In mid-April, my kids and I took a half-day trip to nearby Henry W. Coe State Park. Our goal was simple – to stretch the legs, get outdoors and see wildlife (including wildflowers). In that regard it was a success – we saw acorn woodpeckers, turkey vultures, quail, a few rabbits and also heard (but didn’t see) a turkey. The remaining wildflowers were mostly located in the shaded areas and along then-dry creeks.

Of the ~20 hikes (according to AllTrails.com) starting from the main entrance, we chose the easy-rated Ponderosa Loop Trail (2 miles). As the name indicates, the trail has those majestic iconic large trees – the Ponderosa Pine. It was a bit uphill to reach the ridge (where the pines are), and the landscape was dry and rocky. The rock chips made it a little slippery in a few spots, so we were glad to have our hiking sticks.

Once you reach the ridge and 4-way trail fork, it is just another ~0.2 miles to get to a rest area with a bench (called Eric’s bench). If you continue to the loop on the left there is also a picnic table which could be a peaceful lunch spot. At around 3000 feet of elevation, it definitely feels like you are up high and I appreciated the occasional cool breezes whooshing through the pines.

On logistics: The main park entrance is only about an hour from my home in Mountain View. It is essentially East of Morgan Hill, following Dunne Ave through neighborhoods and winding into the hills.

You have to go to the headquarters (HQ) to pay for a day-use pass. However there isn’t much parking near the HQ, so you may need to park in another area, 0.4 miles away. HQ does have some temporary parking to use while you get your permit (which needs to be displayed on your car dashboard).

The next time I go in the spring or summer, I will head out much earlier to beat the heat and perhaps park closer. With the drought, most or all water areas were dry. So if we get a rainy winter (please!!!) it could be fun to go while the water is flowing.

In addition to hiking, this huge park offers backpacking, camping, backpacking, biking and fishing. See the companion site https://coepark.net/ for additional details and maps.