Best hiking in the Bay Area PERIOD. Amazing rangers that help you plan out your hike, and mostly well maintained trails(although some smaller ones can be overgrown). Starting with small hikes is best as the elevation gain and drops are pretty intense. read more

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Henry Coe has been in my "to hike" list for quite a while. It's the largest in the State Parks system and while, technically, in the South Bay, requires a long, windy drive once you're off the 101. It can seem overwhelming to pick a day hike, given the vastness of the park, so I'd recommend coepark.net. That site lists several day hikes and shares route maps. It was a huge help to me, when deciding to hike the trail to Frog Lake. Henry Coe is popular for backpacking but moderate day hikes can be found and the loop to Frog Lake and back was a wonderland of green hills, tiny wildflowers and vast views of the Diablo Range. It's more about the journey than the destination and I enjoyed hiking through various eco systems that included marsh-like trails, rolling green hills, woodland and a small lake. Parking is self-paid or via the CA State Parks pass. There's a nice visitor center with rangers helping to acclimate you to the park, along with flush toilets and a small gift shop. You feel like you're in the foothills, while really, just a 30 minute drive from Morgan Hill. Now that I've acclimated a bit to the park and its hikes, I'm finally going to add Henry Coe to my State Parks rotation read more

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Wonderful start park with various options for different levels of outdoor enthusiasts. If you are looking to camp and hike, you can make a reservation for either the camping site or the backpacking site. For the camping site, all you need to is drive up to your reserved camping spot, and start unpacking, then you have access to water, bathrooms and many hiking trails. The backpacking site will require to hike in and then set up all your gear. Be sure to do your research so that you're not stuck out there without water. This state park affords to the visitor extremely beautiful sunsets and sunrises at the campsite and nearby viewpoints. Astronomy hobbyists will also enjoy the evening scenery, where many astronomical phenomena are visible. As a precaution avoid the yellow grass as ticks do make these areas their habitat! read more

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What a hidden gem! I came here for a May backpacking trip and was floored by this park's vast beauty. This park is huge! And not nearly as crowded as other bay area trails. The wildflowers in late-May were incredible! I hiked to Wilson Peak, where the views were amazing. The trails are steep and there aren't many water sources, so be prepared! FYI, port-a-johns are the only restroom at the Hunting Hollow park entrance. read more

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Henry Coe State park is the largest Cal State Park, it is huge, 87,000 acres. Much of the land is restricted to foot access so distance is limited. However, one weekend per year in the Spring, Henry Coe opens their Bell Station South gate entrance along Highway 152 to allow registered people to visit the East side of this big park. The event is called Coe Backcountry Weekend, sponsored by the Pine Ridge Association. It's great to be able to travel close to home to camp in such vast wilderness. Here are my highlights from this weekend. Fishing and caught plenty of Bass at Mississippi and Kingbird pond. Saw super blooms of wildflowers due to abundance and a long raining season. Drove off road in our little legendary Suzuki Samurai. I was in 1st and 2nd gear the whole time while in the park. Camped next to Pacheco Creek, lulled to sleep at night frog songs. The big downside was the mosquitoes at dusk. read more

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We hiked Sat 2/27/21 Hunting Hollow entrance. Parking fee $6, $5 for senior 62+, self pay. Bring exact cash for the envelope. Parking in large dirt parking lot, 3 pit toilets available. We hiked to Willson Peak, 2651 ft, strenuous hike, lots of Steep hills. Then we continued to Willson Camp and looked for Springs. Springs are mostly in Rubbermade tubs but that's ok. There's a cool Windmill and springs by it, the windmill works with strong winds. I even made a video. Worth going at least once. We hiked 10.5 miles, took all day. Can be lots of mountain bikers here. No dogs allowed. read more

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This State park has 87,000 acres with hundreds of miles of fire roads and trails to explore. The park is vast, rustic, rugged and usually steep. Hardy souls will enjoy getting away from it all, and hiking or mountain biking here. There are over 150 (possible) water sources and springs inside this park ( see https://coepark.net/map/water.php ). It can get over 100 degrees in the summer. The highest I have seen on the weather stations ( https://coepark.net/ws ) was 115 or so. The best time to visit is anytime other than the summer months. For more information about the park see https://coepark.net read more

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Huge and fun, great trails for mountain biking...flowy and fun! 6 dollars to day park. It is dry and hot and exposed, so if there in summer, bring water! read more

