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Máyyan ‘Ooyákma Coyote Ridge Open Space Preserve Gateway, 3/15/24 by Ronald Horii
On 3/15/24, I went to Máyyan ‘Ooyákma Coyote Ridge Open Space Preserve, which overlooks the Coyote Valley between San Jose and Morgan Hill. The preserve is owned and managed by the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority (https://www.openspaceauthority.org/). I had helped with a hike on top of the ridge in the morning. I will be helping with at least one more hike at the end of March. I wanted to see how the preserve looked at the bottom, in the Gateway area around the parking lot on Malech Road. The trails begin here. There's a restroom, shade structures, and interpretive signs. Docents and staff greet visitors and have items on display. Because of heavy rains this year, the Serpentine Spring, Tule Elk, and the upper half of the Bay Checkerspot Trail are closed until they dry out. There's a short trail by the parking lot called the Máyyan Wáayi (Coyote Valley) Overlook Trail. It's mostly flat and gives a taste of the preserve. It's good for kids and is mostly wheelchair-accessible. This trail is always open when the preserve is open, unlike the upper trails, which have restricted hours and require a Butterfly Pass to access (https://news.openspaceauthority.org/butterfly-pass-2023). Below are pictures I took of the Máyyan Wáayi Trail and the start of the Serpentine Spring Trail. Wildflowers are late in blooming this year compared to the last couple of years. It's probably due to the cooler winter. They are starting to come out, but are not at their peak yet.
Here's more information about the preserve: https://www.openspaceauthority.org/preserves/coyoteridge.html.
The preserve opened to the public in 2023. Here are my pictures of opening day, with links to more information:
"Máyyan ‘Ooyákma – Coyote Ridge Preserve Opening Day, 8/31/23":
https://tinyurl.com/2s4cbb82. These are the signs in the preserve: "Máyyan ‘Ooyákma – Coyote Ridge Open Space Preserve Signs, 8/31/23":
https://tinyurl.com/2p8e5wkz. Here are more of my pictures of Coyote Ridge: https://www.rhorii.com/#coyoteridge. To get to the preserve, take Hwy 101 to the Bailey Avenue exit. Go east to Malech Road. The preserve entrance is a short distance down the road on the right. Hours change with the season, so check the preserve's website. See: https://www.openspaceauthority.org/system/user_files/Documents/Grids/preserves/MOCR%20Operations%20Calendar%20-%202023.pdf. During weekends in March through May, the upper parts of the preserve are only accessible through guided hikes, which require reservations: https://www.openspaceauthority.org/preserves/events.html
On 3/15/24, I went to Máyyan ‘Ooyákma Coyote Ridge Open Space Preserve, which overlooks the Coyote Valley between San Jose and Morgan Hill. The preserve is owned and managed by the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority (https://www.openspaceauthority.org/). I had helped with a hike on top of the ridge in the morning. I will be helping with at least one more hike at the end of March. I wanted to see how the preserve looked at the bottom, in the Gateway area around the parking lot on Malech Road. The trails begin here. There's a restroom, shade structures, and interpretive signs. Docents and staff greet visitors and have items on display. Because of heavy rains this year, the Serpentine Spring, Tule Elk, and the upper half of the Bay Checkerspot Trail are closed until they dry out. There's a short trail by the parking lot called the Máyyan Wáayi (Coyote Valley) Overlook Trail. It's mostly flat and gives a taste of the preserve. It's good for kids and is mostly wheelchair-accessible. This trail is always open when the preserve is open, unlike the upper trails, which have restricted hours and require a Butterfly Pass to access (https://news.openspaceauthority.org/butterfly-pass-2023). Below are pictures I took of the Máyyan Wáayi Trail and the start of the Serpentine Spring Trail. Wildflowers are late in blooming this year compared to the last couple of years. It's probably due to the cooler winter. They are starting to come out, but are not at their peak yet.
Here's more information about the preserve: https://www.openspaceauthority.org/preserves/coyoteridge.html.
The preserve opened to the public in 2023. Here are my pictures of opening day, with links to more information:
"Máyyan ‘Ooyákma – Coyote Ridge Preserve Opening Day, 8/31/23":
https://tinyurl.com/2s4cbb82. These are the signs in the preserve: "Máyyan ‘Ooyákma – Coyote Ridge Open Space Preserve Signs, 8/31/23":
https://tinyurl.com/2p8e5wkz. Here are more of my pictures of Coyote Ridge: https://www.rhorii.com/#coyoteridge. To get to the preserve, take Hwy 101 to the Bailey Avenue exit. Go east to Malech Road. The preserve entrance is a short distance down the road on the right. Hours change with the season, so check the preserve's website. See: https://www.openspaceauthority.org/system/user_files/Documents/Grids/preserves/MOCR%20Operations%20Calendar%20-%202023.pdf. During weekends in March through May, the upper parts of the preserve are only accessible through guided hikes, which require reservations: https://www.openspaceauthority.org/preserves/events.html
