94. Henry W. Coe State Park: Coit Lake

Length:	26 miles round trip
Hiking time:	3 to 5 days
High point:	2,640 feet
Total elevation gain:	4,800 feet
Difficulty:	moderate to strenuous
Season:	year-round
Water:	available at China Hole, Coit Lake, and Los Cruzeros; purify first
Maps:	USGS 7.5' Mississippi Creek, USGS 7.5' Mount Sizer, Henry W. Coe State Park map
Information:	Henry W. Coe State Park

Take a secluded backpack trip in gently sculpted hills past oak savanna to Coit Lake. Along the way you'll have grand views of foothill slopes and canyons. Note that spring and fall are the best times to hike. Backpackers must register at the visitor center.

From Highway 101 in Morgan Hill (south of San Jose), take the East Dunne Avenue exit, then climb 12.5 miles to the Henry W. Coe State Park Visitor Center.

To start, take the signed Corral Trail in front of the visitor center. When you reach an open area covered with oat grass, look for a magnificent valley oak decorated with profuse mistletoe growth. Bear right 50 yards farther onto the signed Springs Trail next to another valley oak.

The 1.4-mile-long Springs Trail begins in shade, passes two springs that shrivel up by midsummer, and continues along an open hilltop featuring sweeping vistas of the steep-sided, rolling hills that epitomize this large park. As a bonus, this level stretch supports a four-oak-species savanna: valley oak, coast live oak, black oak, and blue oak.

At 1.7 miles pass an attractive third spring lined with native rushes. The trail then leads to a multisigned trail intersection at 1.9 miles, where you go right onto the dirt Manzanita Point Road. Several picnic tables and two outhouses mark Blue Oak Horse Camp 0.2 mile farther. You'll find water at a nearby bass pond, where a spur loop trail leads to one of the Manzanita Point group camps, which are available to backpackers.

At 2.5 miles at the signed trail junction turn left onto the China Hole Trail opposite the Madrone Soda Springs Trail. Descend past a variety of native flora, including big berry manzanita, ponderosa pine, black oak, chamise chaparral, and eventually blue oak woodland, to popular China Hole, which doubles as a swimming spot and a camp for backpackers.

Continue on to Mahoney Meadows and Mahoney Ridge by crossing Coyote Creek, which can be impassable in winter (check with the visitor center ahead of time). The 1.5-mile section from Mahoney Pond to the signed junction of Cross Canyon Trail West (where you turn left) consists of an oak savanna ridge walk that curves past tall gray pine. Admire views to the right of Coyote Creek Canyon, and turn around to view Blue Ridge, Middle Ridge, and Pine Ridge to the northwest. Your mile-long journey down Cross Canyon Trail West encompasses a mix of shady and open vegetation. The primary shrub species include ceanothus, ocean spray, and big berry manzanita. Watch for sporadic madrone and black oak closer to the canyon's bottom.

When you get down to Kelly Cabin Canyon, the trail veers abruptly southeast and follows the seasonal creek upstream past laurel, bigleaf maple, sycamore, and coast live oak. After 1 mile the trail departs the creek and then ascends in and out of side canyons to the signed junction with Willow Ridge Crest Trail, where you turn left.

After 0.1 mile pick up the 0.2-mile-long trail on your right that leads to Coit Lake, which offers good swimming and camping for backpackers.

Return to Willow Ridge Crest Trail and pass shallow Hoover Lake and several sections of chamise chaparral as you appreciate ongoing views of the Pacheco drainage to the east and previously mentioned vistas to the north and west. Turn left onto the signed Willow Ridge Trail 3.5 miles past Coit Lake. You'll spot an unsigned side trail 0.2 mile farther that leads to a spring that usually shrivels up by early summer.

Back on Willow Ridge Trail, descend 1,000 feet of elevation over 1.3 miles to the East Fork Coyote Creek. Los Cruzeros, another backpack camp, is a short side trip downstream. Cross the creek, then continue on the Pacheco Route, now a dirt road. Climb 0.4 mile to a signed trail junction, bear left, and then continue left at another signed junction 0.3 mile farther.

Gradually descend for 1 mile to Poverty Flat, another favorite creekside camping spot. From here, briefly follow Coyote Creek to two signed trail junctions, then cross the creek (which may be impassable in winter). Stay straight on the Pacheco Route for a 1.6-mile climb past a variety of oaks, plus gray pine and laurel, to a previously encountered trail junction, where you stay straight on the Pacheco Route. The trail now climbs to a plateau, with splendid views of canyons and rolling hills, and then descends to the trailhead.