this place open yet (5/2022)?

Not open yet sadly.

Is this place open yet up this month?

Not yet.

Hi, just wondering if the park is open yet? I can't wait to visit. This is one of my favorite spot.

Not yet.

Does anyone know when will the temple be reopened to the public?

Santa Clara County shut down this place over some permit violations since 2019 :( according to this article https://sanjosespotlight.com/the-dragon-mountain-still-closed-after-santa-clara-county-shutdown/

Are they open?

No.

Is it open?

No.

Is this place open? The last time I tried visiting on July 8 2021 but was closed

Not open yet.

What is going on with this place? Are they ever going to open back up?

I just went today and it's still "closed" the person i talked to said they had no idea when it was opening back up. Kinda confusing

Is this place opened yet?

Not yet.

Hello, does anyone know if this is open now?

Not yet.

Is this place still closed?

Yes , we have been there last week it was closed..

When will the temple be open again? It was closed on July 11, 2020.

Is it open?

Came today 9.20.20 and it is closed. Posted a pic with the sign.

Is it open now? It shows open on yelp?

No, it isn't.

Due to Covid19, Is the temple/ hiking trails open now?

Not until last week. Don't think it is open now either.

I would like to go there tomorrow morning for hiking. Do anyone know if the temple on a shut down as well?

Yes it's been closed for quite some time.

View All 44 Questions

Review Highlights - The Dragon Mountain Thien Long Son

“We went in feb 2019 for a hike going through the temple and it has to be my favorite hike in and around Bay Area.”

Mentioned in 17 reviews

Read more highlights

You might also consider

Hidden Lake Park

Hidden Lake Park

3.9(71 reviews)
3.2 mi

Hidden Lake is a great serene park for having lunch, watching ducks, and a great place to exercise…read more Get your steps in at this park by walking around the lake or if you go up the steps there is a pathway that is nicely paved. Ride your bike around the lake or if you have a little one have them burn their energy riding a bike, scooter, or roller skate. Plenty of people are there especially in the morning so I have always felt safe. I have seen some people fish here at different times of the day. It has a small parking lot located in a safe neighborhood. There are no bathrooms at this park.

***the lake itself is part of a community called HIDDEN LAKE as well***…read more OVERALL: Meh. Wouldn't go out of my way to drive here to walk; therefore the 4 stars rating. Due to being part of a community, there are a ton of guest parking (especially near the gates to this park) BUT if you keep driving, the parking lot for this "park" is on the outside (you turn in with the sign "HIDDEN PARK LAKE" in green lettering/tanish brown background and there are a few spots for you to pick from). Two stairways up to other flat cement ground trails. Very quarry lake vibes but not much water. Lake itself is a smaller circular flat cement ground leveled trail. Regarding up the stairs: One way does end up at another park whereas the other way just ends up in another neighborhood/main road. Lack of shade. Lots of ducks. There's few places to sit. Few trash bins. No visible toilets.

Photos
Hidden Lake Park - Picnic time!

Picnic time!

Hidden Lake Park - Do you think they'll get mad if I bring my plant clipping shears next time I visit?

Do you think they'll get mad if I bring my plant clipping shears next time I visit?

Hidden Lake Park

See all

Creighton Park - Play structures

Creighton Park

4.7(24 reviews)
2.9 mi

This is a nice little park in milpitas! I was looking for dog parks. Found this place because I…read moredidn't want to go too far or to Ed Levin (i don't like having cellular signal issues lol). Definitely meant for the surrounding neighborhoods. There are multiple entrances but are basically towards the end of each street. It seems dog friendly enough with a dog enclosure and easy to stroll around and walk your dog. There's a nice grassy area in the center and I noticed a few instances of owners playing catch with their dogs off-leash. There are picnic tables by the playground and public bathrooms all in the same area. The only water fountain I found was by the picnic/playground/bathroom area and it had a lower fountain for dogs. **Dog park: The dog area was really small, all dirt with one bench. Big dog and small dog are separated but the size is pretty similar to each other with the big dog having just a LITTLE bit more space. It was empty for me except for 1 dog owner but I wonder if there would be more dogs after-work hours for some socialization :-) you would have to walk a little but further down to the main area for water fountain.

This is a hidden gem of a park in a quiet neighborhood in Milpitas. We were looking for local parks…read morethat were suitable for a toddler play date and decided to check out this place in person. We wanted to find a park that is relatively new/in good condition and not too crowded to let the little ones safely play. I'm honestly surprised that this isn't a more popular place to bring your kids. I suppose a part of it is because it is a neighborhood park without dedicated parking, although there is plenty of street parking. With that being said, the play area is gated so it is safe to let your children roam with supervision, the play structures are all in very good condition and the padded flooring is intact across the park. Very suitable for toddlers and older children, they even have a baby changing station inside of the bathroom, as well as adequate drinking fountains and drinking fountains for dogs. We were there on a Saturday morning, from 9 to 10am and were the only family there the entire time. This is completely different compared to some of the other parks in Sunnyvale or San Jose, where it can become a zoo by that time. We will definitely be setting up future play dates here.

Photos
Creighton Park - Park rules

Park rules

Creighton Park
Creighton Park

See all

Sandy Wool Lake - sandy wool lake

Sandy Wool Lake

4.3(21 reviews)
0.8 mi

This picturesque lake is so impressive. I went here to fish, but there's something to do for pretty…read moremuch everyone. There is a $6 entry fee, and plenty of parking in multiple spots, and closes when the sun goes down. The fish limit is 5 fish per person. There is a lot of fishing space, some on muddy terrain, and some over rocks and grass. People were paragliding and hang gliding on the beautiful lush green hills next in the back. If the only thing you can do is walk, then it's a great one filled with much wildlife like cute hawks and birds; not too short not too long with plenty of shade if you stick near the lake with dispersed picnic tables, and that wonderful view. Cell phone service here sucks. They have barbecue pits and fish cleaning stations. Definitely a hidden bay area gem.

We recently had a large group picnic at the Sandy Wool Group Area, which is a reservable picnic…read moresite right next to Sandy Wool Lake. The Sandy Wool Group Area includes a giant gazebo with a new-looking roof providing shade, a large BBQ grill in the center, and plenty of picnic tables surrounding the grill - plenty of space for our group of 30+ to spread out. Very peaceful area, even on a weekend. + Plenty of parking available ($6 per car) + Clean restroom, even stocked with pads and tampons + Dogs allowed Note: none of us had any cell phone service there, so make sure to coordinate beforehand and enjoy the present moment! I'll have to come back another time to walk around more and maybe try my hand at catching some fish in the lake.

Photos
Sandy Wool Lake - Lake

Lake

Sandy Wool Lake - Tiny frogs

Tiny frogs

Sandy Wool Lake

See all

The Dragon Mountain Thien Long Son - parks - Updated October 2026

Loading...
Loading...
Loading...