Touring * Fitness * Slalom * Scene * Artistic *

From Highway 17 in Campbell, take the Hamilton Avenue exit and head east, crossing above the freeway to Bascom Avenue. Turn right (south) onto Bascom, and just after the Pruneyard Shopping Center, turn right again onto Campbell Avenue. You must cross back under the freeway and over the creek. Immediately after the bridge, look for the driveway to Campbell Park on the left, at unmarked Gilman Avenue. Turn in and park in the lot.

Except for the stretch near Campbell Park, the Los Gatos Creek Trail is no place for beginners or skaters who haven't yet learned good, solid heel braking skills. But for those who can negotiate hills and crowds, this is a dynamite skating trail, truly a classic. And because of that, it has become the most popular in-line spot in the south San Francisco Bay area.

With its varied scenery and long length, the trail attracts everyone from serious cyclists in sleek lycra, to packs of mountain bikers, to fitness walkers, to parents pushing baby strollers. A 15 mile per hour speed limit is enforced by rangers on bikes. As long as you keep alert and mind your best trail manners, you should be able to relax and skate without any collisions. Just make sure you warn folks that you're about to pass as you approach from behind in crowded conditions.

The view of Los Gatos Creek is sometimes blocked by fences and trees, but it's wide open in other spots, such as through Los Gatos Creek Park and next to Vasona Lake. It's easy to relate to the joie de vivre displayed by the quacking and honking ducks and geese who inhabit these waters.

To start your excursion south from Campbell Park on the west side of the creek, look for the trail close to the creek's bank just beyond the paved circle below the parking lot. The path inclines quite steeply near the first dam, as it does for all three dams it passes. At Lark Avenue, there's even a special sign just for skaters that says "Skaters Slow." That's because coming from the opposite direction, the trail rounds a very sharp curve, dips down into the shadows of overhanging trees, and then abruptly swerves once more. This setup causes several accidents a year, so an Emergency Call box is right next to the warning sign. (There are three such boxes on this trail.)

At the bottom of at least two sloping underpasses, the flow of traffic is blocked by gates that force you to slow down to a near stop so you can zig-zag through them in single file. The one at the southwest crossing of Lark is almost too steep for skating because it also has the same gate setup at the top, and it takes some fancy footwork to get your heel brake in place in time to avoid crashing into the gate at the bottom of the drop. (I admit it; I landed on my "best asset," and so did the expert-looking cyclist negotiating the gates in front of me.) The only way to avoid this nasty underpass is to cross the creek up on Lark itself, roll two blocks down to the crosswalk at Canada Court, and then skate back up to the east side trail. (Yes, you'll see jay-walkers and -rollers here.)

After the last hill climb, you'll arrive at pretty Vasona Lake County Park. After rounding the south end of the lake, you'll realize that this is a good time to take that competitive spirit down a notch or two. Go ahead and relax as you explore the many pathways of the park. The trail ends at Blossom Hill Road on the southern border of the park. (To start your trip from this end, park for free south of Blossom Hill, up the first road on the left.)

On your return to Campbell Park, if you're ready for more, skate up the asphalt ramp to the sidewalk on Campbell Avenue, cross the creek, and access the northbound trail. Though not very long, this stretch is quite pretty and well landscaped. At the time of this writing, it terminated at Leigh Avenue, but plans are to extend the trail north to con-nect it with the currently very short Guadalupe Expressway Trail.