This was my first time visiting the Coyote Valley Open Space in Morgan Hill. It has a limited number of trails but just gorgeous especially at this time of year. It's a preserve in south Santa Clara County between San Jose and Morgan Hill. It serves as an important connection for wildlife between the Santa Cruz Mountains and the Diablo Range. I didn't see any of the animals that could be found here but I was relieved I didn't see any mountain lions, badgers or coyotes while hiking :) Again, because of the landscape as well as the time of year, wildflowers were everywhere!
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| Poppies were spread throughout the park but the best clusters were right at the parking lot. |
The gates were locked open just as the gates at the Sierra Vista OSP, again, likely so people don't have to repeatedly touch the same mechanism to unlock the gate.
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| I didn't see many cows near the trail and very few cow pies. Maybe they are being enclosed during this time or they'd end up out in the parking lot! |
We decided to hike the Arrowhead Loop Trail. This 4-mile hike was rated as "challenging" on the brochure for the park. Maybe it was the direction I hiked the loop (Heart's Delight Trail then headed south on the Arrowhead Loop Trail) and that I stopped a lot to take pictures of all the wildflowers but it seemed more of a moderate hike IMHO. With the rolling green hills and new green leaves on the trees, I would have loved to hike longer!
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| The cloud formations were beautiful as well. |
I saw many of the same wildflowers I saw at Sierra Vista earlier in the week (tons of fiddlenecks, a few owl's clover and lupine) but some others for the first time this season. I always wondered if I went out everyday if I would be able to see the constant change in the wildflower population but that probably would be more accurate if I hiked the same trail at the same park at least once a week but exploring new parks and trails is so much more fun!
What did I see this time out that I hadn't seen yet this year?
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| Johnny Jump ups or California Golden Violet |
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| Purple Sanicle or Snakeroot |
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| Popcorn flower |
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| Henderson's Shooting Star |
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| Checker bloom |
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| Blue-eyed grass |
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| Baby Blue Eyes |
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| Sand fringepod or Lacepod. I thought the look of this plant's seed pod is so unusual. |
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| Red Maids |
Just the hillsides alone were enough to want you to come back again!
And last but not least, I've seen these before but the California Buttercups are just so cheerful. They were in bloom throughout the park.
I'd recommend this park on a mid-week day when things return to normal and people are typically at their workplaces. I think because there's basically one trail, it was fairly crowded. And while people were mindful of the social distancing that is required while out and about, this trail was one of the heavier trafficked. Maybe it was the wildflowers that caused people to gravitate here. I know I've made a mental note to return next March.
COVID-19 Considerations:
- Trail width. The trails are not fire road wide but fairly wide compared to some foot paths.
- People count. Not sure how many people I saw but a lot considering most times I hike other parks during normal times I rarely run into people but as I mentioned, there's really only one trail for everyone to take (Heart's Delight Trail to Arrowhead Loop and back).
- Gates. The cattle gates have been chained open.
- Restrooms. All Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority parks' restroom facilities will be closed until further notice so be prepared!
- Maps. Either download the map to your phone, take a picture of the map at the trailhead or print out a map beforehand. No printed maps are available.
- Parking lot. Small-medium lot (20 cars spots?) and cars share it with horse trailers. Although the small lot keeps the numbers down somewhat.
- Trash. Pack out what you pack in.
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