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Henry Coe is one of my favorite California State Parks! It is so vast and I love how remote it feels. There are great views to be seen everywhere. Parking is $8 and you pay at the Park Headquarters building after you park. The park rangers were very helpful in determining what trails we should try out based on our skill level and mileage we were looking to complete. There are lots of trails to explore from easy to more strenuous. My boyfriend and I did a lovely 5 mile loop here starting from the Corral Trail, to Flat Frog Trail, up to the Little Fork Coyote Creek. To get back to park headquarters, we took Hobb's Road all the way back. The Hobb's Road is no joke. At least a mile of the trail is a steep uphill trek. It was defiantly an awesome workout!! Next time, we will get all the way up to Frog Lake. If you come from the Bay Area, you would get off at Dunne Ave on 101 and then drive around 10 miles of windy narrow roads. There is a small section that is one way only where you have to stop and let other cars go in the other direction first. That part almost reminded me of the Road to Hana on Maui lol. This is probably one of the reasons that there isn't a lot of foot traffic through the park because it is quite the drive to get up there. I would also bring bug spray with you. The bugs at Henry Coe defiantly love to bother people! And be sure to bring tons of water as Henry Coe is really hot and dry in the spring and summer months. I cannot wait to come back and explore more! read more

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Henry Coe State Park - a huge state park with dozens of trails to explore. I enter through the main park entrance/visitor center off E. Dunne Avenue in Morgan Hill. Parking is $8, although there are some spots you can park at outside the entrance too. Previously, I've hiked to Frog Lake, which was a easy, relatively short hike. Today, I attempted to hike down to China Hole (at the suggestion of the park ranger) - a refreshing swim hole sounded tantalizing in this heat. The total distance (round trip) was 10 miles, starting from the visitor's center. The way down wasn't bad, but unfortunately, when we followed the trail, we didn't see a swim hole, just a small creek and a trail with an almost straight vertical incline. So we turned around and followed the trail we came from. WARNING: Henry Coe is super hot in the summer. Heat exhaustion and dehydration will definitely happen if you don't come prepared. Alas, my friend and I were not. She didn't bring enough water and the heat almost defeated her. We attempted to ask a group of boy scouts to give us a lift back to the visitor center (2ish miles) but they declined but gave us water instead. The rangers couldn't pick us up either since they were on the other side of the park, 1.5 hours away. We slowly trudged our way back towards the visitor's center and we somehow made it. I was mostly relieved my friend didn't pass out and I'd have to drag her carcass back. The views of the valley were really nice and there was a variety of terrain, from wooded/shady trails to flat, dry ones. Not many people visit Henry Coe so it'll never be crowded and I find it rare to cross paths with another hiker since the park is so vast. All in all, if you're hiking Henry Coe in the summer, make sure you bring LOTS OF WATER. SO MUCH WATER. ALL THE WATER. You'll need it. Happy exploring friends. read more

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Oh, I just love it when I'm the only camper at a State Park Campground!!! I had the ENTIRE campground to myself!! How awesome is THAT???!!! I liked the fact that the cellphone tower was so close by: Having the cellphone tower close by allowed using my cellphone with FULL BARS; unlike other campgrounds I have visited, I would be privileged obtaining one bar~HAH! The drawbacks about camping at this State Park are the following: Driving over ten miles on a windy road: The sheer remoteness left me awestruck photographing panoramic views. Dusty, bone-dry campsites Little to virtually NO shade No privacy No showers Overall, in order enjoying camping here for a couple of days, please make sure you bring a solar shower and shower tent; solar power battery pack and solar panels; 10 x 10 canopy, screen tent. FYI: Bring your H2O filter because I don't know if the ground H2O is clean or not. read more

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This was one of the most challenging and "cold" hike that I've done in San Jose area. Drove through the Gilroy outlet (girls, fight the urge to go shopping at this point. Close your eyes and step on the gas!), left on New Ave. and right on Roop Rd. and just keep going... you'll come across to a large parking lot for Hunting Hollow on the right. My fiance and I weren't sure which trail we were taking that morning, but as we start walking I saw a sign for "Wilson's Peak"... for some reasons it sounded interesting for me on this chilly, gray and foggy Sunday morning. So off we went, up and up.... we literary didn't see anything around us... instead all we saw was this thick ,side way wind/fog blowing through us, some green soft grasses and wild flowers. Every peak we came to, I'd ask to my fiance "is this it? Is THIS the peak?" and he'd point to another peak behind the hill. AGH!!! I was so pissed off but all I can do is to chewed on my energy bar and keep going. We continued that for several time and finally, we came to the Wilson's peak (elevation 2600 ft) - a total of 1800 ft climb from where we started!!!! Jeez! Thanks for a nice "easy" Sunday hike, honey! If it was a beautiful sunny day I bet we could have enjoyed a beautiful view of the valley and wilderness. Oh, one note for hikers/bikers... there are awfully a lot of wild "poops" on the trail - we came across with some elephant sized poo, which could be a hazard for a high speed downhill bikers :) Just a warning! read more

Henry W Coe State Park - Foggy and cold Wilson's Peak!! - Parks Near Me - Morgan Hill, California

