Summary: We had a great 4 mile loop hike at
Henry Coe State Park. It is 13 miles east of Morgan Hill, and well worth the visit. Lots of trails for hikers and mountain bikers. Great vistas on the drive up, and vistas from the trail. Just check out the pictures.
There is a very reasonable day use fee of $5. I'd pay more. We started at the park headquarters, and the rangers gave us great tips on how to get the most out of four hours we had before a social event in Morgan Hill. The advice we received was to take the Corral Trail to the Springs Trail for 2 miles. Then return on the Forest Trail on the other side of the ridge. This was a spectacular hike, mostly because the day was just so perfect. The day was supposed to be cold and cloudy, and we ended up having alternating heat and shade from clouds with cool breezes. It was actually perfect hiking weather. It would have been quite hot without the clouds. At this time of the year, it was quite dry. There was plenty of poison oak to watch out for, but it was not directly on or next to the trail.
Along the Forest Trail there were a few Manzanita's and perhaps these are even Madrone's because this is quite a large tree. The sun was catching the peeling bark, and I was enjoying all of the colors in the tree's skin. The nice thing about this trail is that it is not especially wide, but it is flat and not rocky. There is not a lot of up and down. You're basically staying at the same elevation most of the time, so you're never winded. There are plenty of wildflowers to enjoy. Actually, the Forest Trail has about 27 items of interest numbered along the trail. You can take a trail guide and read about the numbered items of interest along the way. There are boxes at either end of the trail to pick up or drop off your trail guide. This is a nice way to educate yourself about the plants you see along the way.
Here's a picture of me at the end of the hike. The park is quite large, with many more miles of trails to explore, and it was worth the two hour drive from Vallejo. We will definitely be back, especially since we can also visit our wonderful friends in Morgan Hill after the hike. If you have any questions about Henry Coe State Park, feel free to comment on the blog entry, and I'll get back to you with a reply comment. Also, I have numerous photos of this hike, and I will post them if asked via the blog's comments.
There is a very reasonable day use fee of $5. I'd pay more. We started at the park headquarters, and the rangers gave us great tips on how to get the most out of four hours we had before a social event in Morgan Hill. The advice we received was to take the Corral Trail to the Springs Trail for 2 miles. Then return on the Forest Trail on the other side of the ridge. This was a spectacular hike, mostly because the day was just so perfect. The day was supposed to be cold and cloudy, and we ended up having alternating heat and shade from clouds with cool breezes. It was actually perfect hiking weather. It would have been quite hot without the clouds. At this time of the year, it was quite dry. There was plenty of poison oak to watch out for, but it was not directly on or next to the trail.
Along the Forest Trail there were a few Manzanita's and perhaps these are even Madrone's because this is quite a large tree. The sun was catching the peeling bark, and I was enjoying all of the colors in the tree's skin. The nice thing about this trail is that it is not especially wide, but it is flat and not rocky. There is not a lot of up and down. You're basically staying at the same elevation most of the time, so you're never winded. There are plenty of wildflowers to enjoy. Actually, the Forest Trail has about 27 items of interest numbered along the trail. You can take a trail guide and read about the numbered items of interest along the way. There are boxes at either end of the trail to pick up or drop off your trail guide. This is a nice way to educate yourself about the plants you see along the way.
Here's a picture of me at the end of the hike. The park is quite large, with many more miles of trails to explore, and it was worth the two hour drive from Vallejo. We will definitely be back, especially since we can also visit our wonderful friends in Morgan Hill after the hike. If you have any questions about Henry Coe State Park, feel free to comment on the blog entry, and I'll get back to you with a reply comment. Also, I have numerous photos of this hike, and I will post them if asked via the blog's comments.
