Henry W. Coe Coe Park "is the largest state park in northern California, with over 87,000 acres of wild open spaces. Henry W. Coe State Park. Each campsite has a table, fire ring and grate. It’s home to a variety of plants and animals included the elusive mountain lion. Fire clears the woody debris of the forest floor to ash and returns essential minerals to depleted soils. Skip to comments. The Ponderosa is a quarterly newsletter published by the Pine Ridge Association, a volunteer organization that helps maintain and preserve Coe Park. Fresh elk and coyote droppings can already be found in areas that were still smoking a few weeks ago. Soaring ridges play host to the elusive mountain lion. Flat Frog Trail - … JavaScript is turned off in your web browser. The terrain of the park is rugged, varied, and beautiful, with lofty ridges and steep canyons. Structure and facilities damage from the SCU Complex inside Coe Park was minimal, according to The Ponderosa. The Texas Cabin at Gilroy Hot Springs—located in the southwest portion of Coe Park—was damaged from fire retardant applied to the structure to prevent its incineration. In some areas the skeletons of the chaparral shrubs remain standing, but in others the fire was so hot that there is essentially nothing left. Henry W. Coe State Park is the largest state park in northern California and protects and preserves 87,000 acres of scenic hills and mountain ridges in the Diablo Mountain Range. Following this regeneration will be fascinating and is bound to turn up some surprises. The terrain of the park is rugged, varied, and beautiful, with lofty ridges and steep canyons. Within the park, the SCU Fire burned roughly the same area as the 47,000-acre Lick Fire of 2007, Goodrich wrote in The Ponderosa. Due to the SCU Lightning Complex fire burning near the northeastern park boundary, Orestimba Wilderness is closed to backpacking and hiking until further notice. Just days after the fire, Coe Park’s volunteers were on the scene. Where the skeletons stand, it will not be long after the first rains that new sprouts appear at their bases. By all accounts, the 2007 Lick Fire was a firestorm, with towers of flame and plumes of smoke thousands of feet tall. According to CalFire, the SCU Complex destroyed 136 structures and resulted in injuries to six people, including four firefighters. According to a Coe Park damage assessment published Sept. 11 in the Pine Ridge Association newsletter, the fire that was sparked by an Aug. 16 lightning storm consumed the entirety of the Orestimba Wilderness backcountry within the park. Discover more great rides. Henry Coe Bike Trails. As with most wildfires, this one was a mosaic. San Jose Police shot and killed a man Jan. 21 who may have been involved in a recent homicide and other shootings in Gilroy and Morgan Hill, according to authorities. “The PRA’s mission is to enhance and enrich the public’s experience at Henry W. Coe State Park through education and interpretation,” says a note at the end of the latest version of The Ponderosa. Gray estimates that more than 50 spring boxes—built by park staff and volunteers over the years—were damaged in the SCU Fire area. The SCU Lightning Complex Fire burned about 56,000 acres of Henry W. Coe State Park—about two-thirds of the park’s territory—but authorities say the blaze was good for the long-term health of the vast wilderness ecosystem. The SCU Complex, however, burned more of the park than any previous blaze since Coe Park was created. Two backcountry restrooms suffered light smoke damage. Henry W. Coe Park is the largest state park in northern California, with over 87,000 acres (135 square miles) of wild open spaces and about 250 miles of trails. Obviously regeneration of vegetation in the most severely burned areas will take some time. The Middle Ridge Trail is about 4 miles of fantastic singletrack through woods and fields with one short stiff climb. The terrain of the park is hilly, rugged, varied with ridges and steep canyons. Coyote Creek winds through green canyons filled with oak, Henry Coe State Park, California. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Some areas did indeed burn fiercely: especially those in which highly flammable chamise had built up to dangerous levels. Wildfires Burning Around California Prompt State Park Closures By Elisabeth Smith August 19, 2020 at 9:26 pm Filed Under: California State Parks , California Wildfires We have a unique opportunity to monitor the recovery process in Coe Park's many different plant communities. By Aug. 26, the threat to populated areas had diminished as CalFire set fuel breaks on the western edge of the SCU Complex and implemented back burning operations to starve the blaze of fuel. Many of the oaks with impacted crowns shed huge numbers of acorns and it hasn't taken the deer long to find them. As of Sept. 22, Coe Park remains closed due to the SCU Fire. MORGAN HILL - Firefighters are on scene at this hour of a fast-moving fire at Henry Coe State Park in Morgan Hill. According to CalFire, the brush fire has reached at least 50 acres. Sprawling across northern California's Diablo Range, Henry W. Coe State Park is an impressive swatch of land. The SCU Fire, in fact, started as several separate fires ignited by lightning strikes during a series of storms on Aug. 16. “The more often it happens, the less likely a catastrophic fire will occur. Sheer canyon walls harbor a variety of plants and animals. Hotels near Henry W. Coe State Park, Morgan Hill on Tripadvisor: Find 6,138 traveler reviews, 2,463 candid photos, and prices for 711 hotels near Henry W. Coe State Park in