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Henry W Coe State Park
2 reviews
5 of 5
We rode Coe yesterday, May 18, 2006. This is an incredibly beautiful park and I would recommend riding here during the cooler months of the year ONLY. The heat is a significant factor.
Here is some good practical advice for riding Coe;
1- Coe is typically 10-15 degrees warmer than Morgan Hill. For example Morgan Hill was 88 degrees and it was 104 at Coe.
2- Your average speed will be about half of what you are accustom to. It took us 4 hours to go 18 miles. The roads go straight up and down with no switchbacks and there is very little that is flat.
3- There is a ton of excellent single track. Many trees are down from the winter, and the grass is thick and there is poison oak EVERYWHERE. We pulled a few ticks too.
4- There are only 2 Rangers at Coe, which is over 85,000 acres. Be well prepared to get yourself out of trouble. Cell phones are useless. We saw absolutely no one the entire ride, so expect it to be quite remote so a major mechanical problem or injury could be a serious problem or a very long walk out.
5- The Coe HQ Ranger station is at 2,800 feet and you will need to climb back up to get to your car, so save enough water and energy to make it back.
6- Do not attempt Coe unless you are a very experienced rider who has very good cardiovascular endurance. I burned around 3,500 calories in four hours. The trails are not very technical, but they are well-designed and very fun. Some of the literature out there overstate the dangers of Coe, but you better be prepared for a lot of climbing and heavy exertion the entire ride.
7- Provisions; Map, lots of water, highly concentrated sports drink (electrolytes), food, SPF 45, DEET. Every tool and extra part you can carry and chain lube (multiple water crossings will dry out your drive train)
I may not have everything here but you should get the general idea that you need to be very well prepared for riding Coe and be completely self-sufficient.
Ride time is 4-5 hours- Coe Ranch HQ to Manzanita Point Road, left on Flat Frog Trail, right on Hobbs Rd, right on Middle Ridge Trail, left on Poverty Flat Rd, right on Mahoney Meadows Rd, right on Lost Spring Trail, right on China Hole Trail, right on Manzanita Point Rd. and this takes you back to Coe Ranch HQ.
From Coe HQ, the ride out to Mississippi Lake is majestic. This is mountain biking at its finest. Gorgeous scenery, awesome trails, lack of human contact, plethora of wild animals and did I already mention awesome trails?
The cool thing about riding at Coe is that once you're past a few miles from HQ, you're only going to encounter serious cyclists. You're not going to run into Ma and Pa Kettle on their Costco-brand bikes going out for a stroll and hogging the singletrack. You're only going to encounter other serious, hardcore mountain bikers. (If you do see Ma and Pa, call 911 immediately as they probably took the wrong turn from the parking lot.)
Once you get to Mississippi Lake, get buck naked and swim. No worries, nobody'll see you.
Recommended Route: Coe HQ > Manzanita Point Road > China Hole Trail > The Narrows > Willow Ridge Trail > Willow Ridge Road > Mississippi Lake > Bear Spring Road > Bear Mountain Road > Narrows Trail > Schafer Corral Trail > Poverty Flat Road > Cougar Trail > China Hole Trail > Manzanita Point Road > Coe HQ
Enjoy!
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Summary: Henry Coe Park is a hidden gem in Santa Clara County but this place is not for every rider. It takes about twenty to thirty minutes to drive thirteen miles from Highway 101 on a windy road to the park headquarters. Once you begin your ride there you will discover that many climbs are steep (bike-hiking) and even some descents also may be too dangerous to ride. Besides the rugged terrain, the place is infested with ticks (especially in spring) and it is a poison oak galore. So if you are not discouraged yet, then you will find plenty of challenging single track whether you like climbing or descending with outstanding views, solitude, and a glimpse of mountain wild life.
Recommended Route: From Coe headquarters take Manzanita Road to Hobbs Road. Continue on Hobbs Road, cross the creek and pedal up to the Middle Ridge. Make a right on Middle Ridge single track and descend down to Middle Fork Coyote Creek at Poverty Flat Road. If you are already tired then make a right on Poverty Flat and head back to the Manzanita Road which will take you to Coe headquarters, otherwise you can turn left on Poverty Flat, cross the Coyote Creek again (by now your feet are already wet anyway!) and continue on Poverty Flat Road (bear to the right) until you reach Los Cruzeros campground. From there, take Mahoney Meadows Road (up the hill again) and Lost Springs single track and then right onto China Hole trail. China Hole crosses the Coyote Creek again (at this point you probably do not even care that your feet are wet!) and dumps you back on Manzanita Road (make a right on Manzanita Road). Manzanita Road will take (uphill once more) back to Coe headquarters. Here is your 3500 (or more) calories burnt! Enjoy!
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