The major topographical features of the county are the Santa Clara Valley, the Diablo Range to the east, the Santa Cruz Mountains to the west, and the Baylands in the northwest.

The fertile Santa Clara Valley is ringed by rolling hills. The Diablo Range covers the entire eastern half of the county. It consists mainly of grasslands, chaparral and oak savannah. The Santa Cruz Mountains contain rolling grasslands and oak-studded foothills, along with mixed hardwoods and dense evergreen forests. Higher elevations of the Santa Cruz Mountains are home to redwoods forests, steep slopes, and active earthquake faults. Areas of geologic instability are prevalent in both mountain ranges.

The Baylands in the northwestern corner of the county, adjacent to the southern San Francisco Bay waters consist mostly of vast salt evaporation ponds and remnant areas of salt marsh and wetlands.

The regional climate is Mediterranean and remains temperate all year round due to the area's geography and proximity to the Pacific Ocean. During fall and winter months, the temperature ranges from 55-77 degrees fahrenheit while the summer months see warm dry weather that ranges from 65-82 degrees fahrenheit. The county's average rainfall is 15 inches in San Jose to 40 inches in the Santa Cruz Mountain.

We encourage you to visit the County of Santa Clara Parks and Recreation's website to learn more about and to enjoy our natural environment.

• Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation