Henry W. Coe State Park

Understand

Henry W. Coe State Park (the "W" is usually omitted) is a giant park, at the least. It takes miles to cross, and some of the countryside is rarely reached by man. There are hardly even proper roads in most of the parkland.

(Note that, although there are numerous "roads" in the park, that doesn't necessarily mean they are driveable. They're just former ranch roads.)

Landscape

The terrain is rugged mountain ridges for the most part, except for a few valleys in the middle of the park. The direction of the ridges make the trails more difficult than most, often climbing and falling several thousand feet within the space of a few miles.

Flora and fauna

Much of the land is dominated, unlike that which is farther north, by pine forests. However, oak trees can be found in the region.

Climate

Although it is not as hot as nearby lands due to the elevation, Henry Coe Park can still get hot and is fairly dry, and has a Mediterranean climate.

Get in

There are two main entrances in the north and south. The northern entrance, the main one, is on a road called Dunne Avenue and is accessible from Morgan Hill.

There is also an entrance at Hunting Hollow in the south of the park, which is accessible from Gilroy Hot Springs Road north of Gilroy.

The Dowdy Ranch entrance, which is accessible from a 7-mile stretch of dirt road from Highway 152 starting at Bell's station is open primarily during summer weekends.

Get around

Without proper roads going around the state park, it can take days to get to the far regions of Henry Coe. There are campsites around the park for those who want to travel these longer distances.

See
  • 🌍 Mississippi Lake (Near the center of the park). Largest reservoir in Henry Coe State Park. It is more than 10 miles from any staging area, and the trails around the lake are more than two miles in all. (updated Dec 2017)
  • 🌍 Henry Coe Monument, Hobbs Road (Walk along Hobbs "Road" north from the main staging area). (updated Dec 2017)

Do
  • 🌍 Mount Sizer, Blue Ridge Road. Extremely remote location and a hard-to-climb mountain, with an elevation of more than 3,000 feet. (updated Dec 2017)

Drink

There are several ponds and creeks throughout the park, but the water from these would of course have to be boiled first.

Sleep

Lodging

There are no hotels in Henry Coe State Park. Generally, head to entry towns of Morgan Hill and Gilroy for hotel choice.

Camping
  • 🌍 Coe Ranch Headquarters, 9100 E Dunne Ave (Staging area). Several campsites are located around the main staging area. (updated Dec 2017)
  • 🌍 Manzanita Point, Manzanita Point Road. (updated Dec 2017)
  • 🌍 Poverty Flat Camps, Poverty Flat Road. Minor campsite located in a canyon below Manzanita Point. (updated Dec 2017)

Backcountry

The park is large, and has opportunities for camping alone. However, for safety and convenience, it is probably best to camp at one of the main camping areas.

Stay safe

Isolation is the worst problem with Henry Coe State Park. If you run into a problem, you may suddenly realize that there is no internet connection, let alone any kind of phone service.

Go next

You will probably have to head back to Morgan Hill or Gilroy, but from those places you could perhaps visit nearby Del Valle Regional Park, Lick Observatory, or Mount Diablo.

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