In the 12 years I have been a volunteer at Henry Coe State Park,
I am constantly surprised by the number of Morgan Hill and Gilroy
residents who are visiting the park for the first time. Even
longtime locals are not aware of the incredible natural wonder that
is at our doorstep.
In the 12 years I have been a volunteer at Henry Coe State Park, I am constantly surprised by the number of Morgan Hill and Gilroy residents who are visiting the park for the first time. Even longtime locals are not aware of the incredible natural wonder that is at our doorstep.
While any season at the park has its unique charm, green hills, abundant wildflowers, and running streams make springtime Coe’s most popular. Spring is just around the corner. Whether this is an introduction to the park or a reminder of its allure, let me take you on a brief tour.
A few numbers: At 87,000 acres (135 square miles), Henry Coe State Park is the second largest state park in California. It stretches from nearly the foot of Mt. Hamilton to Pacheco Pass and comes close to connecting the Santa Clara Valley with the Central Valley. It includes 250 miles of trails and a 23,300-acre wilderness area.
An entrance is planned from Bell Station on Pacheco Pass, but right now there are just two ways to enter the park. Headquarters and the Visitor Center are located 14 miles east of Morgan Hill atop the pine-covered ridges you see from the valley. The Hunting Hollow entrance is past Coyote Reservoir on the road to Gilroy Hot Springs. Hunting Hollow is popular with equestrians and casual hikers because it is the most accessible flat terrain in the park.
Whichever entrance you choose, you have only pricked the perimeter of the park, and your car is no further use to you. Whether by hiking, biking or riding a horse, access to the interior of the park will cost you a heaving chest and a sweaty brow. The park’s backcountry is beautiful, but hard won.
In Coe Park, the hills wring moisture out of eastbound storms leaving less rain and thus, drier terrain as you move inland. This variety of rainfall results in a great variety of landscapes. In the west, the surprising Ponderosa Pines are part of a rich mixed forest that gives way to rolling oak savannahs, and chaparral further east.
The thing that amazes me most about the park is how truly wild it is. I have been to many places that have more spectacular scenery, that feel more imposing, but I have not been anywhere where the native plants and animals are more abundant and less affected by human interference. I have seen bobcats, coyotes, Golden Eagles and elk. Wildflower variety and displays are always impressive, and in wet years, stunning.
A tour of the park’s Web site (www.coepark.org) will acquaint you with the park and coming events for visitors. If you are a natural history buff, you will be amazed at this resource. The vast variety of local wildflowers is listed by color, common name and scientific name along with photos to help you with identification. There is a bird list with photos, birdsong recordings, and a chart showing when each species is in the park.
There are several special events put on by the volunteers at the park each year. At the Mother’s Day Breakfast, volunteers will serve you a hearty Western style breakfast at beautiful Ridgeview Camp, a short walk from headquarters. The Backcountry Weekend at the end of April allows visitors a rare opportunity to enter the park at Bell Station and drive deep into remote portions of the park. This is a popular event that is reserved by mail. Look for a reservation request form that you can download from the Web site in early February. There is also a 10K run at Hunting Hollow in June and the Tarantula Fest at park headquarters in the fall.
Coe Park’s charm will not instantly amaze you like a Yosemite Valley. It is not that head-turning flash-in-the-pan hot date. It is that special soul mate that you take home to Mom and Dad. If you want to lay down where the silence is deafening and the views are forever, visit the park this spring.
