Joseph D. Grant County Park
Date: (Sun.) Apr. 5, 2009
Location: San Jose, CA
Event Director: 
- 408.878.5073
Course Setters: Derek Maclean, Jim Fish
Type: B; Standard seven-course event for beginners through advanced
Related Event Information
Course Setters' Notes Last Year's A-Meet at Joe Grant 2007 B-Meet at Joe Grant
Please join us for the 2009 spring meet in the southern section of Joe Grant park.
Joseph D. Grant County Park lies in a valley between Mount Hamilton and Santa Clara Valley. The park is moderately hilly. It includes a mix of oak forest and large open areas, with plenty of topographic variety. After the recent rains, we are expecting a fine spring display of wildflowers.
Derek Maclean and Jim Fish will be setting the standard full set of White, Yellow, Orange, Brown, Green, Red, and Blue courses.
Mark your calendars for one of the Bay Area's classic venues.
Courses
Course Length Climb Controls Technical Physical
White 2.4 km 60 m 11 Beginner Trails Yellow 2.4 km 95 m 12 Adv. Beg. Mostly trails Orange 3.9 km 150 m 11 Intermediate Intermediate Brown 4.5 km 180 m 12 Advanced Hard Green 5.4 km 215 m 14 Advanced Harder Red 6.6 km 255 m 16 Advanced Very hard Blue 7.7 km 330 m 17 Advanced Even harder
There is more information about the courses in the Course Setters' Notes.
Driving Directions
There's a map here that shows the location of the park.
To reach the park, take I-680 to the Alum Rock Avenue exit in San Jose. Head east on Alum Rock to Mt. Hamilton Road. Take a right onto Mt. Hamilton Rd and proceed about 7.5 miles to the park entrance to your right. After paying the $5 entry fee, go about 0.25 miles to the parking area designated by the O' signs.
Here's an alternative route choice (afterall, orienteering is all about route choice): Quimby Road is believed to be much faster, with a shorter (but steeper) windy road, than Mt. Hamilton Rd from Alum Rock. Some people recommend this route even for those coming from the north on 280 or 101. In that case, exit 101 south at Tully Rd, and head east (toward the hills). Turn right onto Quimby Rd (just before East Ridge Shopping Center); take this up and over the hill until it meets Mt Hamilton Road. Turn right and go a few hundred yards to the park entrance.
From the south, coming up 101, take the Capitol Expy exit and head east (toward the hills). Go about 1.5 miles and turn right onto Quimby Road.
Carpool Sites
People sometimes meet at the junction of Alum Rock Ave and Mt. Hamilton Rd, where there is plenty of parking. That might seem so near the park as to be not helpful, but it does save the twisty drive up Mt. Hamilton Rd, and the park entrance fee for the cars that are left below.
Similarly, people taking the Quimby Rd route could meet at East Ridge Shopping Center (at Tully and Quimby).