This park is huge. Actually it is the largest state park in Northern California. It is nice to have this park near the South Bay. I did overnight backpacking here in the first weekend of Feb. Started at Headquaters-Manzanita Point-China Hole-Narrows-Los Cruzeros-Willow Ridge-Mississippi Lake. There are three campsite along the lake. There are just a picnic table and a trash box. First-come first-served. However, threre are not many backpackers in this par, probably it is fine. One way is 14 miles. I enjoyed a variety of scenery. Green undurating hills, dry bald hills, Narrows, ranch. It was in winter, little water in Narrows but after the rainy season, I heard it's like Narrows in Zion (well not as much as there). I will come back in spring to see flowers! read more

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I really enjoyed this park and the beautiful nature setting. You can choose to do a short trail or a long distance trail. There are a couple of benches to sit and have a snack on. read more

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Play hooky and go hiking now! On a weekday, this park feels like a secluded wilderness, even without venturing into the back country. During over 15 miles of hiking last Monday, we ran into only three other groups of hikers! Currently, the water is flowing, the hillsides are green, and there is plenty of wildlife on display, from the seemingly endless wildflowers to hawks, turkeys, frogs, and many other animals. Recommended hike: HQ - Monument - Hobbs Road - Frog Lake - Flat Frog - Springs - Manzanita Point Road - China Hole (out and back) - Manzanita Point Road - Springs - Corral - HQ If you are driving from Silicon Valley, you'll hit almost no traffic en route to the park on a weekday. If you're keen to do a long day hike, I would recommend starting early (~ 9AM). Make sure to carry plenty of water, because even on a relatively cool day the sun and elevation change can really make you work up a sweat! After covering a lot of ground in the park, I would recommend starting at the visitor center and taking the Monument Trail and Hobbs Road to Frog Lake. You'll get some nice views of Morgan Hill on the way, and the frogs and tadpoles at the lake are very fun to watch and hear. Loop back via the Flat Frog Trail to Manzanita Point Road. Then take the Spring Trail, which will deliver you to the Manzanita Point group campsites. I would stop for lunch under the shade of one of the big oak trees at the picnic benches there; the scenery is peaceful and perfect. There are also two cisterns for refilling your water and a couple of pit toilets if you need them. After lunch, take the China Hole Trail down to the intersection of two streams; the elevation change is substantial, but the grade of the switchbacks doesn't feel at all steep. We had great views of the tree-lined valleys on our way down. By the time you reach China Hole, you will have done about 10 miles of hiking, so you'll definitely feel like a swim! When you're done, retrace your steps to Manzanita Point Road, and take the Springs and Corral Trails back to the visitor center. read more

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The main thing that won me over with this place is the big tank of potable water at the end of our 15 mile Mt Sizer loop hike, haha. The tank is near the intersection of Manzanita Point Rd and Corral Trail. This is about one mile from HQ, and about the point some of us ran out of water. FYI, used 4 liters for the hike and it was about 80 degrees that day. The hike is described in great detail here should it interest you, we took Dunne Rd to the park HQ and started there: https://trailhiker.wordpress.com/2013/11/07/henry-w-coe-state-park-mt-sizer-loop/ The loop we did is certainly not for those just getting into hiking. In fact some sites have described it as the most difficult loop in the bay area for it's 4000ft elevation gains, steep ascents/descents, and 15 mile distance. The trail intersections weren't always clearly marked in this park, and sometimes there was a trail marker where it wasn't needed, that is, where there wasn't even an intersection. The shortcut in the Mt Sizer loop is not as bad as they say, the only tough part being how overgrown it is there. This is quite a beautiful park and the Mt Sizer loop takes you through several different terrains: forest, dry overgrowth bushes, and grasslands. Poles recommended for this loop. Walking along the ridge from Mt Sizer offers amazing views of the surrounding area. You can see Lick Observatory quite clearly. We hiked on a Saturday and didn't see very many people at all, with the exception of a few bikes. read more

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Jane Huber said it best: "Do you know Coe?" No, Yelp, apparently you don't. So I'll tell you. Henry Coe State Park is, quite simply, the largest area of open space in the greater Bay Area, clocking it at a whopping 87,000 acres. Some campsites in here (like Mississippi Lake) are a full 25-mile hike from the nearest road. That's a 4-day backpack to get in and out! I fly over this park every week and it looks like a blanket of green felt covered with fuzzy patches (the trees). Some people may find the endless series of rolling hills full of grass and oak uninspiring, and in particular, one might say that compared to the Sierras, for instance, it hardly feels like a wilderness at all. But if you spend some time getting lost in the backcountry here the charm of the place will surely grow on you. Ultimately, it's really the gentleness and relative hospitability of the terrain that makes the vast emptiness of it so powerful. After all, this is California, and if they *can* build a house somewhere, they do. Thus, a hike here (particularly an overnight) can really feel like a trip back in time. For day hiking, your best bet is to make for the park's main entrance, about 12 miles east from Morgan Hill on a narrow & windy road. Even doing a full day's loop from here is like seeing the tip of the iceberg; when you look at a map of the whole park, it seems you barely entered it at all. So if you only go backpacking once in the Bay Area, this is the place to do it. Season-wise, this is definitely a year-round park, but it will amaze you the most in the spring, when the grass is almost impossibly green and there are wildflowers everywhere. Ultimately, if you're a Bay Area hiker and you don't know Coe, you don't know what you're missing. read more

