Coyote Lake Harvey Bear Ranch County Park https :// www . sccgov . org / sites / parks / parkfinder / Pages / CoyoteLake . aspx
Snug against the hills of Gilroy , not far off Highway 101 , sits Coyote Lake Harvey Bear Ranch County Park , 2740 acres of trails , camping and lake . The Harvey Bear trail system opened in 2005 and has been a popular site for outdoors enthusiasts of all kinds , according to Senior Park Ranger Patrick Silva , who ’ s been with the County parks for 34 years .
Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit , Silva said “ Visitation has gone up exponentially . It has probably brought a lot of families together in the great outdoors .”
Of course , with increased usage come increased accidents , which is what he and other rangers spend a lot of time assisting with . But in general , he said , the trails are incredibly safe and versatile for a variety of users .
A couple of Silva ’ s favorite places are the Coyote Ridge Trail , with its beautiful views of the valley and Coyote Lake and the northern end the Ed Wilson Trail , which is accessible for all users — mountain bikes , equestrians and hikers .
“ Anybody that ’ s into the outdoors and looking for a good area to get nice exercise with beautiful scenery should come to Harvey Bear ,” Silva said . There is also a flat , two-mile asphalt loop at the staging area that is accessible to people with disabilities .
“ I would encourage anyone to come out here . If they ’ re not , they ’ re missing out on something special .”
Mount Madonna County Park https :// www . sccgov . org / sites / parks / parkfinder / Pages / MtMadonna . aspx
“ It ’ s just so peaceful at Mount Madonna . Kind of spiritual , calming . It ’ s that redwood thing .” — Jamie Haskell
ruins of former cattle baron Henry Miller ( not to be confused with the writer of the same name ), learn about the Ohlone Indians who hunted there , and visit a pen of white deer . It also offers a variety of camping from traditional tent camping spots , to RV camping , and rentable “ yurts .”
“ I like Mount Madonna because it ’ s a real change of scenery , especially during COVID . We live on the east side of Morgan Hill overlooking what used to be Anderson Lake ,” said Zana Vartanian , an avid hiker along with her husband Jamie Haskell .
Haskell added , “ It ’ s just so peaceful at Mount Madonna . Kind of spiritual , calming . It ’ s that redwood thing .”
Haskell began hiking in college for its myriad benefits to his mental health and continues to hike daily in his retirement . Vartanian hikes as often as work allows , having long been an active outdoors enthusiast .
They used to walk the Sprig Lake trail , but find it too crowded of late , and instead prefer to drive up to the top of the park and enjoy the less trod trails . “ There ’ s hardly anybody on those trails at the top .”
The two also enjoy hiking at Henry Coe State Park , which Haskell describes as “ rugged ” and Rancho Cañada del Oro , off Loma road on the way to Uvas Canyon County Park in Morgan Hill .
Haskell , who is 67 , pointed out that , while aging brings challenges to physical activity , “ Walking is something you can stay with for a long time ,” he said .
If oak woodlands and wildflower encrusted grasslands aren ’ t quite your thing , South County offers a redwood retreat at Mt . Madonna County Park in Watsonville . 4,605 acres of redwood forest , oak woodland , chaparral and grassy meadows welcome hikers with their cool embrace . Turning over logs or rocks will often reveal salamanders , banana slugs and other earth-loving creatures .
Visitors to Mount Madonna can also investigate the
South County offers many more trails than these , for all fitness levels and abilities . You can find more information at : https :// www . sccgov . org / sites / parks / parkfinder / Pages / parkfinder . aspx
Photos : Opposite page - hikers explore Mt . Madonna Park trails . Left - Victoria and Eddie Valencia hike the Ridge Trail at Mt . Madonna Park . Above - Mark Vivian and best friend Snoopy hike Contour Trail , Mt . Madonna Park in Gilroy .
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN SPRING 2021 gmhtoday . com
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