Take a trip back in time at Almaden Quicksilver County Park
[...] valuable was the mine that during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln tried to seize possession of it.
There are three main park entrances, but for this outing, park at Hacienda, which will give you a chance to visit the free Mining Museum at Casa Grande in New Almaden and also provide access to the Historic Trail, which takes you past many of the significant mining remains.
The Historic Trail is not a single trail, but a defined route along a number of different trails.
Maps are available at the trailhead and at the museum, but you can also download a trail map at http://bit.ly/1usmI3b.
The New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum (21350 Almaden Road) is housed in the Casa Grande (the big house), built by Capt. Henry Halleck, manager of the mines.
Helpful docents lead you through exhibits about mercury mining, the life of mining communities and the changing technology of liquid mercury mining.
After examining the reduction works, start out on the Deep Gulch Trail, one of the few shaded paths on this route.