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Did a night mountain bike ride last night there with some strong climbers (doing 2800 vertical) had me pulling up the rear Supposedly it's even legal (to night ride) Being my first time to this remote and vast place, was filled with a sense of awe and smallness Even tho the moon wasn't full, you could ride without lights and read a newspaper I was told it gets hella hot in the summer Thought it would be normal temps in the winter, wore shorts and light shell, we'll it was frikin' cold there and to boot, we did 3 deep stream crossings right from the get go, so now both my hand and feet were numb, was actually looking forward to the climbs to heat up, untill i realized that it was about 1000 on the first clip, had to walk and wanted to puke, (drooling and everything) Lots of random animal scat on the trails, they said it was coyote, why can't they do their thing off the trail?? do they like to have us run over it? do they not want to scratch their tushies? The only thing we saw, (by the reflections in their eyes) was a group of wild cattle who looked back at us like wtf are you doing here?, in the middle of the wilderness at night? To all the less than stellar reviewers: Dont like the twisty roads to get there? then LEAVE THE MINIVAN AT HOME OR BETTER YET TAKE A TRIP TO COSTCO AND BUY SOME MORE CORN SYRUP LADEN FOOD AND PLOP THE KIDS IN FRONT OF THE BOOB TUBE Those twisties we're hella fun to drive pre and post rides Be thankful that vast open spaces like this still exist so close to home, there is rumor it may close (in sfgate) Read Wes' , Mike E's and Gomerio G's reviews, they are spot on This place is huge, we didn't even scratch the surface read more

Henry W Coe State Park - post ride - Parks Near Me - Morgan Hill, California

A lot of nice trails, plenty of trees, nice frog lake and cute streams. Not too crowded, parking is adequate. We followed the below loop based on rangers recommendations ~4.5 miles: Monument trail - Ponderosa trail - Hobbs road - Frog lake - Flat Frog trail - Corral Trail - back to Coe Ranch Headquarters read more

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If you have the time and the stamina to venture beyond the more heavily traveled trails close to the park headquarters, you will be treated to an amazing adventure with spectacular views and relative solitude. We came here on a 3 day/two night backpacking expedition in early May. None of us had been here before, but the topo maps we studied assured us that we'd enjoy some good hiking. When we arrived at park HQ late on Friday afternoon, we were dismayed to discover that our preferred campsites were already occupied. This required us to hike a little farther than we had planned that first day, so we hustled along Hobbs Road past Frog Lake to get to Skeel's Meadow. By the time we made camp the light was starting to fade. However, the campsite was peaceful and isolated and we enjoyed a good night's sleep. The next day we made the decision to continue up Hobbs Road instead of backtracking to Middle Ridge Trail. After a short descent to Coyote Creek, we then made the painful slog up towards Blue Ridge Trail. This was about 1500 ft of elevation gain in less than 1.5 miles. It wasn't until after we returned that we learned that this stretch is considered by many to be the toughest hike in the entire Bay Area. We did it with 40 lb packs on our backs, but what was more impressive was that our daughters were carrying 20-25 lb packs and they only weigh about 75 lbs each. Despite the fact that it was expected to be a busy weekend at Coe, we only encountered about a dozen other hikers going our way. By the time we made it to the top of the ridge, we were on our own. We had the Blue Ridge Trail to ourselves for the entire stretch until we reached the Narrows Trail. We stayed at Los Cruzeros for the second night, and there was certainly more activity in this area, as this is the more heavily traveled area of the park. The next day we continued along the very poorly defined Narrows Trail towards HQ. Be advised that in rainy weather this trail should be avoided due to the risk of flash flooding. It was another 1500 ft climb back to our car. In summary, Henry Coe Park is a great place for a backpacking adventure. While we were there, it was hard to imagine that there were millions of people living so close to this rugged and rural place. Be advised that this is a pack in/pack out camping place. There are no trash cans at the primitive campsites. There are some scattered pit toilets in the more heavily-frequented areas, but once you're in the backcountry you'll be digging holes. read more

Awesome hiking and biking. Beautiful drive up and once up you can do easy to difficult trails.

