The closest thing to paradise around here may just be Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve, a 348-acre expanse spanning Morgan Hill and San Jose. The main trail, Arrowhead Loop, is a 4-mile walk that offers a mix of grassland and forests with oak and bay trees. This pretty, charming — and calming — trail often evokes the rolling hills and dales of the English countryside. Yet its flora and serpentine rock outcrops are uniquely Northern Californian.
Along the trail, dung of different sizes reminds walkers that it’s the easiest thing in the world to lose yourself in a moment of sheer beauty until your sneakers squelch into animal droppings. Opened in 2016, this expanse of green is home to mule deer and bobcats, although I didn’t see any roaming among the California bays, blue oaks and buckeyes.
For anyone looking for a medium workout like I was, Arrowhead Loop Trail is a pleasant hike with several steep but short gradients as the trail climbs. It’s a hike that seems to know how to pace itself, and even an inexperienced hiker is bound to feel like she can conquer it while taking in lovely sights along the way.
Cows amble in the distance along the inclines of meadows; their grazing helps control invasive plants. Hikers are warned to maintain a respectful distance from the cattle, and never get between a mother cow and its calf, as she may become aggressive. If cows are lingering on the trail, it’s important to approach slowly, giving them the time and space to move away. Judging by the occasional droppings along the path, it’s clear that horses, too, like humans, tend to leave something behind for posterity.
Dung piles and horse droppings are not uncommon along the Arrowhead Loop Trail in the Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve, but the region’s soothing beauty is worth the risk of soiled shoes. (Photo by Kalpana Mohan)
Panoramic lookouts and majestic oaks alternate as the trail winds its way upward. Coyote brush, a drought-tolerant, evergreen plant that thrives in the preserve’s grasslands and oak-woodland foothills, is a common native shrub found throughout this preserve.
Arrowhead feels like a quieter trail than most because of the bird watchers who lurk, their cameras at the ready, their demeanor so respectful and quiet that it makes the rest of us feel like Pamplona bulls in a china shop. Coyote Valley is home to soaring red-tailed hawks, golden eagles, turkey vultures, yellow-billed magpies and many other avian species.
One of the iconic stops on this trail is a bench from which hikers can take in the grandeur and beauty of this valley. The scene never fails to baffle the senses as the path rises up about a thousand feet from the valley floor.
For an inexperienced hiker, the Arrowhead Loop Trail in Santa Clara County’s Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve provides a moderately challenging but rewarding workout. (Photo by Kalpana Mohan)
Well past the halfway point, it’s easy to spot a mammoth grey-white building complex in the distance: Below is IBM’s Silicon Valley Laboratory, where I worked for a decade. Seeing the offices reminded me that it is possible to maintain a balanced lifestyle when your work is located near a valley packed with hikes with stunning views. From the lookouts on this trail, it’s also possible to spot Mount Hamilton and Mount Umunhum.
The trail meanders along seasonal creeks that spring alive in winter. As my friends and I descended to the valley floor and reached the Heart’s Delight Trail, we crossed the last of the four wooden bridges before stepping onto the service road leading to the parking lot. During my descent — in some sections, it can be swift and steep — my friend and guide to many wonderful hikes in the valley lent me her hiking pole. On occasion, visitors to the Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve may smell compost coming from the nearby mushroom farm on Hale Avenue. Mushrooms are one of the most valuable crops produced in Santa Clara County, and part of the local agricultural economy. Following a recent upgrade, the area by the parking lot now has photographs and descriptions of local flora and fauna. The best time to see wildflower blooms is typically from March through May.
Coyote Valley’s Arrowhead Loop Trail features four charming wooden bridges that add to the feeling that you’re ambling through the English countryside. (Photo by Kalpana Mohan)
If you go
Arrowhead Loop Trail: Duration is 2-5 hours, depending on ability. No pets are allowed on the trail. Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve Parking Lot, 550 Palm Ave, Morgan Hill; openspaceauthority.org/preserve/coyote-valley