La Voz

De Anza students can find a variety of camping grounds within 90 miles of campus.

1) Big Basin Redwoods State Park Located in the Santa Cruz mountains about 25 miles from De Anza, Big Basin offers hiking, camping, and backpacking in the oldest state park in California. The Wastahi campground offers walk-in sites about 250 feet from the parking lot for a comfortable car camping experience, without the car in your camp site. Backpackers can spend the night in proximity to the falls at the Sunset camp.

2) Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park Situated just off Highway 9, Henry Cowell Redwoods is famous for the Roaring Camp Big Trees Railroad that runs through the park. The park is also home to magnificent redwoods groves and the San Lorenzo River. Proximity to the coast and daily fog keep temperatures in the park down even on scorching days inland. Camping reservations are on a site-specific basis, so be sure to check their maps for information.

3) Mount Diablo State Park From the top of the 3,849 foot summit on a clear day, the Sierra Nevadas can be viewed floating in the haze. A network of trails explores the broad shoulders and base of the mountain and are worth visiting.

4) Sanborn-Skyline County Park Saratoga's best kept secret is less than a 20 - minute drive from De Anza. Follow Sanborn Road off Highway 9 to the entrance of Sanborn-Skyline County Park for a secluded camping experience among redwood groves.

5) Castle Rock County Park This park is in the highest elevations in the Santa Cruz mountains. The skyline- to-the-sea backpacking trail, as the name implies, runs from the highest elevations in Castle Rock down to the ocean in Big Basin State Park. The park also has several quiet backpacking camp sites tucked deep in the park.

6) Uvas County Park After a scenic drive down Uvas road, just a few miles south of San Jose Uvas County Park, Uvas sits nestled in the pine forests of the Santa Cruz mountains and features a number of beautiful waterfalls.

7) Point Reyes National Seashore This rugged coast is dotted with beautiful wildflowers and teeming with wildlife. This park has it all: beaches, waterfalls, cliffs, even mountains. Spend a weekend exploring the park, hiking or backpacking around the 70,000 square acres of park land.

8) Monte Bello Open Space Preserve Down the road from De Anza College, follow Stevens Creek Blvd. past Stevens Creek County Park to Page Mill Road, then up to the Monte Bello winery. A 1.5 mile trail leads to the summit of Black Mountain, visible from the De Anza Campus.

9) Joseph D. Grant County Park Campgrounds Located on the high slopes of Mt. Hamilton, Grant County Park sprawls across 9,522 acres of secluded grassy ridges dotted by oaks. Encounters with deer are as likely as humans in the park. Campgrounds offer bathrooms, and hot showers.

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