Motorcycle Broch

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Motorcycle COUNTY OF SANTA CLARA Regional Parks and Recreation Areas T H E C O U N T Y O F S A N T A C L A R A 1850 1000 FEET 1320 FEET .25 MILES 500 FEET 0 FEET 200 FEET SCALE T R A I L 1 T R A I L 1 T R A I L 1 T R A I L 2 T RAI L 3 T R A I L 2 C T R A I L 2 T R A I L 2 T R A I L 2 E X I T T R A I L S e r v i c e R o a d O n l y T R A I L 3 H 2 0 H I L L C L I M B TRAIL 3 T R A I L 2 A T R A I L 2 T R A I L 2 B L O M A P R I E TA T RAI L T R A I L 3 T R A I L 3 D T R A I L 3 E T R A I L 3 T R A I L 3 T R A I L 3 C T R A I L 3 T R A I L 3 T R A I L 3 C T R A I L 3 B T R A I L 3 F T R A I L 3 M E T C A L F R D M E T C A L F R D P PARK ENTRANCE 101 1000 950 900 850 800 750 750 800 850 900 950 1000 1000 1050 1100 1200 1150 1100 1100 1150 1200 1250 700 650 650 650 700 550 550 500 500 600 1050 1100 1100 1100 1150 1150 1150 1050 1200 1250 1200 1250 1250 1250 1150 1200 1250 1300 1300 1050 1100 1000 900 900 850 950 V A L L E Y V I E W T R A I L B I G C R E E K T R A I L B I G M A N Z A N I T A T R A I L M A R I P O S A R I D G E T R A I L S E R P E N T I N E T R A I L H I G H C H A P P A R A L T R R O C K Y T O P S A N D Y H I L L T R A I L M E T C A L F C A N Y O N To Monterey Rd. & U.S. 101 FOUR FINGERS TRAIL G R U E S O M E G A R Y T R A I L S N A K E T R A I L WATER TANK NOVICE OVAL QUARTER MIDGET TRACK BEGINNER’S/ NOVICE MX TRACK MOTOCROSS TRACK TRIALS AREA C HAMISE TR HILLSIDE TRACK GRAND PRIX TRACK A.T.V.TRACK T.T. TRACK OVAL TRACK 1200 MARIPOSA GATE CLOSED JAY'S HORSE SHOE TRIALS AREA HOURS The park is open Thursday through Monday and closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Hours vary seasonally, call park office, (408) 226-5223 to obtain current park hours. Note: Park may be closed during inclement weather. FOR YOUR SAFETY 1. All OHV’s (off-highway vehicles) must have a current off-highway or street legal registration. All OHV’s must also have a U.S. Forest Service approved spark arrestor and meet sound regulations. 2. All riders must wear a helmet while starting, sitting on, or operating any OHV. Goggles, boots, knee/elbow guards and chest protectors are highly recommended. 3. Persons under age 18 operating an ATV/ATC must be in possession of a current ATV Training Certificate. Other regulations apply for riders under age 14 and for riders between the ages of 14 and 17. For more information, contact the park office. 4. Alcoholic beverages are prohibited on park premises. 5. Riders may operate on designated trails and OHV facilities only. All trails and track traffic are one-way. 6. The speed limit in the parking area is 5 MPH. 7. No stopping on trails. If you must stop, move off to one side of the trail and select a stopping point where you are clearly visible to other riders. 8. Off Road motorcycles under 80cc engine size are not allowed on the main Motocross Track. 9. ATV’s are allowed on the main trails (not black diamond) and on the GP & ATV Track. 10. Red sticker riding regulations will apply accordingly. RIDE AT YOUR OWN RISK AND WEAR REQUIRED SAFETY EQUIPMENT Off-highway vehicle use may be hazardous. Use of protective apparel, skill levels, vehicle condition, terrain, weather, common sense and following the park rules, all affect your safety. 1400 Ranger Station/Visitor Center Phone: (408) 226-5223 Restrooms Public Telephone Parking Picnic Area Gate Fence Two Lane Paved Road LEGEND LEGEND P Service Road Beginning/Intermediate Trail Expert Trails (Motorcycles Only) Tracks Elevation Contours (feet) Creek Private Property Direction of One-way Traffic Motorcycle Broch:Motorcycle Broch 9/29/11 12:47 PM Page 1

Transcript of Motorcycle Broch

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HOURSThe park is open Thursday through Monday and closed on Tuesdays andWednesdays. Hours vary seasonally, call park office, (408) 226-5223 toobtain current park hours.

Note: Park may be closed during inclement weather.

FOR YOUR SAFETY1. All OHV’s (off-highway vehicles) must have a current off-highway or street legalregistration. All OHV’s must also have a U.S. Forest Service approved spark arrestorand meet sound regulations.

2. All riders must wear a helmet while starting, sitting on, or operating any OHV.Goggles, boots, knee/elbow guards and chest protectors are highly recommended.

