alviso marina county park

Alviso is on the Bay and is near San Jose. It is worth a trip to explore its history and location. Alviso used to be home to over 1000 people, but sunk into the mud years ago. The original canning factory still stands, which at one point was the third largest cannery in the US. Somewhere under the marshes are houses and stores that sunk, giving Alviso historical significance and worth exploring. Read up on the history and stop by to look around, its really fun.

You can spot some waterfowl, or do some people watching. There are decks that take you out over the marsh to a berm that you can stroll along to enjoy an afternoon breeze in an area that is usually cooler than the rest of the South Bay. Facing South and East you can see the Mission Peak Mountain range across the seemingly infinite marshes, while North and West the sun may dazzle you with color as the sun sets. It's seldom very busy here. Unfortunately some of the best photographs will include the iconic "portals" and you may have to be patient to get a chance to snap a shot of just you and your sweetie.

This is a very nice county park. There is interesting foliage as it is on the south end of San Francisco Bay. The cool afternoon breezes here are perfect on a summer day. There are hiking trails, historical information, and a small area to launch a small boat. There is also picnic areas. It is free to go there when it is open (i.e. normally open during daylight hours.).

I live in Milpitas and this is the place where I'd come back to enjoy some peace and feel like traveling back in time. I don’t know why, Alviso is only a few miles from the heart of the high tech Silicon valley, yet there are many antique structures near the marina, ranging from the abandoned canning factory to some empty rotten Victorian houses as if it were a ghost town. The marsh by the marina is a good place to walk about and watch the wildlife and hear the howling wind. Since this place is quiet and away from the crowd, it's probably one of the most convenient and economical place where you can get the brief getaway feeling from the hectic city life.