Los Gatos Creek County Park and Oka Ponds (Winter)
By Brooke A Miller
Waterfowl and gulls are the main menu here in winter and you will find many! Located in Campbell, this park includes six percolation ponds to explore. It is flat, excellent for walking (as well as for bikes and strollers), and it is partially accessible for people with mobility issues.
Trip Covers: November - March
Key Birds: Ducks (American Wigeon, Ring-necked Duck, Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Hooded and Common Merganser), Common Gallinule, Wilson’s Snipe, Gulls (Ring-billed, California, Herring, Iceland (Thayer’s), Glaucous-winged), American Bittern (rare), herons and egrets, Belted Kingfisher, Cedar Waxwing
How to Bird
Los Gatos Creek County Park, which also includes Oka Ponds, is located in Campbell. It straddles the multi-use, paved Los Gatos Creek Trail and Los Gatos Creek. In addition to the Los Gatos Creek Trail, there are also several dirt footpaths here. The park is flat; excellent for walking, biking, or strollers and partially accessible for folks with accessibility challenges. There are restrooms near the main entrance, benches along the path, a lawn area with picnic tables, a dog park, and six percolation ponds to explore. Each pond has a number and the numbers can be found on the county park map (link below) or on our interactive map.
Pond 4. Subject to water level, the greatest concentration of waterfowl can be found in this pond and Wilson’s Snipe and Spotted Sandpiper can often be found along the edge of the small island.
Start at the main entrance on Dell Avenue (fee required, see directions below). From the parking lot walk South on the paved trail (Los Gatos Creek Trail). Los Gatos Creek follows the trail on the East side. As you walk along the trail look down into the creek itself for Sora, Green Heron, and other ducks. The first pond, Pond 1, on the West side of the trail, is the largest. This is where the gulls usually congregate; Herring and California Gulls will be the most plentiful. You may see Double-crested Cormorants and a Belted Kingfisher on the wires that cross the pond. In the southwest corner of pond 1, near the fishing dock, look for American Bittern, Common Gallinule, Green Heron, and both Great and Snowy Egrets. Merlin and American Kestrel are often found in the trees between ponds 1 and 2, and 2 and 3. Also look for Black-crowned Night Heron in the trees around pond 3. In Pond 3 you may find Redhead, Ring-necked Duck, Common and Hooded Merganser. If time is an issue, you can loop around back to the main parking lot at this point.
Male and female Common Merganser. Photo by Brooke Miller.
If time and ability permit, cross the bridge over the creek and explore Oka Ponds, numbered 4, 5, and 6. Pond 4, the first pond on your right after crossing the bridge, is where the greatest concentration of waterfowl may be found (water level permitting) and, if you’re lucky, you may be able to find Wilson’s Snipe and Spotted Sandpiper around the edge of the small island. Pond 5 usually has no water in it, but take a quick look anyway. It is the first pond on your left after crossing the bridge. Pond 6 may be dry or full, or anywhere in between. If there is water, Common and Hooded Mergansers may be found here. Circle Pond 4 and cross back over the bridge to Ponds 1, 2, and 3. If you are able, and have no mobility issues, circle ponds 3 and 2 from the North side dirt trail, where you may find Townsend’s Warbler, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Cedar Waxwings, and Yellow-rumped Warblers. Continue to the levee between Ponds 1 and 2, back to the Los Gatos Creek Trail and North to the main parking lot.
View of Los Gatos Creek from the pedestrian bridge. Photo by Brooke Miller.
At this park, you may find up to four species of ducks that look similar: Ring-necked Duck, Lesser Scaup, Greater Scaup, and Redhead. How do you tell these apart? Read the captions below and visit the links in the “More Information” section before heading out.
Male and Female Ring-necked Duck. Note the sharp peak on the rear crowns of both birds. Photo by Brooke Miller.
Male and Female Lesser Scaup. Note the ‘obvious’ corner at the rear of the head and the small black tip to the bill. Photo by Brooke Miller.
Male and Female Greater Scaup. Notice the front-rounded head and large black tip to the bill. Photo by Brooke Miller.
Male Redhead. Photo by Brooke Miller.
Female Redhead. She has a round head and a plain, soft brown body. Photo by Brooke Miller.
Ready for More?
