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Hellyer Park & Coyote Creek Trail
Rating Details »
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
27 reviews for Hellyer Park & Coyote Creek Trail
My review is solely for Coyote Creek Trail.
Like Dano G. said, this trail is boring but if you don't care about scenery and just want to run , walk or bike then it's a good location. I give it 4 stars only because its right in my backyard and ends at my In-laws house so it's a convenient 10 mile bike ride to their home.
Lots of bikers on this route but I also saw lots of walkers, joggers and families with their kids playing on their kiddie bikes. Plenty of places to stop to eat lunch as well or stretch since they have picnic tables around.
The trail itself is not hard at all, hardly any inclines but alot of the trail is not a smooth ride and very bumpy. If you have a road bike, be careful with the cracks and bumps. It is also hardly shaded on this trail so be prepared to get super hot out there or go early in the morning to avoid the blistering hot sun.
Overall a great trail for me and I will be out here at least once or twice a week during the summer on my bike.
I advise most people to bring a friend if they go walking or jogging here. It gets pretty isolated in some areas and could potentially be dangerous for anyone if a wacko decides to come out to the trail. Also be on the lookout for lots of horse poop and some areas that are slightly flooded by water.
Nice simple trail with minor elevation rises.
If you're planning to bike on the Coyote Creek Trail, I suggest you park in the residential area and bike into the park entrance to save $6 from the parking fee.
Going on a relaxing bike ride with some friends, Coyote Creek Trail did the job, somewhat. Most bikes would like this route, for a road bike or fixed gear, there are few areas with rocks and acorns that may cause your ride to be a bit bumpy.
It was nice to pass by the Golf course and driving range, but make sure you follow the signs and not venture out on pavement that may interfere with golfers, its strictly for golf carts.Be careful of a side route which consist of pavement that has lots of black paint (covering the graffiti) and few broken alcohol bottles.
It was cool to pass by the Santa Clara County Velodrome, a track for track bikes (fixed gear). We found out it was one of only 4 Velodromes in California. A bit scary to see the angled track where track cyclist could reach high speeds. You can only ride track bikes here. Saturdays at 9am they offer track bike rentals for $5. It be a cool place to watch professional track cyclists.
15 min from Tully & McLaughlin to the S turn (5degree) entrance to the park - another 3 min to the Velodrome - 5 min to the lake and then 5-7 min to the car lot @ Silver Creek Valley rd. This is a nice 60 min round trip to clear the cob webs.
If you have nothing better to do than run, come here. You also get to be yelled at every few minutes by people on bikes.
There are a TON of bikers out here and according to them, they rank higher on the equestrian scale.
What am I saying?
This trail is totally boring. Only go here if you need a long distance run without a lot of interruption (aside from the fat people spilling out of their overly tight "biking" attire).
I also had to clean this place up back in the day. As it falls under the county juridstiction and will let drunk drivers complete their weekend work here pretending to work for 8 hours sometimes.
What I love about a bike trail is how it squiggles and squirms through all manner of oddly-abutted land scraps, yet still maintains its yellow-brick-road continuity. (Any city worth its salt really ought to be criss-crossed with the things, but that's another discussion.)
Speaking of land scraps, you'll certainly get a mixed bag of sights on the Coyote Creek Trail. Desolate office parks, dubious pockets of exurban homes, windswept fields and farmsteads, a PGE substation, the obligatory golf course, a model airplane range, and of course that pesky freeway, which is rarely out of earshot. In short, this valley *could* be South Bay's Napa, but it just wasn't zoned to be. Don't expect a lot of quality time with the titular creek either, which mostly manifests itself as a series of artificial ponds anyway. Though occasionally the foliage closes in and you could be on a country lane headed anywhere you please. Heck, I even saw two wild pigs and a mountain lion (which thankfully was headed away from me).
Anyway, the trail runs from Hellyer Park in SJ (although fragments do exist north of there, and someday it's supposed to run all the way to Alviso) 15.5 miles to Cochrane Ave in Morgan Hill, which you can venture up a mile to see Anderson Lake, or down a mile to grab some lunch (this ain't downtown MH, just a strip mall, but they *do* have local indian and sushi joints). Oh, and be prepared for some serious headwinds on the way back.
