 Coyote Ridge
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Hike description
Begin on the Iverson Trail, which starts just across from the Madrone picnic area, a few steps north of the Portola Visitor Center. After just a few yards you come to an overgrown vista point, perched on a bluff above Pescadero Creek but with the view obscured by trees. The trail is more or less level until, after a few tenths of a mile, the Iverson Trail breaks off to the left. Continue straight on the Coyote Ridge Trail, which immediately begins to climb at a 14% grade. The redwoods quickly give way to attractive, mixed-species woodland, although you'll continue to encounter pockets of redwoods. The Coyote Ridge and Upper Coyote Ridge Trails have the best scenery of the hike, but depending on the weather conditions, the distant sound of gunfire from the Los Gatos Rod and Gun Club may intrude on the peace and quiet. Fortunately these sounds can never be heard from the visitor's center and campground area. Stay left at the trail junction with the Upper Coyote Ridge Trail, after which point the trail is less well-maintained but just as scenic. The trail crests over a redwood-covered knoll and descends slightly, then resumes its ascent. At one point the woods open up and there are some nice glimpses of conifer-clad Butano Ridge rising high over Pescadero Creek to the south, and Skyline Ridge with its brown grassy meadows to the north. Near the end the trail becomes somewhat overgrown, with some poison oak overhanging the trail.
Upper Coyote Ridge Trail The trail ends just a few yards from the Tarwater Trailhead parking area. Turn left onto the Tarwater Loop, which is a wide dirt road, that narrows in places to a singletrack trail. The sounds of gunfire, if they were audible before, disappear almost immediately. The trail descends gently through attractive woodland. Two large trees stand by the side of the trail, the second a single, immense redwood. Eventually the trail descends into a grove of heavily-logged redwoods. While it's normally dark and gloomy, after a rainfall, this area becomes a lot more attractive. The logged forest gives way to much more scenic, possisbly old-growth redwoods just a few yards before the trail ends. At the end of the trail, turn left onto the dirt road. The woods here are fairly open and there are some nice views of redwoods rising arrow-straight toward the sky. The redwoods here aren't very big but have the noble look of old growth.
The Tarwater Loop Trail A few paces brings you to the Tarwater Trail camp junction; turn left onto the Pomponio Trail. Although this trail isn't all that scenic, it does go through an interesting and rather sudden transition from Pescadero's bright, open forest into the dense, huckleberry-clogged forest that's characteristic of Portola. The next trail junction is the Iverson Trail. For a quick return to park headquarters (as shown on the map above), continue straight. In summer, you can extend the hike by turning right onto the Iverson Trail and descending to Pescadero Creek. A seasonal footbridge takes you across the trickling waterway, which in winter can become a raging torrent. The trail climbs through redwoods on the south bank, ending up high above the creek. Stay to the right at the first intersection. After undulating a bit, the trail descends to another intersection. Turn left and wade through the creek, which is only about 6-12" deep in summer. Ascend the steps on the opposite bank and stay to the left at the next intersection. Turn left when the trail ends at the main park road, and continue along the road to return to the starting point of the hike.
The Tarwater Loop Trail
© 2008 David Baselt |
