Long before it was a park, this land was the site of one of the most productive mercury mines in North America. For over a century, the New Almaden mines shaped the economy of California and the lives of thousands of workers. Explore the stories of the people and events that made this place what it is today.
Gold Rush Years
Mercury from New Almaden was essential to processing California's gold ore, making the mines here as vital to the Gold Rush as the Sierra Nevada diggings themselves.
Townships
The mines gave rise to a string of company towns — Englishtown, Spanishtown, and New Almaden — each with its own culture, church, and community life.
Civilian Conservation Corps
During the Great Depression, CCC crews built roads, trails, and structures throughout the area, leaving behind infrastructure that still shapes the park today.
Birth of a Park
After the mines closed, community advocates and Santa Clara County worked together through the 1960s and 70s to transform the exhausted mining land into a public park.