Our trail guide offers a mix of quiet forested paths, urban treks through the heart of major cities, and the awe-inspiring sight of historic buildings and parks you won’t find anywhere else in America.
Mine Hill Trail [San Jose, CA]
The wildest trail on this list is home to deer, plenty of dense forest, and eerily abandoned mining villages along its 6.4-mile length. The Almaden Quicksilver Park’s trail winds through rolling hills and young forests once home to 1,800 families blasting and scouring the Santa Clara hillsides for dangerous, valuable mercury. Finish your hike with a stop at the Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum, where the harrowing history of the 1800s and 1900s mining rushes are told through displays and artifacts.
Stay with us: Hotel Valencia Santana Row
Missions Trail [San Antonio, TX]
This winding 16-mile round-trip trail along the San Antonio River skirts the edges of the city and takes you out into rolling farmland, but you can take up the trail at any point to explore one of the four historic Texas missions along its length, including the Alamo.
Stay with us: Hotel Valencia Riverwalk
Tejano Trails [Austin, TX]
The landmarks and 22 historic sites you’ll encounter on this five miles of trails include an outdoor amphitheater that has provided music and art for the city since the 1950s, the once-bustling Texaco oil depot, and the still-operating East Inns that originally opened in the 1800s. Each site represents a different epoch in Austin’s long history. Because the trail is so close to the city proper, there are many opportunities to wander a short distance off the trail and explore downtown, as well.
Stay with us: Lone Star Court
