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Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve Information
Opened in mid-2015, the 348-acre Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve reveals its beauty from the four-mile Arrowhead Loop Trail. The trail ascends from the ample-sized parking lot and passes serpentine rock outcroppings, grasslands, California bay and oak trees and winter-time creeks.
Watch for:
On the ground, keep an eye out for coyotes, bobcats, mule deer and ground squirrels. In the air, look for turkey vultures, golden eagles and red-tailed hawks. Please be considerate of the cattle grazing on invasive plant species.
Hike Details for Arrowhead Loop Trail
Distance: 4 miles round-trip (see map below)
Elevation change: 575 feet
Hiking time: 2-3 hours
Trail surface: Dirt
Best Season: All year, will be warm in summer on exposed sections
Managing agency: Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority (more info here)
Parking lot location: Click here for directions
Overview: Located 20 miles south of San Jose, the Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve offers spectacular views of Coyote Valley and the Diablo Mountain range. It is also home to a plethora of wildlife, so bring your camera.
The Arrowhead Loop Trail is the only trail leading through this preserve. You can hike the entire loop (four miles) or choose to hike sections of the trail.
One of our favorite places in this preserve is the vista point 1.7 miles from the parking area. It’s a bit of a climb, but the views of Coyote Valley and surrounding mountains are worth the effort. To get there, follow the trail clockwise from the parking area.
Make sure to bring your binoculars and look for soaring raptors and elusive mammals, such as bobcats and coyotes. Also, early March through April is the best time to see wildflowers in this preserve!
Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve Photo Gallery
More about Coyote Valley
The valley floor of Coyote Valley, close to this preserve, is the last intact valley floor connection between the Santa Cruz Mountains and the Diablo Range. Considered a “last chance landscape,” connecting over 1.13 million acres of life-sustaining habitat in the Santa Cruz and Diablo Mountain Ranges, it serves as a lifeline for both wildlife and our conservation work in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
After decades of debate over land use, the San Jose City Council voted unanimously in November of 2019 to enter into agreements with POST and the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority to acquire 937 acres at the northern end of Coyote Valley. Then in the fall of 2021, the San Jose City Council voted unanimously to rezone portions of the valley from industrial use to agricultural and open space use for farming and wildlife. This critical wildlife habitat is now protected in perpetuity. Find the full story here.