South Bay Growth

Bay Area Wilderness Training (BAWT) creates opportunities for underserved Bay Area youth to experience wilderness firsthand and have powerful environmental education experiences. The Authority contributed funds to help BAWT continue to expand services in Santa Clara County by conducting more outdoor leadership training courses, including full scholarships for South Bay focused leaders. Through this grant, BAWT will continue expansion of outdoor equipment lending and trip support services. This project is increasing the number of Santa Clara County outdoor trips for diverse youth and will help launch a legacy that will provide youth of color and low-income youth in the South Bay with outdoor experiences for many years to come.

While there are many trails in the Santa Clara Valley, none connect the Santa Cruz Mountains to the Diablo Range and tie the Santa Clara Valley into the Bay Area Ridge Trail, a 375-mile network of trails that unites the ridges circling the Bay Area. The Authority is helping to fund the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council’s feasibility study to consider and identify a preferred Ridge Trail alignment between Santa Teresa County Park and the Coyote Creek Trail as part of ongoing efforts to fix this South Bay “trail-gap.”

The Authority contributed funds totaling $3,235,000 towards the purchase of land along the former Union Pacific railroad in the Willow Glen neighborhood of San Jose. The trail will eventually connect three creek trails: the Los Gatos Creek Trail, the Guadalupe Creek Trail, and the Coyote Creek Trail. This 1-mile trail features an iconic water tower and fruit crates that pay homage to the Valley of Heart's Delight.