3. Persons under age 18 operating an ATV/ATC must be in possession of a currentATV Training Certificate. Other regulations apply for riders under age 14 and forriders between the ages of 14 and 17. For more information, contact the park office.

4. Alcoholic beverages are prohibited on park premises.

5. Riders may operate on designated trails and OHV facilities only. All trails andtrack traffic are one-way.

6. The speed limit in the parking area is 5 MPH.

7. No stopping on trails. If you must stop, move off to one side of the trail andselect a stopping point where you are clearly visible to other riders.

8. Off Road motorcycles under 80cc engine size are not allowed on the mainMotocross Track.

9. ATV’s are allowed on the main trails (not black diamond) and on the GP & ATVTrack.

10. Red sticker riding regulations will apply accordingly.

RIDE AT YOUR OWN RISK AND WEAR REQUIREDSAFETY EQUIPMENTOff-highway vehicle use may be hazardous. Use of protective apparel, skilllevels, vehicle condition, terrain, weather, common sense and following thepark rules, all affect your safety.

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Ranger Station/Visitor Center Phone: (408) 226-5223

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Service Road

Beginning/Intermediate Trail

Expert Trails (Motorcycles Only)

Tracks

Elevation Contours (feet)

Creek

Private Property

Direction of One-way Traffic

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Motorcycle Broch:Motorcycle Broch 9/29/11 12:47 PM Page 1

�= Expert = Intermediate � = Beginner

Trail Difficulty Symbols

MotorcycleCounty of Santa ClaraParks and Recreation Department298 Garden Hill DriveLos Gatos, California 95032-7669(408) 355-2200Reservations: (408) 355-2201

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WELCOMEWelcome to Motorcycle County Park, the County park system’s only off-roadvehicle park. This 459 acre park is located in the grass covered hills of southeast Santa Clara Valley. Motorcycle County Park offers trails for the advancedand beginner motorcyclist and ATV rider. In addition to the 20 miles of dirttrails, there are 6 different types of tracks, picnic areas and restroom facilities.

HOW TO GET THEREThe park entrance is located at 300 Metcalf Road in San Jose. The park maybe accessed from the Bernal Road exit off Highways 101 and 85. From theBernal Road exit, proceed west about 0.2 miles to Monterey Highway south.Take Monterey Highway south 1.25 miles to Metcalf Road. Turn left andproceed up Metcalf Road 2.5 miles to the park entrance.

ACTIVITIES

Motorcycle Park’s 459 acres contains over twenty miles of OHV trail andtracks. Straddling a thousand foot high ridge, these park trails afford ridersvistas ranging from Gilroy to San Francisco. The park facilities include:

• Motocross competition track, T.T. Track, G.P. Track, A.T.V. Track and Oval Track

• Mini-motocross track (100cc two stroke engine size or 150cc four strokeengine size or less)

• Beginner’s oval track, 12 miles of main trails (beginners/intermediate)

• 8 miles of single track enduro (expert) trails

• One hill climb area

• Shaded picnic areas, restrooms, visitor center, drink vending machines

• A 1/20th mile paved oval track operated by the Baylands Quarter MidgetRacing Association, for quarter midget racing and practice.

In addition to a restroom building, there are picnic tables with somebarbeques, located at several locations. The park offers a hot catering traileron Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm (Burger Man). No toolswill be loaned from the office.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Marathons, Hare Scrambles and M/X races have been held at the park bypromoters in the past. Any person interested in holding a special event,please contact the County Parks Administration Office at 355-2200.

FEESFees are subject to change, call park office at (408) 226-5223 to confirm cur-rent fee rates.

(note: Annual passes may be available. For more information, inquire at thepark office or call the park office at the number noted above).

PARK RULESYour cooperation is requested in the important task of helping maintain thebeauty and orderliness of the park by observing the following general rules:

Vehicles: For the visitor’s safety, motorists must observe postedspeed limits. Vehicles are allowed on establishedroadways and parking areas only.

Pets: Dogs and other pets are prohibited except in designat-ed areas and must be controlled on a 6-foot (or less)leash.

Garbage: Place in receptacles provided. Recycling is encouraged.

Fires: Permitted in designated fire and barbecue pits only.No fires on open ground. No wood fires. No woodgathering.

Weapons: Firearms, air guns, archery equipment and paintballguns are prohibited.

Alcohol: Prohibited in the park.

Helmets: To be worn at all times while on vehicle.

Spark Arrestors: U.S. Forest Service approved spark arrestors arerequired for all vehicles.

TRAIL MARKINGSAll trails are one way. Proper direction of travel and trail dificulty will beindicated on carsonite posts and will appear as follows:

NATURAL DIVERSITYMotorcycle County Park is sited on rolling to steeply sloping hills, withelevations between 285 to 1357 feet above sea level. Soils are mainly clayloam with igneous or serpentine parent material. The park receives an averageof sixteen inches of rain per year.

