Lower San Felipe Trail

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Lower San Felipe Trail is also the southern 0.75 miles of the longer San Felipe Trail (according to park sign posts).

Approaching Lower San Felipe Trail from the south, the sign post at the south end of Lower San Felipe Trail says San Felipe Trail NOT Lower San Felipe Trail.

Approaching Lower San Felipe Trail from the north, the sign post at the north end of Lower San Felipe Trail does say Lower San Felipe Trail.

To find the Lower San Felipe Trail start, from the park road where Brush Trail starts, take Brush Trail. Almost immediately, is the signposted Brush Trail/Snell Trail junction. Follow the arrow onto Snell Trail. A very short ways later is the Lower San Felipe Trail start, marked by a sign post. The Lower San Felipe Trail start is a total of only 0.1 miles from the road where Brush Trail starts.

Lower San Felipe Trail descends very gradually as it runs on the southwest side of the broad San Felipe Creek Valley. To the right/southwest side of the trail the thinly wooded hillside rises away from the trail. To the left/northeast, the open valley drops gradually to San Felipe Creek. Snell Barn is below in this valley. However the creek is too far away to be seen. The creek's valley is open grasslands with wetlands at the valley bottom. Across the valley are the tree studded grass hills of the Diablo Range that rise to over 4,000 feet. high. Mount Hamilton, 4,265 feet., with Lick Observatory on its summit, can be seen in the distance. Great views!

Lower San Felipe Trail ends at Corral Trail and Eagle Trail after a little over 0.7 miles.

Grass hills that are green in the spring, golden in summer and fall. Stands of oak trees. Poison oak. Deer. Rattlesnakes in the warm weather.