Trail to Coyote Peak

A Boot Conundrum at Santa Teresa Park on the Ridge Trail

The Bay Area Ridge Trail at Santa Teresa County Park begins with a steep, mile-long hike up to Coyote Peak and its magnificent view of the South Bay. After returning to the starting point, the trail undulates through the park before exiting down a rocky set of switchbacks and picking up suburban footpaths along the banks of Calero and Los Alamitos creeks.

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TRAIL MAP (date hiked)

  • Coyote Peak vista, looking north toward San Jose and San Francisco
  • Trail to Coyote Peak
  • Santa Teresa County Park
  • Santa Teresa County Park
  • Orchard at Calero Creek
  • Santa Teresa County Park
  • Lichen on the trees at Calero Creek
  • Wild turkeys at Calero Creek
  • Running and cycling paths along Calero Creek

Our Journal

If you don’t like the terrain while hiking at Santa Teresa County Park and along the two creeks, just wait a minute. The eight-mile trek led us across …

  • A steep, slick fire road to Coyote Peak. (We could see downtown San Francisco on the horizon, more than 50 miles away.)
  • A smooth, flat winding trail between green hillsides.
  • Two muddy creek crossings.
  • Narrow switchbacks littered with rocks up and out of the park and then down to Calero Creek. (We found rocks large enough for lunchtime seating with a view.)
  • Dried mud etched with bicycle tracks along San Vincente Avenue.
  • A shady creekside path that felt like a country lane as it rambled past an orchard on the grounds of the adjacent IBM Research property.
  • A paved bike path and crushed-rock jogging trail through suburban neighborhoods.
  • A concrete sidewalk to the paved parking lot and trailhead at Almaden Quicksilver County Park.

So, if you have a pair of light-weight, steel-toed, waterproof boots with a cushioned soul and ankle support, wear them. Don’t forget your crampons.

Coyote Peak, Santa Teresa County Park, San Jose. Dan Page/CoastsideSlacking

Miles we hiked

0

(with returns and connectors)

Elevation gain

0

(feet)

Duration

0

(hours)

Our Progress Hiking the Bay Area Ridge Trail – 332 out of 405 miles

82%

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