Great place to hike. Many options to enter Morgan Hill to Gilroy with options on bigger to advance hikes. Beautiful landscape. Can also find hiking groups to join read more

Pretty strange that this doesn't show up in the yelp filter. Had to manually look this up up on Google for it to show up. Either way, came here yesterday on a beautiful Sunday and decided to give this hiking location a shot as we had never been here. It's a huge park, and it delivers in every way you would expect it to. Nice views, a nice challenge, and plenty of different paths to take if you're going for a hike. We did about seven miles yesterday and while we were a bit tired at the end, it was truly worth every minute. It's been about two months since we last went hiking, so our asses were kicked a little bit more than expected. We didn't find much parking, and it's a little steeper than you would expect ($8), but I still felt it was worth it. The big drawback was the long winding road you have to take to get here, but besides that I really enjoyed it. Overall, a great hiking spot. read more

I went hiking here about a month ago with my boyfriend and the park management class we were taking at West Valley. Let me start off by saying this was an intense hike, I couldn't exactly remember where we started but it was all up hill! My calves were killing me. However, when we had reached the top there was a picnic table and a beautiful view (perfect for some snack and water). The walk back to the car was also beautiful as well, we saw squirrels, bambis (deers), turkeys and lots of different insects! Overall I give this place a 4 star, not only is it easy to find, but it's a great place to get a good hike and work out in. Definitely coming back! read more

We visited Henry Coe SP again this winter and hiked to Frog Lake from the park headquarters as we've done in the past. However, this time we also walked the Ponderosa Trail, a short loop off the Monument Trail. What a pleasant surprise! It's a relatively flat trail that traverses the Pine Ridge with phenomenal views westward. There's even a picnic table up there. This would be a great trail for families with young kids or for anyone else not up for a more strenuous hike. It's about a two mile round trip hike from the visitor's center. read more

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This place is magical. Seriously. Sunning vistas, wonderful hiking, a few close-to-the-trailhead walk-in sites, a few car camping sites, and many miles of open country for backpacking. And all just outside of San Jose. Rolling hills, beautiful oak forests, grasslands, hidden clear lakes, stocked with fish from decades ago, in the middle of the back-country, there's nothing not to love. Well, the hills. Oh man, the hills. My friends and I joke that Henry Coe is the only place that it actually *is* uphill both ways. Warning to first-time visitors: You will see poison oak; you will see tall grasses with burrs that get caught in your socks, and legs. You will see spiders, both in the huge and harmless (tarantulas, which are adorable), and black widows, which are anything but harmless. Just pay attention to your surroundings. read more

Henry W Coe State Park - A hidden gem of a state park. Huge, beautiful, and uncrowded. - Parks Near Me - Morgan Hill, California

We started at the Hunting Hollow parking lot, which is of a substantial size, although this time it was mostly taken up with equestrians as they had some sort of park-sponsored event (the ranger was with them). Unlike (I presume) the main entrance, the maps you get here are double-sided photocopies, meaning that when you're finding your way while you happen to be right on the arbitrary border, you're gonna get confused! I recommend printing your map out ahead of time. Although we had a route (borrowed from everytrail.com) planned out ahead of time, we found navigation to be a bit challenging, as the signposts never indicated what trail we were turning on to (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/henry-w-coe-state-park-morgan-hill?select=61CBEQEFKWnC_kNNV9zIwQ#P6IaV_lUrxajKaFUAm58fw). Eventually I realized that this was because the trail names were supposed to be at the top of the posts, as they are in most state parks, but had been worn off! (I couldn't be sure if it was due to the passage of time or a deliberate act). At one point there is a junction in which you can't even tell which way to go, because both ultimately lead to the same end point! Certainly, the vistas are nice, with the usual rolling hills one gets in this area, although I would avoid it in summer (March was probably the last month you'd really wanna try it). And for whatever reason we did see more random small wildlife, with various birds, turtles, and squirrels. But this park does for some reason seem to bear more evidence of the hard times the whole system is undergoing now. Oh, and avoid the Steer Ridge Trail that takes you from Steer Ridge Road to the entrance, especially downhill! That tiny, windy, steep downhill trail almost killed my aging knees. :/ read more

Henry W Coe State Park - See the name of the trail there at the top? Oh wait, it's been worn off. Yeah, navigation can be tricky... - Parks Near Me - Morgan Hill, California

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Bombastic Hiking and Mtn Biking.... Ok for Camping, but not much room....and I am sure you have to book in advance... Serious hills, you can get lost in this place....and there are ticks all over the place....rattlesnakes and mountain lions too....but if you need to get away from the Silicon Valley drones and Zombies, you can do it here. read more

