Culture & Recreation in Los Gatos, California

The New Museum of Los Gatos, or NUMU as it is more often called, is a museum that highlights the history, culture, and modern society of Los Gatos. Visitors can explore exhibits like the Los Gatos History Gallery, where they will learn about the town’s past through a series of artifacts, photos, documents, and more, or the Artist’s Studio, where artists are featured on a rotating basis. The museum also hosts a plethora of programs for members and visitors, from arts and crafts events for the kids to artist led workshops and ‘wine and travel’ experiences for adults.

106 E. Main Street, Los Gatos, CA, 95030, Phone: 408-354-2646

Castle Rock State Park encompasses one of the highest ridges in the entire Santa Cruz range, and it is a haven for natural recreation. With sculpted sandstone rocks for rock climbing, bouldering, and scrambling, 34 miles of hiking trails for hikers of all ability levels, and a rustic camping site accessible only for backpackers, visitors at Castle Rock State Park can enjoy the area on foot, on a bike, or on the back of a horse. With redwood trees in the lush forests and gorgeous mountain vistas above the treeline, Castle Rock State Park is an amazing natural playground that should not be missed.

15000 Skyline Blvd, Los Gatos, CA 95033, Phone: 408-867-2952

Oak Meadow Park is conveniently located on the Los Gatos Creek Trail, meaning it’s easy to access the park from Vasona Lake Park or any of the other beautiful parks on the trail. With 12 acres of grassy fields, picnic facilities, and more, Oak Meadow Park is a great place to spend an afternoon with family and friends. The park features a bocce ball court, the acclaimed Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad, and a kids’ playground with a real USAF T-33 Jet that has been decommissioned. There are picnic areas available on a first come first served basis for groups of under 25, and reservable picnic sites available for groups up to 50 people.

233 Blossom Hill Rd, Los Gatos, CA 95032, Phone: 408-354-6834

A visit to Byington Vineyard and Winery will give guests access to the 95 acres of gorgeous vineyard where Byington grows their grapes in full view of the stunning Santa Cruz Mountains. Their tasting room is open Thursday through Sunday from 11am until 5pm, and for a small tasting fee, visitors can try five different ypes of Byington’s wine as they tour the facilities. Sunday visitors can also take advantage of a unique opportunity to tour the wine cave at Byington - a space 40 feet below the surface of the ground where the winery stores their wine and barrels - and taste some wine straight from the barrel. Byington also has picnic facilities, an aptly named “Wedding Hill”, and live music on most Sundays.

1850 Bear Creek Rd, Los Gatos, CA 95033, Phone: 408-354-1111

Testarossa ’s Los Gatos tasting room is open seven days a week from 11am to 5pm, and visitors can check out the space, located in the caves and cellars of Novitiate Winery, a historic winemaking facility in Los Gatos that started making wine in the 19th century. There are several different tasting programs available: the Cuvee tasting, which features 4 wines, and the Appellation tasting, which features 5 single vineyard wines. On weekends, guests can opt to tour the historic cellars and learn about their significance in the winemaking process. Picnic tables, live music, and Wine Bar 107, a wine and cheese experience on the patio, are available as well.

300 College Avenue, Los Gatos, CA 95030, Phone: 408-354-6150

Loma Prieta Winery isn’t a big organization - with fewer than three thousand cases of wine each year, it’s downright small, but this little winery is actually the largest producer of Pinotage in the entire continent of North America. This primarily South African variety of grape is a hybrid between Pinot Noir and Cinsault grapes, and Loma Prieta has captured the market on the unique wine, which is made by very few wineries in California - or anywhere outside of South Africa, really.

26985 Loma Prieta Way, Los Gatos, CA 95033, Phone: 408-353-2950

Practically everything about Regale Winery & Vineyards is inspired by Italy. With a large wrought-iron gate at the entrance, leading to the gorgeous, villa-style winery within, Regale is full of beautiful rose gardens, olive trees, intricate fountains, elegant decor, and lovely landscapes. Visitors to Regale can check out the tasting room, open on Saturdays from 11-4 and Sundays from 11-5, which has a beautiful outdoor tasting bar with amazing views of the vineyards and surrounding mountains, as well as an indoor tasting bar which is open during inclement weather and available only for members.

24040 Summit Road, Los Gatos, CA 95033, Phone: 408-353-2500

The Limekiln Trail is a hiking trail that runs through Kennedy Limekiln, one of the four main areas of the massive, 18,000 acre Sierra Azul Open Space. The Kennedy Limekiln Area is easily accessible from Kennedy Road in Los Gatos, and the area opens each day from half an hour before sunrise until half an hour after the sun goes down. Dogs, horses, and bicyclists are allowed in certain areas throughout the park, but camping, fires, and smoking are prohibited. The Limekiln Trail is a popular part of the Kennedy Trail/Limekiln Trail Loop, which together makes for a beautiful 14 mile hike through the gorgeous Sierra Azul space.

Limekiln Trail, California 95033

An easy drive down Highway 17 from Los Gatos, Castle Rock State Park is a natural playground of a park, with many natural wonders including rock formations, Pacific Ocean views, and Castle Rock Falls. There is a well-designated trail that leads slightly downhill for 0.8 miles to reach Castle Rock (which means the way back is uphill, unfortunately), and visitors will find a viewing platform where they can see the beautiful waterfall, which is approximately 70 feet high. From the falls, hikers can choose to continue on the Castle Rock Trail, which leads to Castle Rock itself, part of a group of imposing rock formations, or on the Saratoga Gap Trail, which leads to higher ground for bigger vistas.

15000 Skyline Blvd, Los Gatos, CA 95033, Phone: 408-867-2952

In 1854, a little red schoolhouse was built on the grounds where Burrell School Vineyards & Winery now sits. This little building is still a place of learning, though today it specializes in wine and winemaking. At Burrell School Vineyards and Winery, visitors can enjoy the historic schoolhouse, which still stands, and visit the tasting room. There, guests can learn about - and try, of course - some of the amazing wines that Burrell School Vineyards and Winery produces, including syrah, pinot noir, chardonnay, cab franc, merlot, and a unique blend called Valedictorian.

24060 Summit Rd, Los Gatos, CA 95033, Phone: 408-353-6290