Morgan Hill, CA. Coe Park is the largest state park in northern California, with over 87,000 acres of wild open spaces. Henry W. Coe State Park: Henry Coe State Park - See 55 traveler reviews, 49 candid photos, and great deals for Morgan Hill, CA, at Tripadvisor. Although the meadows were essentially black right after the fire many are a light tan color as seen from a distance. Sunset photograph of the Henry Coe State Park forest fire in California. Just two weeks after the fire small bits of green have appeared even in some fairly heavily impacted areas. In the end, it consumed 47,000 acres, most of it in Henry W. Coe State Park, east of Gilroy. The recovery process has already started. Fortunately, these "moonscapes" are the exception rather than the rule. “No mature Ponderosa appeared to have burned. There are many lightly burned and completely unburned areas that served as refuges for larger animals and will serve as a source for seeding in some of the more severely burned areas. Some of Coe Park’s lakes and dams were in the SCU Complex footprint, but no significant damage occurred to these facilities, according to Gray. “While the loss of structures and the human cost of fires is unfortunate, the landscape at Coe is built to burn,” Gray wrote in the newsletter, known as The Ponderosa. The reduced competition from clearing the understory is part of the long term strategy to protect this species and promote their regeneration,” Gray wrote. It stretches south and east from Morgan Hill, with entrances off East Dunne Avenue and Gilroy Hot Springs Road. Minor damage and downed trees on some dirt roads will need to be cleared. California's oldest state park now completely surrounded by fire zone. These boxes were built to provide access to natural springs for wildlife and horseback riders. Residents of eastern Santa Clara County faced evacuation warnings and—in the case of the Jackson Oaks and Holiday Lake neighborhoods of Morgan Hill—brief orders to leave their homes as the fire continued to grow. Henry W. Coe State Park (known simply as Henry Coe or Coe Park) is a state park of California, USA, preserving a vast tract of the Diablo Range.The park is located closest to the city of Morgan Hill, and is located in both Santa Clara and Stanislaus counties. For the most part, however, the wildfire consumed the vegetation understory of the park, including downed trees that serve as fuel to any wildfire. Photos courtesy of D. McCranie, R. Fischler, B. Patrie, S. Cogar, J. Dascoulias, lick fire coe park fire coe fire 2007 bob patrie ron fischler panoramas fire recovery pine ridge association wildfire recovery henry w. coe state park. This park features miles of back country, huge oak trees, and fire roads steeper than I though were possible to build. We also have wonderful opportunity to develop materials for public education and if the study warrants, one or more scientific publications. Take a quick fire road to the Flat Frog singletrack, which has a nice flow and will warm you up for the fun to come. We were impressed by how close the fire is to to the Lick Observatory. In fact, it will certainly prove to be a beneficial event. The Ponderosa published the photos below depicting damage from the SCU Complex in the latest edition of the newsletter: Morgan Hill Unified School District officials are hoping to bring students at all grade levels back to the classrooms in time for the start of the final quarter of the 2020-21 school year. The "Lick Incident" that burned 47,760 acres, most of it within the 87,000 acres that comprise Henry W. Coe State Park, broke out on September 3, 2007 and was fully contained on September 11. The terrain of the park is rugged, varied, and beautiful, with lofty ridges and steep canyons. The SCU Fire spread as far south as Coe Park’s Dowdy Ranch Visitor Center in Merced County, but fire crews were able to protect the structure from significant damage. The "Lick Incident" that burned 47,760 acres, most of it within the 87,000 acres that comprise Henry W. Coe State Park, broke out on September 3, 2007 and was fully contained on September 11. By the afternoon of August 17, the park was closed to the public.”. Henry W. Coe State Park is the largest state park in northern California. According to CalFire’s final incident report of the SCU Lightning Complex, the wildfire burned 396,624 acres of vegetation in seven counties. At one point during its growth, the SCU Fire was ranked the largest wildfire in the state’s history; but other fires that continue to burn in northern California have since eclipsed the SCU Fire in size. A Stockton-based manufactured home operator plans to convert the... School district aims for March 22 return to class, Possible suspect in Gilroy homicide shot by police. The northern area of the park is shown on one side of the map and the southern area on the other side, with generous overlap in the middle. The majority of this fire at Henry Coe burned at a low intensity, primarily consuming grass and brush, while not torching the canopies of trees.”