Coyote Calls

Hike Coyote Valley Open Space

Ahhh, that new open space smell! Saved from corporate development and stretching from Morgan Hill to south San Jose, Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve opened just a few weeks ago—shining with new redwood bridges, picnic areas, wildlife, wildflowers, and a terrific hiking and mountain biking trail with sweeping ridge-top views. The gently sloping 4-mile Arrowhead Loop Trail is a dream come true for nature lovers. It leads to the preserve’s high point on a ridge, with a brilliant vista up and down Coyote Valley. Mount Hamilton and Mount Umunhum loom prominently in the background. Bring binoculars. You're likely to see orioles, magpies, western bluebirds, and even golden eagles if you're lucky. Other winged creatures include bay checkerspot butterflies, drawn to the California plantain herb that grows in the preserve. Native wildflowers like poppies, Ithuriel’s spear, lupines, and fiddlenecks flourish here, as do grasses like wild barley, wild oats, and purple needlegrass. The trail has exposed parts, but the variety of oak trees (blue, white, black, and leather) provide some shaded spots. Bring a picnic and stay awhile. Coyote Valley is good as new!

The Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve parking area is at 550 Palm Ave. in Morgan Hill. Take Hwy. 101 to Bailey Ave. and go west. Go to the second light and turn left onto Santa Teresa. Take the third right, onto Palm Ave. At the end of the road there's a gate, and beyond that is the parking area. No dogs. 

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Taking the Stage: Tyler Ranch

    Hike the recently opened Tyler Ranch Staging Area in Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park, with 18 miles of new trails. This 6.5-mile loop up Sunol Peak is a challenge and rewards with exceptional views of seasonal iridescent hills.

    View
  2. A woman stands at Dante's View in Death Valley, looking out to Telescope Peak and Manly Lake, Badwater Basin below.

    Sunset Hike (and Manly Lake Vista!) at Dante's View

    It’s one of the world’s best places to watch a sunset. Dante’s View is a 5,476-foot vantage of the whole southern basin of Death Valley from the top of the Black Mountains. On clear days you get views of both the highest and lowest points in the contiguous U.S. 

    View
  3. Swing into Spring

    Swing into this 7.1-mile hike in the hills of Half Moon Bay! It’s got gorgeous views, fields of spring wildflowers, and a hidden rustic tree swing.

    View
  4. The Carson Show

    Carson Falls is ready for primetime. This three-tiered, 100-foot stunner is hidden back in a canyon outside of Fairfax and reached on a 3.25-mile (round-trip) hike.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Lava Lava

    Once a land of volcanic activity, Mojave National Preserve shares plenty about its past via a quick yet adventurous hike to the Lava Tube in the Cima Dome Volcanic Field.

    View
  2. Kelso Dunes

    The hike to the top of Kelso Dunes in the Mojave National Preserve is only 3 miles (out and back), but you’ll feel like you’ve hiked much farther by the time you’re done.

    View
  3. William Kenyon Overlook

    Some of the best vistas of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park are easily accessible via a short and sweet 1.25-mile (round-trip) hike just off the CA-78. Enter your next favorite desert viewpoint: the William Kenyon Overlook.

    View
  4. Beaudry Bountiful

    There are no cars allowed on Beaudry Loop, but this 6-mile hike takes you on a wild ride. You’ll be climbing 1,500 feet up the southern Verdugos along a chaparral-lined trail with gorgeous mountain and urban vistas every step of the way.

    View