Continue south about 1.6 miles on the Los Gatos Creek Trail and you will get to Vasona Lake County Park, another great place to bird! Visit Vasona Lake County Park in Fall for more birding information on this location.
Interactive Map
Directions
Main Entrance: From CA-17 S exit San Tomas Expy then immediately take the Camden Ave exit. After 0.1 miles, continue on Dell Ave for 0.5 miles. Turn left into park entrance. From CA-17 N, exit Camden Ave/San Tomas Expy. Turn left onto White Oaks Rd then left onto Camden Ave. Continue onto San Tomas Expy then immediately take the Camden Ave exit. After 0.1 miles, continue on Dell Ave for 0.6 miles. Turn left into park entrance. Parking lot with ADA spots. Latitude/Longitude: 37.269775, -121.950474
Two additional entrances from Dell Ave Entrance: The first is 0.2 miles south of the main entrance Latitude/Longitude: 37.265982, -121.954915. The second entrance is across from Division Street Latitude/Longitude: 37.262396, -121.957696. The first additional entrance is not wheelchair accessible and has street parking. The entrance across Division St is wheelchair accessible and is also street parking. For both additional entrances, you will access the ponds via a short trail. There are no sidewalks on Dell Ave.
Dell Ave entrance 0.2 miles south of the main park entrance.
Dell Ave entrance at Division St.
Oka Lane Entrance: From CA-17 in Los Gatos, exit Lark Ave. Travel west then take the first right turn after the freeway onto Oka Rd. At the end of Oka Rd turn left onto W Mozart Ave then take the first right turn onto Oka Ln. Park entrance at the end of the road. Street parking. This is not a wheelchair accessible entrance. Latitude/Longitude: 37.259952, -121.955597
Oka Lane entrance
Parking: Paved parking lot at main entrance with ADA compliant spots, other entrances street parking only
Fees: Day-use parking fee at the main entrance on Dell Ave. See the park website for more information. The other Dell Ave entrances and the Oka Lane entrance have no fees and have on-street parking only.
Public Transportation: Fifteen minute walk from the end of VTA Bus Line 60
Park Hours: 8 a.m. to sunset
Trail Hours: Sunrise to sunset
Facilities: Bathrooms and drinking water at the main entrance, no facilities from the other Dell Ave entrances, or the Oka Lane entrance. Water fountains at the grassy area, ADA bathrooms, good cell phone signal, picnic areas, reservable group picnic area, some benches along the trails, dog park, fishing
Trip Mileage: Two miles maximum for birding all the park, easy to do shorter distances
Trail Conditions: The Los Gatos Creek Trail is a paved hiking, equestrian, and biking trail. The trails around ponds 4 and 5 are walking (only) on dirt trails. There are no trees in the area of Ponds 4 and 5. The other trails are lightly shaded. This park can be crowded on good weather weekends.
Accessibility: The main parking lot has ADA compliant parking spots and connects to the Los Gatos Creek Trail which is a paved, flat, wide, multi-use trail with benches along the route. You will be able to view ponds 1 through 3 from this trail but it can get busy with walkers, runners, and cyclists. The dirt trails that run in between ponds 1, 2, and 3 are uneven and bumpy but the gravel and dirt trail that runs along the west side of ponds 1-3 is wheelchair accessible. The Dell Ave entrance across from Division street is wheelchair accessible and provides easy access to ponds 4 through 6 for a wheelchair rider. From this entrance, once on the Los Gatos Creek Trail, jog north to cross the pedestrian bridge to view ponds 4-6. The Dell Ave entrance just south of the main entrance and the Oka Lane entrance and are not wheelchair accessible.
Bikes: This is a great trip to do by bike.
Dogs: Allowed on 6-ft leash
More Information
Los Gatos Creek County Park Trail Map
Los Gatos Creek County Park Website
eBird hotspot: Los Gatos Creek County Park (aka Oka Ponds)
All About Birds: Redhead, Greater Scaup, Lesser Scaup and Ring-necked Duck
More Resources
For more trips like this one, visit Self-guided Field Trips.
Visit the SCVAS Birding Resources page for more information on where to bird, our birding community, birding identification resources, and more.
Read “What to Look for Now” by SCVAS Executive Director Matthew Dodder.
Banner Photo Credit: Mallard by Brooke Miller
Last Updated: 11/11/2022
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