Henry W Coe State Park - Parks Near Me - Morgan Hill, California

The most beautiful and peaceful state park that we can access in under 30 minutes! What a joy it is to work, live, and play in a wonderful city that has such beautiful landscape at an arms length. The drive up to the park is simply beautiful, rustic and covered in trees, it's a real fall-time pleasure to take. Passing by Anderson lake is an extra treat, you have an almost 360 view of the entire lake as you approach Cochrane bridge and it continues as you curve around the lake and continue up the hill. Now the park! The volunteer staff is great and the main Ranger in charge, John, is a very helpful and knowledgeable fellow who has the pleasure of living full time at the head quarters. The small campground is very well kept and accessible to kids and adults alike. If you wish to venture into the hills and trails please do speak with park staff you are new to the Park so you have knowledge of what's ahead. Water and proper attire is really important as the terrain and the weather can be very trying and strenuous. All in all it's a great perk to living in Morgan Hill! read more

Henry W Coe State Park - Parks Near Me - Morgan Hill, California

Absolutely beautiful park! Camping, finishing, hiking and biking all top notch. It gets super hot in the summer so bring lots of water.

Cool park ... and they got a reprieve on state park closures: They have secured funding for another 3 years, during which time they are hoping to set up an endowment. They have a brand new campground BUT it is not in use because it costs too much to keep it running. It is closed because of funding and they are not yet sure if they can open it soonish. The campground that is open is rustic: vault toilets, no showers, no campfires many months of the year (fire danger). This place is magical! It feels like you're in the "wild west". the hiking is gorgeous, the vistas are incredible. We saw a bobcat, a tarantula, rattlesnake, preying mantis.... The sunsets and sunrises up here are stunning./ (The park is about 2500 ft above the south bay. So close to civilization, and yet you feel so far away.) My favorite thing about this park: the rangers and volunteers. I had not met such a passionate, helpful group of people before. They love this park (CA's largest state park) and they are thrilled to share it and help you on your adventure. Bring plenty of water. It can get hot during the day, and chilly at night. Perhaps not the best place for small children because of the lack of plumbing and the extreme heat. read more

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There are two entrances to this park, you should take advantage of the trails on the East Dunne entrance. We spent Earth Day 2007 here for trail clean-up on the Manzanita Trail to China Hole and back up Poverty Flat Road. The only reason I give this a 4/5 is due to the limited bathrooms, but with the parks being so underfunded, it's understandable. Dogs are not allowed on the trails I mentioned, but you can bring them to the park if you stay on the paved roads. read more

Henry W Coe State Park - View from Manzanita Trail - Parks Near Me - Morgan Hill, California

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Great park to go for a hike. Be prepared to take a long drive on a wiggly road to get there - map it to allow enough time & don't bring passengers who get carsick. Going during the tarantula fest is a fun experience, especially for kids. Going for the Mother's Day brunch is a lovely way to celebrate all the moms - expect a scenic hike and to be rewarded with a delicious breakfast! read more

We love this place and was here for the first time for 4.7 miles hike. We came around 11 am so we have to park at the lower spot which is 0.5 miles walk to the visitor center. My suggestion is to come early so you can park near the visitor center and have lunch picnic after the hike. Spring is the best time I was told and indeed so many wild flowers and insects - Love it. With our 5 yrs old daughter, we hike the Springs Trail / Forest Trail Loop. It started with 0.6 miles on Corral Trail and then you decide either to take Springs Trail or Forest Trail to make a loop. We started with Springs Trail which is so scenic but it is 2.1 miles and open space. It was a long walk or almost 2 hrs and finally we reach the 1/2 way mark. We rested and then continue to Forest Trail which is 1.6 miles (1.5 hrs). They have reading cards with number so you can identify plants along the trail. Once you reached back to Corral Trail, it is 0.6 miles back to the visitor center. Total hiking distance: 5.4 miles for 5 hours which include the walk of 0.5 back to the car park. read more

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The positive reviews have been for the hiking, which from what I saw, did look impressive. There are many trails, of all degrees of difficulty. The rangers and the visitor center people were very friendly and helpful, but have a distorted idea of fun and swimming. When we asked for a nice place to swim, he suggested Frog Lake, which turned out to be a square mile of mud and sludge. The only lake that looked like it could be for swimming is Andersen Lake at the bottom of the foothils. It's about a 6 mile drive from the edge of Morgan Hill proper to the campgrounds that takes a long time and a strong stomach. The campgrounds themselves are poor in comparison to other sites. They are closely set and offer little to no shade for most of the day. You get only extremes in this park, eithe very hot throughout the day, or actually pretty cold at night. Forget about privacy from other camping groups, and be aware that they have a coyote problem. There's no danger of bears, but Morgan Hill and subsequently Henry Coe seems to be uner constant wildfire threat, so they always forbid fires. Campstoves seem to be okay, but if you don't have one, no luck. We understood only too well after a night there why it was the only camping area not fully booked for the holiday weekend. Huge disappointment. read more

