Henry W. Coe State Park

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Morgan Hill, CA
Henry W. Coe State Park

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The official page for Henry W. Coe State Park. At over 87,000 acres, it is the largest state park in Northern California.

10/30/2026

For this National Cat Day, let us celebrate our two magnificent, wild felines with a little game of "Bobcat or Mountain Lion?" Can you tell which is which?

Bobcats are frequently confused with mountain lions because they are larger than a housecat. Their coat may have a few dark spots and dark bars on their forelegs. Their ears are pointy with black and white bands on the back and a small tuft of hair at the tip. Their most distinguishing feature is their short, bobbed tail.

Adult mountain lions are much larger than bobcats and can weigh about the same as an adult human. Mountain lions tend to be more uniform in color and have rounded ears. Still can't tell the difference? If the cat has a long tail, it's definitely a mountain lion!

With thanks to the Felidae Conservation Fund.

10/26/2026

This is another friendly reminder to turn your clocks back an hour on Sunday, November 1st at 2 am. Starting November 1st, the Dowdy Ranch Entrance will be open from 8 am until sunset, weather conditions-permitting.

If you're going on a long hike in the park, be sure to plan around the time change. Arrive earlier in the morning and bring a headlamp or flashlight.

📷Sue Dekalb

10/19/2026

The Dowdy Ranch Entrance will be closed starting Thursday, October 22nd through Sunday October 25th for a special event. However, the entrance may close earlier in the week if there is forecasted rain. The Coe Ranch and Hunting Hollow entrances will remain open.

More info at https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=561

10/14/2026

Progress continues on the ADA access project at the Coe Ranch Entrance. Work around the Visitor Center is essentially complete with an improved accessible parking space and concrete pathway with handrails to the front door. The most popular feature so far seems to be the new and convenient drinking fountain with bottle filler.

The next phase of the project will occur in the campground and should begin later this fall.

10/08/2026

California Condors at Coe!

Condors have recently been spotted circling the skies above the Bell's Station Entrance near Pacheco Pass Highway.

Apart from their impressive wingspan of nearly 10 feet, they can be differentiated from their cousin the turkey vulture by the white band on the leading edge of the underside of their wings. The condors in these images are pretty high up to see perfectly clearly, but the white band is unmistakable.

Why not take a trip to the Dowdy Ranch Entrance and see if you can spot a condor at Bell's Station? The Bell's Station gate is open daily from 8 am to 6 pm, weather-permitting. Visit the park's website for more info. Link in bio.

📷 Megan Fulford

10/02/2026

Today is ! And what better way to enjoy a comforting cup of brew than by learning about California Coffeeberry (Frangula californica). This shrub in the buckthorn family is native to the west coast. It grows 6-10 feet tall with glossy. grey-brown stems and long, leathery oval leaves. In spring, it produces clusters of inconspicuous, yellow-green flowers.

Coffeeberry's most notable features are its berries which change color from green to red to black. The berries are enjoyed by birds and were used for medicinal purposes by the indigenous peoples of California. Coffeeberry bears no relation to the tropical plant that is responsible for your morning latte but rather derives its name from the berry's seeds which resemble little coffee beans.

📷Sue Dekalb

09/24/2026

As promised, here is part two of some of our favorite wildlife camera footage from the park this summer! Can you name all the critters in these photos? Answers below.

With thanks to the Felidae Conservation Fund.

Brush rabbit mid-hop
Mountain lion (front, back, and profile closeup)
Bobcat looking back
Great blue heron
Black-tailed deer (doe and fawn)
Turkey Vulture juvenile swooping in!
Coyote at night

09/17/2026

It's time for our quarterly report on the park's wildlife! There are just so many photogenic animals in the park, it's hard to choose the best pictures from our candid cameras. Nevertheless, here are some of our favorite from this summer...with more to come!

Can you name all of these critters? Answers below.

With thanks to the Felidae Conservation Fund.

Black-tailed deer fawn
Mountain Lion under a full moon
Skunk family
Acorn woodpecker mid-flight
Wild boar at night
Black-tailed deer buck
Western screech owl at night
Golden eagle flying low
Kangaroo rat mid-jump at night
California Quail family

09/11/2026

The warm, sunny days of summer are nearing an end. Long afternoon shadows prelude cooler weather to come and hopefully some rain to parch a thirsty park. Changing seasons are a time of anticipation but also reflection. What did you see or experience in Coe this summer?

Here are a few things we got to see this summer:

Coit Lake, an oasis nestled between golden ridges covered in gray pines and oaks. A Swallowtail butterfly drinking nectar. Hollyleaf redberry full of bright red fruit. An endless blue sky over rugged hills. Hearty aestival flowers like Twiggy Wreath Plant. Fuzzy, red and white crystalline gall wasp galls clinging to blue oak leaves.

📷 Sue Dekalb

09/09/2026

Celebrate big, hairy spiders with us at the Tarantula Fest on Saturday, October 10 at the Coe Ranch Entrance from 10 am to 3 pm. Rub elbows, so to speak, with the park's native tarantulas, meet birds of prey and other local wildlife, join guided hikes, and enjoy a hamburger or hot dog lunch! Fun for the whole family! Visit coepark.net for more info.

Address

9000 E Dunne Avenue
Morgan Hill, CA
95037

Telephone

(408) 779-2728

Website

https://www.parks.ca.gov/HenryCoe, https://coepark.net/, https://linktr.ee/henrywcoesp

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