Coyote Creek Trail 2015-01-23

If you search for dog friendly hiking trails, you’ll find plenty of information. This is a log of my hikes with Apollo with relevant info for anyone interested in exploring the beautiful hikes the Bay Area has to offer. In these posts, I hope to paint a picture of trails as I experienced them, complete with some photographs. Hopefully, this will come in handy for others with similar interests in exploring our wonderful open spaces.

Coyote Creek Trail is a very long trail with properly paved pathways. The southern leg runs from Tully Road all the way until Morgan Hill and is the most relevant portion of the trail. At 16.8 miles long, I knew going in that this trail would have to be covered in phases. There are plenty of easy access points to the trail. But that statement really won't help anyone seeking to enter the trail :). We entered the trail at Sherlock Dr. & Kenoga Dr., just off Tully Road. Plenty of roadside parking is available there.

It was a picture perfect day for a hike. Bright sun, 65⁰ temperature, blue skies with nary a cloud in sight… one would hardly believe it was a winter day. The trail was properly paved and well maintained and we came across several cyclists, typically on road bikes, speeding past us. 

Walking south (away from Tully Road for those directionally challenged), you’ll first come by the Los Lagos golf course. When the trail hugged the golf course, I couldn’t but help wonder if the garish structures needed to maintain the golf course are really worthwhile. Right after the golf course, you’ll pass under Capitol Expressway and get to see the creek in close quarters. It wasn’t a pretty sight. Once you cross over the creek, you’ll be treated to some nice greenery on either side with lots of open space. After you cross the trailhead at Yerba Buena Road, you’ll enter Hellyer Park, with the Velodrome by the left. I decided to turn around at this spot, as we’d already done 3 miles one way. At Hellyer Park, restroom facilities and drinking water are available. 

There’s also a dog park at Hellyer Park that we didn't visit. Despite that, Apollo had a field day on the trail. And he was ready to pose for pictures as many times I bade him to!

Trail heads observed:

1. Sherlock & Kenoga Drives, off Tully Road
2. Tuers Road & Capitol Expressway
3. Yerba Buena Road & Grandbrook Way
4. Hellyer Ave. & Palisades Dr.

Here is a link to the map of this section of the trail from the City of San Jose web site. We covered 6 miles out and back from Sherlock & Kenoga Drives. The next time we hike Coyote Creek trail, we will pick up from this point and go further south. Parking should be easy if we approach the trail from Hellyer Avenue.  

Coyote Creek trail is flat, easy, and long. Whatever your fitness level, you can hike to the extent you are comfortable and able.  

Here are some more pictures from the hike.

#Hiking #HikingWithDogs #CoyoteCreekTrail