. “Within the Diablo Range, the Marsh Fire near Milpitas quickly spread southeast,” The Ponderosa Co-editor Patrick Goodrich wrote in the newsletter. Some springs have been developed with troughs and tanks, and these “fared a bit better than the spring boxes,” Gray wrote. Cal Fire officials said teams would be igniting back fires in areas of the Henry W. Coe State Park and surrounding ranch lands starting Thursday and over the next several days. In Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties, the SCU Lightning Complex fires have closed Henry W. Coe State Park. Hamilton. The seeds of some species require a heat shock before they will germinate. Henry Coe State Park is just one of the huge variety of mountain biking spots that the Bay Area has to offer. Even when the oak leaves were badly singed, there is the expectation that most of the trees will recover. Gray’s assessment adds that when it comes to natural resources, the SCU Fire damage will likely benefit the park’s Ponderosa Pine population. “One method of mitigation is to fight fire with fire, also known as a ‘firing operation'” officials said. : You are free: to share – to copy, distribute and transmit the work; to remix – to adapt the work; Under the following conditions: attribution – You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. Steep mountain terrain creates a rugged landscape for wildlife viewing. Many of the hillsides burned in a perfect mosaic pattern leaving green unburnt vegetation. This largely undeveloped park welcomes backpackers, equestrians, mountain bikers, day-hikers, and anyone seeking solitude in a nearly untouched setting. “There was a lot of consumption of downed trees and other fuel loads while not burning so hot as to damage seed banks or consume old heritage trees. Person responsible for Henry Coe park fire comes forward 1 of 3 (Lt. to Rt.) This will provide refuge for wildlife and lead to an increased diversity in plant age class over time.”. MORGAN HILL, Calif, (KGO) -- Firefighters are battling a 100-acre brush fire at Henry Coe State Park in Morgan Hill. CA: Fire burns in Henry Coe State Park Mercury News ^ | 9/3/07 | Joshua Molina Posted on 09/03/2007 4:37:17 PM PDT by NormsRevenge. Added to the Cream of the Crop pool as most interesting. However, the longer the chamise chaparral is allowed to grow without fire the more dangerous it becomes. We overnighted at Mississippi Lake, about 11 miles from park head quarters. State Parks issues early damage assessment of eastern SC County park. Middle Ridge Trail - begins as fun rolling single-track through oak woodlands before descending steeply. In the weeks that followed, the two main fires grew into the massive SCU Complex. Henry Coe State park is the largest state park in Northern California with over 87,000 acres of wide open spaces. Amid breezy conditions, firefighters this afternoon were scrambling to fight a brush fire that quickly scorched 200 acres outside of Morgan Hill near Henry Coe State Park, authorities said. This year-round park offers plenty to do. Close inspection reveals hundreds of small fresh dirt mounds, indicating that large numbers of gophers have survived and are perhaps busy feasting on toasted grass roots. Henry W Coe State Park Campground has 20 drive-in campsites located on top of an open ridge with breathtaking views across the canyons of the backcountry. Henry Coe State Park, California - Feb 28th 2017 Time lapseNote: at 3 seconds there's a shooting star. Many of you may have been concerned that the fire had severely damaged the park. Henry W. Coe State Park is closed to all user entry and activity until further notice due to a number of wildfires. The assessment was written by Wes Gray, Natural Resource Manager of the Diablo Range District of California State Parks. Its 89,000 acres perch above the Santa Clara Valley at elevations up to 3,600 feet, offering splendid views of the surrounding peaks and valleys. Fire is one of the major physical factors that shapes plant communities. In large areas of open blue oak woodland the fire remained on the ground and scarcely touched the trees. Henry W. Coe State Park remains closed until further notice for reasons of public safety and park rehabilitation due to the SCU Lightning Complex Fire. According to CalFire, the SCU Complex destroyed 136 structures and resulted in injuries to six people, including four firefighters. https://www.alltrails.com/parks/us/california/henry-w-coe-state-park The "Sacramento" Coe web page Henry W. Coe State Park has just announced this: "July 5, 2020 - Due to the Crews Fire, Henry W. Coe State Park is closed until Wednesday, July 8. Andrew Chamings. Henry W. Coe State Park Trail and Camping Map (2013 edition) The park map is printed at 1:24000 scale, has 40-foot contour lines and shaded-relief coloring on both sides. Gray’s assessment predicts that next spring will be a “banner year for wildflowers” in Coe Park. Meanwhile, fires in Del Puerto Canyon northeast of the park expanded out of control and encroached upon the Orestimba Wilderness. Henry W. Coe State Park For more information, please call the park at (408) 779-2728." Fire is one of the major physical factors that shapes plant communities. Group camping, hike/bike campsites and other primitive campsites are also available here. “Overall this burn was good for the ecology of Coe…it burned very similar to how a planned prescribed burn would,” Gray wrote. It will be many years before it builds up to such hazardous levels again. Roughly 55,000 acres — an area nearly twice the size of San Francisco — burned at Henry W. Coe State Park near Morgan Hill in August and September. “With 100-degree temperatures, single-digit humidity, and fanned by strong winds, it did not take long for the fire to reach the northwest slopes of Mt. Henry W Coe State Park Overview. Trail markers and road signage were damaged by the fire and crews, but the assessment is ongoing. Even though the park is less than 30 minutes from San Jose, it is true wilderness. In some areas of Coe Park, the topography contributed to more destructive fire conditions, burning more vegetation like oak and pine trees. 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