Henry W. Coe State Park, California travel guide: things to do, food & where to stay

Overview

Henry W. Coe State Park is in California, in the United States.

2 sights · 1 things to do · 3 places to stay

Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage

Best things about Henry W. Coe State Park

Mount Sizer

Extremely remote location and a hard-to-climb mountain, with an elevation of more than 3,000 feet.

Mississippi Lake

Largest reservoir in Henry Coe State Park. It is more than 10 miles from any staging area, and the trails around the lake are more than two miles in all.

Henry Coe Monument

Plan your trip

Best time to visit & weather

Most comfortable: Feb–Nov. Summer highs reach about 73°F; winter lows dip to about 38°F. Wettest: Jan and Dec. (climate data from nearby Watsonville)

Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).

Getting there

From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
SJC Mineta San Jose International Airport, San Jose — 24 mi away (major hub). Directions
MRY Monterey Regional Airport, Monterey — 45 mi away. Directions

There are two main entrances in the north and south. The northern entrance, the main one, is on a road called Dunne Avenue and is accessible from Morgan Hill.

Full “Get in” guide ↓

Budget & where to stay

No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.

Sample 1-day itinerary

Day 1

Morning Mississippi Lake, Mount Sizer
Afternoon Henry Coe Monument

Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.

Food for you

What to ask about, for your diet

Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder

Photos

Map

Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.

Understand

Henry W. Coe State Park (the "W" is usually omitted) is a giant park, at the least. It takes miles to cross, and some of the countryside is rarely reached by man. There are hardly even proper roads in most of the parkland. (Note that, although there are numerous "roads" in the park, that doesn't necessarily mean they are driveable. They're just former ranch roads.)

History

Landscape

The terrain is rugged mountain ridges for the most part, except for a few valleys in the middle of the park. The direction of the ridges make the trails more difficult than most, often climbing and falling several thousand feet within the space of a few miles.

Flora and fauna

Much of the land is dominated, unlike that which is farther north, by pine forests. However, oak trees can be found in the region.

Climate

Although it is not as hot as nearby lands due to the elevation, Henry Coe Park can still get hot and is fairly dry, and has a Mediterranean climate.

Get in

There are two main entrances in the north and south. The northern entrance, the main one, is on a road called Dunne Avenue and is accessible from Morgan Hill.

There is also an entrance at Hunting Hollow in the south of the park, which is accessible from Gilroy Hot Springs Road north of Gilroy.

The Dowdy Ranch entrance, which is accessible from a 7-mile stretch of dirt road from Highway 152 starting at Bell's station is open primarily during summer weekends.

Get around

Without proper roads going around the state park, it can take days to get to the far regions of Henry Coe. There are campsites around the park for those who want to travel these longer distances.

See

See Mississippi Lake

Largest reservoir in Henry Coe State Park. It is more than 10 miles from any staging area, and the trails around the lake are more than two miles in all.

Near the center of the park⚠ Last checked Dec 2017 — confirm before you go

Maps

See Henry Coe Monument

📍 Hobbs RoadWalk along Hobbs "Road" north from the main staging area⚠ Last checked Dec 2017 — confirm before you go

Maps

Do

Do Mount Sizer

Extremely remote location and a hard-to-climb mountain, with an elevation of more than 3,000 feet.

📍 Blue Ridge Road⚠ Last checked Dec 2017 — confirm before you go

Maps

Drink

There are several ponds and creeks throughout the park, but the water from these would of course have to be boiled first.

Sleep

Lodging

There are no hotels in Henry Coe State Park. Generally, head to entry towns of Morgan Hill and Gilroy for hotel choice.

Camping

Stay Coe Ranch Headquarters

Several campsites are located around the main staging area.

📍 9100 E Dunne AveStaging area⚠ Last checked Dec 2017 — confirm before you go

Maps

Stay Manzanita Point

📍 Manzanita Point Road⚠ Last checked Dec 2017 — confirm before you go

Maps

Stay Poverty Flat Camps

Minor campsite located in a canyon below Manzanita Point.

📍 Poverty Flat Road⚠ Last checked Dec 2017 — confirm before you go

Maps

Backcountry

The park is large, and has opportunities for camping alone. However, for safety and convenience, it is probably best to camp at one of the main camping areas.

Stay safe

Isolation is the worst problem with Henry Coe State Park. If you run into a problem, you may suddenly realize that there is no internet connection, let alone any kind of phone service.

Go next

You will probably have to head back to Morgan Hill or Gilroy, but from those places you could perhaps visit nearby Del Valle Regional Park, Lick Observatory, or Mount Diablo.