Top 10 Things To Do And See In Los Gatos, California

Vasona Lake County Park

At the 150-acre Vasona Lake County Park, people can bike, hike, fish, picnic, and walk their dog on a leash. The park has public and reservable picnic tables and 45 acres to be used for soccer, Frisbee or other open-space activities. Spring through fall, paddle and row boats are available, and every Saturday in June and July, there is a free concert known as Vasona Vibrations. Oak Meadow Park is located within Vasona Park and is home to a carousel, more picnic areas and green space plus two playgrounds, one of which has a real airplane for children to climb. On Saturdays and Sundays, there is also the Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad, which is a miniature train ride that is fun for the entire family. Lastly, Vasona Park offers an animated holiday light show in December called Fantasy of Lights.

Vasona Lake County Park, 333 Blossom Hill Rd, Los Gatos, CA, USA, +1 408 356 2729

Los Gatos Farmer’s Market |© Rie H/Flickr

Los Gatos Creek Trail

Los Gatos Creek Trail is a ten-mile trail that starts in Campbell and works its way through San Jose, Vasona Lake County Park, and Los Gatos. Along the trail, there will be people walking, jogging, bicycling, and skateboarding. There is also a dog park along the way. The trail has both flat and hilly terrain and is populated, so users always feel safe. However, it is not so crowded where they have to constantly maneuver around people.

Los Gatos Creek Trail, 1250 Dell Ave, Campbell, CA, USA, +1 408 356 2729

Walk N Santa Cruz Ave.

Have some spare time in Los Gatos? One of the best things to do is walk along N Santa Cruz Ave. Along with the necessary amenities like banks, there are also plenty of stores for shopping, tasty eateries, salons, and a movie theater, plus the street is a great place for people-watching. Visiting Los Gatos wouldn’t be complete without a stroll down N Santa Cruz Ave for some window shopping.

N Santa Cruz Ave, Los Gatos, CA, USA

Castle Rock State Park | © Rie H/Flickr

Testarossa Winery

Located in downtown Los Gatos, Testarossa Winery is housed in an old novitiate where Jesuits would make wine to be served during mass and dessert wine. Although the original building is still intact and in full use, the expansion that had to be made as the novice winery grew during the prohibition period covers the earlier building. In 1997, Testarossa moved into the building, producing only 4,000 cases in the fourth year – it now creates 20,000 each year. The original building, though, is a major highlight in their tasting room. There is also a large outdoor area and another tasting room where customers can be seated while they eat and listen to music.

Testarossa Winery, 300 College Ave, Los Gatos, CA, USA, +1 408 354 6150

New Museum Los Gatos

The New Museum Los Gatos, or NUMU for short, completely opened in the summer of last year. NUMU was created by merging Tait Avenue and Forbes Mill history museum into an old, but now renovated, library to create a modern museum. The museum is over 6,000 square feet with eight galleries that hold 18 exhibits each year. NUMU also has an art gallery where they feature local artists whose work can be purchased.

New Museum Los Gatos, 106 E Main St, Los Gatos, CA, USA, +1 408 354 2646

Black Ridge Vineyards | © Mike Oliver/Flickr

Black Ridge Vineyards

Black Ridge Vineyards is a small boutique winery that started in 1999. The winery is open the third weekend of each month for tasting and has many varietal wines. When the winery is not open for tasting, the public can still enjoy their wine at several local restaurants such as Dio Deka, Nick’s Next Door, Palacio, Hult’s Restaurant, and other locations in San Jose, California. After harvesting their grapes, Black Ridge Vineyards then sends them to Testarossa Winery where they crush, barrel, and bottle it for Black Ridge, and Testarossa serves the wine at their Wine Bar 107.

Black Ridge Vineyards, 18550 Black Rd, Los Gatos, CA, USA, +1 408 399 6396

YogaSource

YogaSource is one of the first certified yoga studios in Northern California, starting in Palo Alto in 1994. The company opened its second venue in Los Gatos in 2002. YogaSource programs include relax, gentle, hot, flow, Stanford Cancer Care, and specialty yoga. The company partnered with Stanford’s Cancer Supportive Care Program in 2014 to produce a Cancer Care Movement & Meditation yoga program. There are free yoga classes for cancer patients, survivors, their families, and other supporters; customers do not need to have received care at Stanford hospitals. The aim of the Stanford Cancer Care program is to alleviate some of the treatment symptoms and help improve their lives. YogaSource also provides a boutique Balinese-style spa that uses organic products and a lounge where customers can purchase tea, yoga books, accessories, etc.

YogaSource, 16185 Los Gatos Blvd, Los Gatos, CA, USA, +1 408 402 9642

Los Gatos Public Library | © Native4055/Flickr

Los Gatos Public Library

The Los Gatos Public Library has quiet study seating in various locations, computers, free wifi, self-checkout, plenty of outlets to keep customer’s electronics charged, and a café below for some refreshments. The library also has many genres of books available, and if they don’t have what the customer needs, the librarians can order it. There are also reading programs and story time for children.

Los Gatos Public Library, 100 Villa Ave, Los Gatos, CA, USA, +1 408 354 6891
By Natalie Savio

Natalie was born and raised in the south bay, San Jose, and is currently on her senior year studying Architecture and Community Design at the University of San Francisco. She is also an English writing minor and hopes to pursue writing beyond the classroom. Natalie is back in San Francisco after studying abroad in London, UK, which she hopes to travel back to. She enjoys writing, painting, singing, and exploring new places and TV shows.