more stats
3.8 miles
Distance
289 ft
Climb
-571 ft
Descent
00:22:48
Avg time
-281 ft
Altitude change
495 ft
Altitude min
821 ft
Altitude max
821 ft
Altitude start
538 ft
Altitude end
-1.4%
Grade
-36.8%
Grade max
20.1%
Grade min
1 mile
Distance climb
2 miles
Distance down
3,212 ft
Distance flat
00:22:48
Avg time

Cottle Trail Details

  • Activities
    • Mountain Bike
    • Gravel Bike
    • Adaptive Bike
    • Hike
    • Trail Running
  • Riding Area
    Calero County Park
    San Jose, California
  • Difficulty Rating
    Green Rate
  • Voted Difficulty
    Green (3 votes)
  • Local Popularity
    100 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • 55 in Trail Running
    • 75 in Hiking
    • 5 in Adaptive Biking
    • 95 in Gravel Biking
  • Global Ranking
    #50442 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • #145885 in Trail Running
    • #126734 in Hiking
    • #861 in Adaptive Biking
    • #1197 in Gravel Biking
  • State Ranking
    #1,482 in Mountain Biking · California [+]
    • #7,438 in Trail Running
    • #7,072 in Hiking
    • #71 in Adaptive Biking
    • #97 in Gravel Biking
  • Hiking SAC Scale
    T2 Mountain Hiking
  • Trail Type
    Doubletrack
  • Bike Type
    AM, XC, DJ, Adaptive MTB, CX, Gravel
  • Direction
    One Direction[+]
    Popular In Reverse
    • Both Directions for Trail Running
    • Both Directions for Hiking
    • One Direction for Adaptive Biking
    • One Direction for Gravel Biking
  • Climb Difficulty
    Blue
  • Physical Rating
    Moderate
  • Trail Visibility
    Always easy to follow
  • Season
    All Year
  • Family Friendly
    Yes
  • Dogs Allowed
    Yes
  • Land Owner
    Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority

Winding around the reservoir with neat views, as it goes deeper into the park, it starts to climb. The climb pitches as it gets closer to the end, the Cottle Rest spot. The rest spot is in the shade with a picnic table. Horses have a trough here. The trail then continues as Chisnantuk single track.

Adaptive Bike Info
aMTB Blue Rating: Intermediate features and steeper terrain.
Tags
Family friendly

Trail Supporters

Local Trail Association

Traditionally Indigenous Territory

Recent Activity on Trail

Past Week
  • 7 rides
  • 20 miles average
6 Months
  • 113 rides
  • 21 miles avg distance
All
  • 1,385 rides
  • Last: Oct 25, 2026
c1c2c3c4
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Cottle Trail Trail Reports

statusdatedescription
Jul 14, 2026 @ 3:08pm (America/Los_Angeles)
Jul 14, 2026
Feb 22, 2026 @ 10:21am (America/Los_Angeles)
Feb 22, 2026
 some muddy stuff, creek crossings (going up toward bald peak) are little deeper than usual but can def ride right through them
Jan 11, 2025 @ 3:35pm
Jan 11, 2025
Oct 30, 2024 @ 5:20pm
Oct 30, 2024
 The water district is taking core samples near the Calero dam, they say there may be intermittent 15-20 minute delays. When I got there they told...
Oct 5, 2024 @ 8:30am
Oct 5, 2024
more »
Status:
on Jul 14, 2026
Very Dry
Avg: 3.8 (9 votes)
Your vote: 0

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      Directions to cottle-trail trailhead (37.165830, -121.803030)
      View on Discover Map

      Photos

      1 more »
      mtb
      271 |
      Oct 1, 2022 @ 9:13pm
      Oct 1, 2022

      Videos

      no videos have been added for Cottle Trail yet, add a video.

      Routes with this trail

      24
      Calero Park Loop
      ★ 4.7 • 9 miles • 860 ft • 3 • Loop •
      A quick run and fast loop around Calero Park with brand new single track trails and a few older double...
      24
      Calero Loop
      ★ 4.0 • 7 miles • 645 ft • 2 • Loop •
      Easy Beginner loop, flowy and gradual climbs
      25
      san vicente
      ★ 5.0 • 10 miles • 925 ft • 12 •
      my version of calero. extra north ridge route
      3.7 ★★★★★
      9 Ratings
      5 ★ 33%
      4 ★ 22%
      3 ★ 33%
      2 ★
      1 ★ 11%

      4 Reviews & Comments

      MQA7PztW
      Still one way, South to north. Ranger I talked to said it will not reverse direction anytime soon.
      wtfsmc
      One way, south to north. I like it this way, completing the loop for the one way blue Lisa killough trail. Often wide fire road-ish, but frequently narrows.
      Jay101010
      Currently its one way only, opposite direction of what is shown here. (counter clock wise from Lisa K. Trail

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      Nearby Trails

      Calero County Park

      • By aguynamedjoeTF Pro & contributors
      • #129041 - 4,916 views

      Frequently Asked Questions

      ▼ Where is Cottle Trail located?
      Cottle Trail is located in Calero County Park, San Jose, California, United States. It is part of the Calero County Park trail network. The trailhead is located at coordinates 37.16583, -121.80303.
      ▼ How hard is Cottle Trail?
      Cottle Trail is rated as Green difficulty. The physical rating is Moderate. The average grade is 1.4%. The climb difficulty is rated Blue.
      ▼ What is the elevation gain for Cottle Trail?
      Cottle Trail has 289 ft of elevation gain. The trail has 571 ft of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 495 ft to 821 ft.
      ▼ Is Cottle Trail a point to point trail?
      Yes, Cottle Trail is a point to point trail. The direction is One Direction. The trail type is doubletrack.
      ▼ How long is Cottle Trail?
      Cottle Trail is 3.8 miles long. The trail type is doubletrack.
      ▼ Are dogs allowed on Cottle Trail?
      Yes, dogs are allowed on Cottle Trail. Please keep dogs on a leash where required and clean up after them.
      ▼ When is the best time of year to ride Cottle Trail?
      Based on activity log data, the most popular months to ride Cottle Trail are:
      • May (68 activities)
      • October (48 activities)
      • June (47 activities)
      Check the reports page for current trail conditions.
      ▼ How do I access Cottle Trail? Where is the closest parking trailhead?
      The closest parking and trailhead locations to Cottle Trail are: View all parking locations in the area.
      ▼ How long does it take to ride Cottle Trail?
      Based on recorded activities, it takes an average of 23 minutes to ride Cottle Trail. The trail is 3.8 miles long. Actual times will vary based on fitness level, conditions, and pace. View recent activity logs for more details.
      ▼ How busy is Cottle Trail?
      Cottle Trail is a very popular trail. There have been 12,563 recorded activities on this trail. The trail has received 14,846 check-ins. View recent activity on this trail.

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