Morgan Hill
In 2018, the Amgen Tour of California discovered the rustic rolling hills of southern Silicon Valley’s Morgan Hill. A rider and fan favorite, the 2019 race edition makes a triumphant return to the city with the finish of Stage 3. Morgan Hill is part of this enormous metropolitan area - one of the state’s largest and with a sizeable cycling population. It is because of this tremendous support that the Amgen Tour of California has made this region a staple of its route year after year. In fact, since 2008 the Amgen TOC has visited each year apart from 2016.
Morgan Hill, located just 10 miles south of San Jose, is Silicon Valley’s not so hidden gem. This community of approximately 47,000 residents shares a rich entrepreneurial spirit and thirst for innovation. Morgan Hill is nestled between the Diablo Mountain Range and the Santa Cruz Mountains and has a rich history of farming and manufacturing. Located in Silicon Valley, Morgan Hill offers the ideal balance between jobs, housing, recreation and open space. This community is surrounded by parks, opens space, wineries and farms.
Morgan Hill’s historic downtown has retained its small-town charm; hosting one of the Bay Area’s oldest (since 1876) Fourth of July Parades, free Friday Night Concerts in the summer, charming boutiques, and dozens of restaurants (including a Michelin Star Chef which attracts visitors throughout the Bay Area!). By following the Santa Clara Valley Wine Trail, visitors can enjoy over 30 boutique and award-winning wineries from one of the oldest commercial wine-producing region in California. Residents and visitors have many options for year-round recreational activities such as cycling, golfing, swimming, boating, horseback riding, fishing and hiking at Henry W. Coe State Park (the largest state park in Northern California), the Coyote-Lake Harvey Bear Ranch Park, or Anderson Lake County Park. But don’t let the small-town feel fool you. Morgan Hill is a flourishing center of industry that long placed priority on cultivating a way of life where business and community thrive together.
Morgan Hill sits in the lush Santa Clara Valley, with the gorgeous Santa Cruz Mountains climbing to the west. Surrounding the town are almost infinite opportunities to follow in the footsteps of Morgan Hill and escape the stifling city. Not to be missed is the Rancho Cañada del Oro Open Space Preserve. Opened by the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority in 2004, Cañada del Oro and other local preserves are meant to connect people with nature through interconnecting trails and education. Its extensive ten-mile network of trails fits any skill level as a portal to another world of rushing creeks, emerald hillsides, and uninhibited wildlife. Back in town, visit historic Monterey Street for lunch or coffee at its numerous bistros and cafes. Be on the lookout for Morgan Hill’s jewel, the stately Villa Mira Monte. This 1884 southern rendition of a Victorian house is an iconic representation of the community’s identity. Built by Morgan Hill and his wife as a summer, the villa became the town’s central attraction with the railroad’s arrival. The town boomed and Hill’s catchy name, not to mention reputation as its most popular resident, stuck. The Morgan Hill Historical Society keeps this landmark open to the public and features rotating exhibits that tell the story of Morgan Hill, the person and place. Today, Morgan Hill has managed to retain a western charm that still excites the soul.