The park is up above Morgan Hill, just north of the Gilroy outlets. It's a long winding drive once you leave the freeway. We stopped at Guglielmo Winery at the base of the hill, the wine was ok, but they're one of the only wineries that is grandfathered in and can still call their sparkling wine Champagne. The weekend we were scheduled to be up there the temp in Concord was supposed to be 105 and the park was supposed to be in the upper 90's. Luckily it stayed closer to upper the 80's and cooled down in the evening. If we were to return to this area I think fall or spring would be better. The camp ground itself was nice, but very exposed. It reminded me of Mount Diablo in a way, and the ranger mentioned that they got similar temperatures, but Coe stays cooler because it has a different type of rock bed (wasn't quite sure on the details, but I trusted the ranger). The property is HUGE, and a lot of the people coming through the HQ are going to backpack in the back country and not car camp like we did. We stayed at site 19, and it was ok, no consistent tree shade, and very close to our neighbors. Our 2 year old is a wanderer and the site is fairly close to the roads so we weren't super comfortable at that site. We wouldn't choose it in the future. When we were leaving we made sure to note which sites we would want: 6 was the most private and shaded, 7 is fairly close to 6 and would be nice if you're staying with a group - the only downside to those sites is that they are down a slight hill so you have to hike your gear down. By far our favorite sites were 11 and 12. Full shade from trees, private, away from roads. 13 was ok, a little small but full shade. The hiking around the camp ground was nice. We didn't get to do many full hikes due to the heat, but there's a swimming hole if you're up for a 10 mile round trip, and some great vistas that are 4/5 mile loops. Make sure you pack enough water, because there's none on the trails. I would say the short loops are moderate/intermediate hikes. They wouldn't be good for beginners. Overall it was a nice time, the rangers were great. I don't think this is going to be our regular spot, but we loved it as our first family camping trip read more

My cousin and I were NOT big fans of this park, but we assume that it's mainly because we went right in the heart of summertime. Even at 5:30 in the evening for a short hike, it was around 95 degrees and humid. I already knew that the trek was likely going to be a sweaty one. The thing I hate (and I do mean hate) about summertime hiking anywhere in California that is more than 10 miles away from the coast and below the treeline/snowline is that everything is almost DEAD and UGLY BROWN. Combine this with trails which leave you claustrophobic as you try to navigate through 3 foot tall dead grass on both sides of the path and you have a most likely miserable time. There wasn't a whole lot to look at besides the sun and dead earth killing my vibe. I'll try coming back here in the Winter and Spring when things are probably MUCH nicer. Until then, see you MUCH later Henry!!! read more

Coe reminds me a lot of Western Montana. Both are very sexy places, if you find lean curves, unpredictable conditions, and sharp edges attractive. It's not that they look the same (they don't). They FEEL the same, and that feeling of irresistible attraction runs deep. If you don't like to be challenged - mentally, physically, emotionally - then you might want to leave places like these to those who find solitude sensuous and who take satisfaction in such utterly unnecessary things as everyday adventure. At 87,000 acres, with a wilderness area beyond that, Coe can be a formidable place: remote, rustic, raw in its quiet intensity. It bakes in summer and freezes in winter and is exposed to extreme temperature and weather variations. Elevations rise and fall precipitously, leading you on paths that climb thousands of vertical feet in a matter of minutes and that will leave you soaking wet and sore if you are not careful. For much of the year, Coe shows its intimidating face to the surrounding world, perched high above Morgan Hill in a coating of gold and surrounded by shimmering heat. Gazed at from the green and cooling setting of the Santa Cruz Mountains, to the West, the Diablo Range is indeed a devilish place, one that requires you to pass through a traffic hell (the dreaded I-280/ US 101 interchange in the middle of San Jose) to get there. And that's before 12 miles of winding one lane roads from Morgan Hill to the park's main HQ at Pine Ridge. So people tend to leave Coe alone. But like all natural beauties, Coe shows a tender side from time to time. And that time is usually spring, after winter rains have softened her edges and covered her hills and ridges in thick and luscious coats of pure green, dotted by splashes of pure color. The smells are intoxicating, the sounds are alluring, and the air is like pure energy, driving you to do things you scarcely thought possible. You will drive yourself for hours on end up and down her sinuous pathways, exploring with wide-eyed and wild abandon. You'll scale her peaks and get lost in her valleys, you'll soak in her clear waters and sweat in full sun on her bare ridgelines, swallowing in great gulps the succulent scent of manzanitas in full bloom. When you are finished, after 15 miles and 4000 feet of elevation gain (and loss), you'll probably stumble back to where it all started, wandering past ancient oaks and expansive green fields, parched and panting, but smiling from one end of your mouth to the other. You will dream of Coe for days to come. You'll recall the times you almost gave up or nearly got lost. You'll close your eyes and see her curves stretched out for miles and miles across an impossibly distant horizon. You'll walk for days with stiff muscles and eat and drink with enhanced pleasure, savoring the simple pleasures of ordinary life. And, should you ever get jaded with life in Silicon Valley with all its false promises and superficial premises, should you desire the thrill of beauty in its raw and uninihbited form, you will need to seek out a place like this in which you can feel like a human being again, and know what it means to be alive. Coe. Courageous. Outrageous. Extreme. Hard to love, impossible to forget. Rugged beauty in the enchanted eye of the breathless beholder. read more

