32 min
Overview
The Castillero Trail splits from Mine Hill Trail just after a little picnic area with a horse trough. Stay to the right at this fork in the trail to take the Castillero Trail. The Castillero Trail is an open, wide trail with views of the pristine Santa Cruz Mountains on the right. This section follows along a hillside that drops off to the right, and continues up on the left. After going past a short wooded section, the old Mine Hill Rotary Furnace ruins come into view. <br><br>Just before reaching the old Mine Hill Rotary Furnace ruins, the hill to the left of the trail is Mine Hill. Here, a short spur trail off Castillero Trail doubles back and climbs Mine Hill, if you'd like to make your journey a bit more strenuous. <br><br>Continuing on past the Mine Hill Rotary Furnace ruins, the Castillero Trail veers left. It passes the Hidalgo Cemetery Trail on the right, as it goes around Mine Hill that is to the left of the trail. The vegetation becomes thicker as it winds on and meets up with the Yellow Kid Trail after a short ways.<br><br>To the right, at the Castillero Trail/Yellow Kid Trail junction is the site of the old English Camp. When these mines were active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Cornish miners and their families lived here, in a town of about 1000 people.
Trail Stats
2.0 km
18 m
502 m
406 m
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Photos
The entrance to the Main Tunnel of the New Almaden Mine was down there in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This was a cinnaber (mercury ore) mine.
The entrance to the Main Tunnel of the New Almaden Mine was down there in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This was a cinnaber (mercury ore) mine.
A winter day on Castillero Trail.
A winter day on Castillero Trail.
Site of the Yellow Kid Tunnel entrance to the New Almaden Mine, a cinnabar (mercury ore) mine in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Site of the Yellow Kid Tunnel entrance to the New Almaden Mine, a cinnabar (mercury ore) mine in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Mine Hill Trail winds through hilly wooded terrain in east Quicksilver Park.
Mine Hill Trail winds through hilly wooded terrain in east Quicksilver Park.
On Castillero Trail, approaching the ruins. Mine Hill Rotary Furnace used to extract mercury from cinnabar in the early 20th century
On Castillero Trail, approaching the ruins. Mine Hill Rotary Furnace used to extract mercury from cinnabar in the early 20th century
The Castillero Trail offers an interesting perspective into the ruins of the old mine office.
The Castillero Trail offers an interesting perspective into the ruins of the old mine office.
View looking northwest up the peninsula from Castillero Trail.
View looking northwest up the peninsula from Castillero Trail.
The old English Camp, pictured here, was a town of about 1000 people inhabited by miners and their families in the late 19th and early 20th centuries when nearby mines were active.
The old English Camp, pictured here, was a town of about 1000 people inhabited by miners and their families in the late 19th and early 20th centuries when nearby mines were active.