Deer are among the most common mammals found in Bay Area county parks and open space preserves. Nonetheless you usually have to make an effort to find them within most parks. But not in Santa Teresa County Park.
Deer in Santa Teresa County Park
Santa Teresa County Park is one of the easiest and most accessible places for viewing deer. To see them from many of the locations you don’t even need to get out of your car. As I’m writing this blog entry in late July 2006, I know of one consisting of 10-15 California Mule Deer, including adult males and females, yearlings and several fauns that you can easily find on any given day. The best times of day to view the deer are in the early morning and near dusk. If you visit during the middle of a hot day, you are likely to be disappointed. The deer in this park are relatively unafraid of people and will allow you to approach them rather closely. They will keep a sharp eye on you the whole time, however. And please, do not approach them too closely. They are still wild animals and the adult males could do you significant damage if they felt threatened.
The map section below, taken from a map on the Santa Teresa County Park Page, on the Santa Clara County Parks website, shows 3 of the most common locations where I have found members of this herd. I added the deer icon to mark them. These locations are all along Bernal Road, which is the main road into the park.
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| 3 Deer in the thistles by Pueblo Picnic Area | Adult Male on the hill near Pueblo Picnic Area |
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| Silhouette of male deer near Bernal Hill Trail | Deer running on hill near Muriel Wright Girl’s Ranch |
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| A couple Fauns near Bernal-Gulnac-Joice Ranch which is a part of Santa Teresa County Park. (Area not shown on map above) |
Deer in Arastradero Preserve
Deer are plentiful along the Wild Rye Trail in Arastradero Preserve in Palo Alto. You’ll have to get out of your car and walk a bit in this case. Deer in Arastradero Preserve are a little more wary of people than in Santa Teresa County Park so you you won’t be able to get as close. The map below shows some of the places in this preserve where I’ve frequently encountered deer.
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| Deer running along the Red Tail Loop Trail. She’s actually outside the park boundary marked by the barbed wire fence. | Deer running above the Wild Rye Trail |
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| Deer with a bird on it’s back below the Wild Rye Trail |
I captured some video footage of 2 adults and 2 fawns along the Juan Bautista de Anza Trail.
Where else is it easy to spot deer in the bay area?
I’d like to hear from you. Let me know with your comments!