Overfelt Gardens

History

The land for the park was donated by Mildred Overfelt in 1959, in memory of her parents, William and Mary Overfelt, early San Jose pioneers that started grain and dairy farms in the 1860s.

Park features

Early features added to the park include picnic areas, restrooms, a fountain dedicated to Mildred, and a "fragrance garden" comprising many aromatic plants. Later paths were added around the rest of the park and its three lakes, with a section designated as a California Native plant and Wildlife Sanctuary. Three large, interconnected percolation ponds rise and shrink throughout the year, providing habitat for birds, reptiles, amphibians, mammals and fish year-round. A large statue of the famous Chinese philosopher Confucius overlooks a shallow reflection pond that, when full, spills into a narrow streambed. Also, the California Wild area is a 1.6 acre wildlife sanctuary composed of a dirt trail winding around a hill covered in native trees, brush, wildflowers and grasses. A paved walking trail meanders around the remainder of the park over gently sloping hills, around a reflection pond emptying into a small stream, past cultural points of interest and around three percolation ponds. The current park map shows these trails as thick white lines.

The southeast section of the park includes the Chinese Cultural Garden, commemorating Sun Yat-sen, Chiang Kai-shek, Confucius, and Chinese culture in general, including a large black stone, mined and shipped from Taiwan.

Location

Overfelt Gardens is located in Mabury, on McKee Road between East San Jose and the North Valley. Independence High School lies just to its north.