Vasona Lake & Oak Meadow
In the middle of town, the county’s Vasona Lake park and the town’s Oak Meadow Park sit side by side, with a lake, picnic lawns, a little steam railroad and a historic carousel.
Discover Vasona Lake & Oak Meadow
Vasona Reservoir was made by damming Los Gatos Creek, and the dam was finished in 1934. The name comes from a railroad flag stop, which farmer Albert August Vollmer named after his childhood pony. Pedal boats, kayaks and paddleboards are allowed; swimming is not. (Wikipedia)
In 1939 Southern Pacific engineer Billy Jones bought a little 1905 steam engine for $100 and ran it on his prune ranch for neighborhood children. After he died in 1968, residents moved his Wildcat Railroad to Oak Meadow Park, where it opened in 1970. (Wikipedia, Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad)
Beside the depot turns the W. E. “Bill” Mason Carousel, which ran at San Francisco’s 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition and is one of three historic clockwise-turning English carousels in the country. (Wikipedia)
Each December since 1999 the park has held the Fantasy of Lights; check Santa Clara County Parks for tickets, which sell out quickly. (Wikipedia, Hoodline)
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Los Gatos magic: A mill, a creek and a town in the foothills
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