There are three dominant plant communities within the park which includegrassland, chapparal and oak riparian woodland. The grassland comprisesabout 60% of the park and contains mainly exotic grasses such as wild oats.The grasslands include some native perennial grasses such as PurpleNeedlegrass. The grasslands support an amazing assortment of wildflowerswhich may be seen in the spring and summer. Some of the more prominentspecies include the Mariposa lily, blow wives, goldfields, yarrow andCalifornia poppy. Chapparal, which is primarily comprised of chamise andsage species, covers about 26% of the park. The oak riparian woodland isfound in the drainage swales and seasonal creeks, comprising roughly 13% ofthe park area.

Motorcycle County Park may be home to several species of endangered plantand animal species including the California red legged frog, bay checkerspotbutterfly, Metcalf Canyon jewelflower, Santa Clara dudleya, and the MountHamilton thistle. Most of the endangered plant species are found in the ser-pentine soil habitats. These habitats have been identified and the CountyParks Department is committed to preserving these areas by restricting newtrail development, while closing some trails in these sensitive habitat areas.The Department is also in the process of implementing an ongoing erosionand sedimentation control program for the park.

CULTURAL HISTORYThe Ohlone Indians lived around Coyote Creek and the surrounding hills formore than 3,000 years prior to the arrival of the Spanish in the late 18thcentury. The Ohlones probably utilized the area for hunting and gathering.

Most of the park falls within the historic boundaries of the Rancho Refugio de laLaguna Seca, with small portions fall within the Rancho Yerba Buena y Socareand Pueblo Tract III. Rancho Laguna Seca, meaning “dry lake” included almost20,000 acres, ranging from today’s Metcalf Road south to Morgan Hill, incorpo-rating the valley and surrounding foothills. The rancho was granted to JuanAlvirez in 1834 by Governor Figueroa, the Mexican governor of Alta California.William Fisher, born in England in 1810, arrived in Massachusetts as a youngman and left for Baja California in 1830 as a mate on a sailing vessel. He settledin San Jose, Baja California, where he owned a vessel and navigated upon theGulf of California. William Fisher married Liberata Cesena in Mexico and even-tually raised four sons and two daughters. At a public auction in April of 1842,he purchased Rancho Laguna Seca for $6,000 and four years later erected anadobe on the current site of Coyote Ranch, part of Santa Clara County Park’sCoyote Creek Parkway near Metcalf Road and Monterey Highway. At therancho, FIsher engaged in cattle and stockraising until his death in 1850.

One of Willam’s sons, Fiacro C. Fisher, born on the ranch in 1850, continuedranching on the 2,600 acre farm while caring for his mother. By 1876, much ofthe ranch was parcelized, with the Fishers retaining most of the northernportion of the original rancho around Coyote Station including the originalhomestead. The ranch was reported to be one of the most productive grainfarms in the valley. Most of the ranch was devoted to hay, grain and pasture.The Thompson and West Atlas of Santa Clara County, published in 1876,shows a man named Dan Rola owning 1,865 acres in the Motorcycle Park area.

Fiacro Fisher received his primary education at local County schools and attend-ed Santa Clara University for two years. After school, he worked as a foremanfor Daniel Murphy, another pioneer of Santa Clara County, who owned muchland in and around Morgan Hill and Gilroy. Fiacro also ran the family ranchwhile, in 1877, taking charge of the Hill and Murphy ranches in Nevada asGeneral Manager until 1894. After 1894, he turned to cultivating and improvingthe Fisher Ranch (Coyote Ranch) property consisting of about 1,300 acres.Fiacro built the Coyote Ranch house which is located on Coyote Ranch Roadon County park property, currently leased for catered group picnics.

In 1917 the Motorcycle Park area was deeded from Oliver and AmyBlanchard to Maria Ramelli which became the Ramelli Ranch Company. Theland which would eventually include Motorcycle Park was acquired by theCounty in 1971 from Roland Ramelli, a total of 914 acres. In 1972, 14 acreswere deeded to the State of California for the South Valley Freeway (US 101).In 1976, 207 acres were traded to United Technology Corporation (UTC) for a98 acre parcel which became Field Sports Park. Six of these 98 acres weredeeded to the state for the freeway. In 1974, the County transferred 227 acresto the County Parks Department for the establishment of Motorcycle Park. In1982, an additional 215 acres were added.

The Central County Safety Committee operated the park and subleased it tothe South County Micro Midget Racing Association and then the BaylandsQuarter Midget Racing Association. In 1988, the Safety Council declaredbankruptcy, and the park was temporarily closed due to insurance problems.In 1988, the County Parks Department secured funding from a State ofCalifornia Off-Highway Vehicle Grant which was used to make majorimprovements, including a parking lot, signage and fencing. The parkreopened under the auspices of the Santa Clara County Parks and RecreationDepartment in 1990.

A Micro Midgetspeeds down the backstretch on the MetcalfRaceway Park clayoval, 1986.

1500-13 REV 1/05 Printed on recycled paper.

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