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Oh Henry Coe! I've probably hiked upwards of 100mi in Henry Coe between my backpacking buddy and various other trips with friends. It's an easy drive down from the E bay. I'm actually wearing a Henry Coe sweatshirt as I write this review, purely incidental. Let me just say, Henry Coe is not for the faint-of-heart backpacker. The terrain can be brutal. My backpacking buddy and I have a penchant for long hikes (16mi+ days) and we wipe out hard at night after hikes in the Coe. Scene: Henry Coe is different from a lot of the more coastal state/national parks and mountainous state/national parks in CA. It has a very pastoral feel to it - lots of dry ridges, dry creek beds, meadows, etc. It is a lot of chaparral ecosystem. That is not to say it is not beautiful, it is beautiful in an unexpected way. There are areas where fires have rolled through the hills and leave behind these eerily beautiful landscapes. What is amazing is that it is HUGE so when you're 10mi into your hike there is no civilization you can see in all directions. Hiking: Amenable to backpacking (free backcountry permit so you can camp wherever) and day hiking. It is fantastic for backpacking - you will definitely challenge yourself here. H2O - There are creeks and streams throughout and a few places where they have big tanks of water, but be wary as the drought has dried up a lot of stuff. The hike out of poverty flat and the hike up willow ridge are strenuous with a backpack on so be prepared. I've done the Mt. Sizer loop with a day hiking pack and that is one long, strenuous day of hiking (1.4 miles of that is known as the Shortcut, at a 22% grade it'll get your legs burning fast!). I've hiked out to Mississippi Lake on one trip which is a nice trek as well. This is a more quiet state park - you will definitely see people but don't be surprised if you don't. I personally love that about this place - the wilderness really takes you. NB: now that its rained a bit in CA, you can probably go swim at China Hole. My buddy and I posted up here last time and had some lunch and went swimming with the fish and turtles! Park staff: AMAZING. The ranger here and the volunteers are knowledgeable and very supportive of anything you want to do. They will give you good recommendations. Animals/wildlife/etc.: generally awesome - Ticks: I came here with a friend many years ago in high tick season. Seriously, there are more ticks than you can imagine - long pants, long sleeves, frequent "tick-checks" are necessary. They hang out at the end of long, dry grass along the trails, so be careful, but I've only encountered them on this one trip, never after. - if you drive up in the evening hours you'll see lots of gray foxes near the road so be careful! - lots of damselflies and dragonflies near the water - squirrels, gophers, and lots and lots of birds! - if I recall correctly November might by tarantula mating season - which sounds like a nightmare to me, but if you like that kind of thing Phew. This review doesn't capture it all. I love this place and I'll keep coming back as long as it is around. I encourage my fellow Californians and visitors to enjoy our beautiful state parks! read more

[This review is for *camping* at Henry Coe] When the dads got organized and mobilized, and needed a relatively close place to take the kiddos camping that would take a reservation, this is where we landed. This was a 6 dads / 10 kids one-night car-camping survival fest. Cuttlery? Unnecessary. 4 pounds of coffee? Roger. Vegetables? Redundant. Smores? Check! When we arrived at the campsites, I was at first blush, a bit suspicious and even perhaps a little let-down, as I was used to redwood tree grove camping along the coast. This spot is super remote, and is essentially 20 campsites at the top of an exposed bluff that offers 270 degree views of the oak-studded foothills. It being a good 10 miles from 101, there is absolutely no light pollution, and the moon and star-gazing was great. There are basic car-caming amenities (bathroom structures, faucets with potable water, and access to trails. It's exposed, so it could be super hot, although we lucked out and it was sub 90 degrees. I think the campsites were on top of each other, but no one really seemed to mind. Also, the sites are not flat, so finding a level space for tents can be a bit tricky. There were fire pits, and even during the no-campfire times like now, they do allow briquettes for grilling and the obligatory smore-fest. Bring squirt-bottles for misting to stay cool, and watch out for the raccoons at night. Three stars for what it is. A fun place for an overnight car-camping expedition with the monkeys. read more