Pictures of Coyote Lake - Harvey Bear Ranch County Park, April 18, 2009

These pictures are from the northeast section of Coyote Lake-Harvey Bear Ranch County Park. The park covers 4595 acres and includes 635-acre Coyote Lake. There are over 19 miles of trails running through the hills west of the lake, with more to open soon. The pictures below were taken from the Ohlone, Valley Oak, Calaveras, Harvey Bear, and Coyote Ridge Trails.

The Ohlone Trail is a short meadow trail leading up the hill from near the boat launching area.

Checkerblooms by the Ohlone Trail.

The Ohlone Trail ends at the Valley Oak Trail, which is shady trail running through oak woodlands parallel to the hill. These are flowers along the Valley Oak Trail.

Closeup of the flowers, which are babystars (linanthus bicolor).

The Coyote Ridge Trail runs above and parallel to the Valley Oak Trail. It runs along the ridgetop and is mostly sunny. These are poppies along the Coyote Ridge Trail.

View of Gilroy from the Coyote Ridge Trail.

Mule's ear sunflower by the Coyote Ridge Trail.

Where the Valley Oak Trail begins, the Calaveras Trail begins, which also runs mid-way along the hillsides. It runs in and out of shady oak groves and through grassy meadows, with views of Coyote Lake.

Some of the shady hillsides are covered with blue fiesta flowers.

About mid-way along the 2.2-mile Calaveras Trail is an area of serpentine soil, which favors native wildflowers over non-native grasses. Poppies and popcornflowers grow on the hillside here.

California poppies, yellow goldfields, redmaids, and popcornflowers.

Closeup of butter and eggs (triphysaria eriantha)

Poppies, goldfields, and butter and eggs

This bright yellow carpet below the trail is mostly made of goldfields.

Yellow goldfields and white-tipped tidytips.

Goldfields, poppies, and butter and eggs in the foreground, tidytips in the background.

California quail in a valley oak tree.

California buttercups.

Linanthus bicolor

Linanthus bicolor and yellow johnny jump-ups

The Calaveras Trail ends at the Harvey Bear Trail, which starts at the Coyote Dam.

View of Coyote Lake from Coyote Dam.

View of the steep hillside east of Coyote Dam.

View of the meadows and hills north of the Harvey Bear Trail at the northeast end of the park.

The Harvey Bear Trail intersects the north end of the Coyote Ridge Trail, which runs the length of the park and is part of the Bay Area Ridge Trail. This is a view from the Coyote Ridge Trail of the Harvey Bear Trail leading down the hill, with a view of San Martin and Gilroy in the background. The Harvey Bear Trail leads down to the Willow Springs Trail and the Harvey Bear Ranch entrance.

Closeup of a poppy with red petals.

Owl's clover and plantain.

Arroyo lupines on the hillside above the trail.

View of the field by the Harvey Bear Ranch entrance. The 2-mile Martin Murphy Trail runs around this field. San Martin Avenue is on the left.

View of the Willow Springs Trail

View up the Coyote Ridge Trail of Mummy Mountain.

View looking towards Gilroy. The Rancho San Ysidro Trail is at the center left.

Where the Coyote Ridge Trail crosses over to the east side of the ridge, the wildflower-covered hills above the Calaveras Trail can be seen.

Mule's ear sunflower and Coyote Lake.

Wild turkeys near the junction of the Rancho San Ysidro Trail and Coyote Ridge Trail.

View of the Rancho San Ysidro Trail leading downhill from the Coyote Ridge Trail.

Back on the Ohlone Trail, with a view of Coyote Lake.

Page created by Ron Horii, 4/24/09