Martial Cottle Park State Recreation Area
🏆🏆 Silicon Valley Farm — 287-acre working farm preserved in the heart of San Jose suburbia
Martial Cottle Park State Recreation Area preserves 287 acres of working farmland in the heart of San Jose — a living remnant of the Santa Clara Valley’s agricultural heritage before it became Silicon Valley. The Cottle family farmed this land for over 100 years, and the park continues the agricultural tradition with demonstration crops, orchards, and educational programs alongside walking and cycling trails through the pastoral landscape.
Visitor Information
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Location | San Jose, CA (South Bay) |
| Size | 287 acres |
| Entry Fee | Free |
| Feature | Working farm in Silicon Valley |
| History | 100+ years of Cottle family farming |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there still farming?
Yes! The park maintains active agricultural operations with demonstration crops and educational programs. You can observe farming while walking or cycling the park’s trail system.
$a
What was Silicon Valley before tech?
The Santa Clara Valley was one of the world’s most productive fruit-growing regions — millions of fruit trees covered the valley floor. From the 1850s through the 1960s, orchards stretched from San Jose to Palo Alto. Urbanization and the tech industry replaced 99% of the orchards. Martial Cottle is a reminder of what lies beneath the parking lots.
🌾 Visit Martial Cottle Park SRA
287 acres of working farmland in Silicon Valley — Santa Clara Valley heritage preserved.
About Martial Cottle Park
Martial Cottle Park preserves 287 acres of agricultural heritage in the heart of San Jose. The park honors families who farmed this land for over 100 years, telling the story of Santa Clara Valley’s agricultural past — before Silicon Valley replaced orchards with office parks.
Things to Do
Walking and cycling on 4+ miles of paved trails, visiting working farm demonstrations, community gardens, picnicking, and learning South Bay agricultural history. Seasonal farm events and farmers’ markets.
Insider Tips
Silicon Valley farm: Martial Cottle Park preserves 287 acres of farmland in the heart of San Jose — the last working agricultural land in Silicon Valley. Pro tip: The Cottle family farmed this land for 150 years before donating it to become a park. Agricultural heritage: The Santa Clara Valley was called “The Valley of Heart’s Delight” before Silicon Valley — famous for orchards of apricots, cherries, and prunes.
Best Time to Visit
Spring: If any heritage orchards bloom. Year-round: Walking and cycling trails. Fall: Harvest activities. Summer: Farm education programs.
Wildlife & Nature
Martial Cottle Park SRA — 287 acres in San Jose — preserves the last agricultural landscape in the heart of Silicon Valley, honoring the Cottle and Lester families who farmed here for over 100 years. The park — surrounded by tech campuses — features community gardens, walking paths, and educational programs about Santa Clara Valley’s agricultural heritage (once the “Valley of Heart’s Delight”). Burrowing owls nest in the fields. White-tailed kites hover and dive.
Nearby Attractions
San Jose — surrounding — has the Tech Museum, SAP Center, and Santana Row. Santa Clara — 5 miles north — has Great America and Levi’s Stadium. Los Gatos — 10 miles south — has hiking at St. Joseph’s Hill. Stanford University — 15 miles northwest — has the campus and Cantor Arts Center.
