The Perfect Destination For Hikes And MTBs
Getting There & Checking In
Well first off, leaving at 5pm on a Friday is never the best idea in the Bay Area. We crept along in traffic for a couple of hours before we made it to the turnoff. Once in the town of Morgan Hill its a 30 minute drive up to 2,600 feet where the road dead ends into Henry W Coe State Park.
If you get there late like we did and pre-registered on Reserve California, they want you to fill out a payment envelope and write your information on it. That’s so the ranger can see you have paid and checked in. The next morning you need go to the visitors center to officially check in.
The visitors center is well staffed and they are happy to give you a map and circle the trails that meet your hiking plans. The trails are lined with beautiful Manzanita and Sycamore trees.
Walking The Campground
There are 19 sites with a single road that circles around the campsites. The campground is on a slide grade which causes some of the pads to be very un even so be sure to bring your leveling blocks.
- Site 1 has a canopy, is great for a view of the the hills of the Santa Clara valley. It also offers an amazing view of the sunset.
- Site 2 is rough, un level and has a low tree hanging over it.
- Site 3 is ADA accessible with great views.
- Sites 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11 and 12 are tent walk to sites.
- Site 8 has a canopy, but is too close to the bathroom.
- Site 9 has a canopy, is flat with some shade.
- Site 13 has a very long pad that gives more privacy.
- Site 14 has a very steep parking pad.
Reservations
- Reserve California
- Additional park information
- 408-779-2728
- Open year round.
Amenities And More
- Picnic tables.
- Fire rings.
- Water spigots.
- Vault toilets.
- In the visitors center there are flush toilets and sinks.
- Fire wood at the visitors center.
- Miles and miles of hiking and biking trails right from the campground.
- Max trailer length 22 feet.
Fees
$20 per night first come first serve. There is an $8 fee if you reserve through Reserve California which is highly recommended during summer and spring.
Cell Signal
- ATT – 2-3 bars
- Verizon 1-2 bars very weak signal.
- Weboost – 3-4 bars
Final Thoughts
This is a great campsite for a couple of nights if you just want to get away. If you are an avid hiker or mountain biker, you will have miles of trails to choose from. We will definitely put this on our local list of campsites we will return to. this campground reminds me of Anthony Chabot Campground in Oakland, CA. It’s close to a big city, but you would never know while you are there.