Harvey Bear Ranch

Near: Gilroy
Trip type: Trail Run
Distance: 7 miles
Elevation: 800 - 1,300 feet
Vegetation: Pasture with some oak and pine forest
Last visit: March 2017

Harvey Bear Ranch County Park sits on a low ridge overlooking Gilroy.  This loop circles over Mummy Mountain, a rise on the southern end of the ridge.  Most of the park is open pasture land.  The open western slope of the ridge offers long views towards Gilroy, but I preferred the more wooded eastern slope overlooking Coyote Lake.

Rules and Regulations

Dogs must remain on leash.  There is a small parking fee.

Trailhead

We started at the boat launch parking lot midway up the lake.

Route:

From the parking area I headed west up the slope briefly to the Valley Oak trail, which leads south through a mix of fields and oak to the campground trail.  A brief climb here takes you to the Coyote Ridge trail, then getting to the Mummy Mountain Trail requires a quick zigzag south on the Coyote Ridge Trail, then east on the Mendoza Trail.  I thought the Mummy Mountain trail was the most pleasant part of the park.  It's mostly shaded as it climbs to the broad summit area, where several shaded benches overlook the Coyote Lake.  The trail winds down through more woods before meeting back up with the Mendoza trail.  The return is over open ground via the Mendoza Trail and the Coyote Ridge Trail.

Park Map: https://www.sccgov.org/sites/parks/parkfinder/Documents/CoyoteLakeGuideMap.pdf
Caltopo Map: https://caltopo.com/m/QD1S