My friends and I biked on this trail today. It was my second time to be on it and I still love it. It has short rolling hills, awesome view of the nearby lake... lots of squirrels on the way so be very careful. They run like hell so you wouldn't want them stuck in between your spokes. Ugh. I was trying to reach Morgan Hill to complete the 30mile bike ride, but the weather was 99 degrees and so I had to cut the mileage. There are other days to explore further and I will definitely go back to this trail often.
I walk on this trail a couple of times a week with my wife. It is the sunny side of town, but the trail is paved and well shaded. There are also markers every half mile. A lot of bicyclists on the trail so be alert. My lone complaint is the proximity to noisy highway 101.
For the trail....
I give the trail five stars for the facts that I can work on my road bike skills here without being on a road and, for me, it's a long out-and-back trail (almost 32 miles, RT from the velodrome to the Anderson Lake Park trail head). I'm more of a mountain biker with toe straps... so, when I am on my road bike with my cleated shoes, I find this trail comforting; when I am unable to clip-off fast enough, I will fall on/around/off the trail rather than in front of a moving vehicle.
In the tree-shaded areas, there can be a bunch of root-system speed bumps. In the afternoons it can get windy on the southern half of the trail (aerobar practice!), and some of the turns are blind and tight. Also, it can get congested at times but I respect the trail triage, which I believe other trail users appreciate.
There are places on the trail to stop and watch water skiers or radio model planes, if they are out. Or, sit and have a quick snack or try out some gel shots.
It's a great trail for my progressing road bike skills.
This was my first trail I went mountain biking on with the boyfriend. Mind you, the last time I ever had a full on work-out would probably be in high school P.E. so you can imagine how out of shape I was. I'm not overweight or anything, however I don't have the best fitness. I'm the total opposite to my boyfriend. He is a seasoned road biker and can bike pretty damn fast.... it's scary.
This definitely was an eye-opener as to exactly HOW bad the situation was. Haha.... I was huffing and puffing as I chugged back up that little hill (at the back entrance), and eventually gave up and walked my ass up the trail. Pretty sad, but hey-- give me some credit. Go easy on me, you gotta crawl before you walk.
i agree with most that this is a boring trail. this is strictly for those who want to get away from the hustle and bustle of the busy streets. if youre a biker i suggest you ride the open roads around the commerical buildings on the east side of the trail.
here's a link to a pdf version of the trail map brought to you by the County of Santa
http://www.sccgov.org/...
We went to check out Festival in the Park which was held at Hellyer County Park in SJ. It was on Sun 6/22/08 from 11-4 and we stayed almost the whole time. The festival was Great fun. Hope they have it next yr.
Hellyer County Park is off Hwy 101 & Hellyer Ave, turn Right and you're there. Parking is $6, but it was closed for the public for the Festival and only Exhibitors could park there. We parked on Hellyer Ave on the residential street. It wasn't too bad and only about 5-10 min walk anyways.
They had tons of agencies there to promote Wellness. Kaiser Permanante, Second Harvest Food Bank they gave out FREE fruits (bananas & oranges) & veggies (potatoes, red onions, cabbage). FREE Subway sandwiches (I got ham) & FREE fruit juice bars (strawberry, pina colada, watermelon).
I also got many pens, handouts, suncreen, an oil rag, & bags.
There was kayaking, but my friend didn't want to do it. Next yr I'll do that if it's offered.
We walked the 1-mi around Cottonwood Lake.
We didn't notice the Velodrome. The Coyote Creek Trail we only did a short walk on, was paved what we were on, kinda boring. Best for bikes. It goes all the way to Anderson County Park - 17 miles.
If they have the Festival in the Park next yr, I recommend it.
I used to live behind Hellyer Park in the 90's and back then it used to be a run down ghetto park with bad kids hanging out. Not an ideal place to have a picnic. I used to run the trails though and that I loved very much.
Went back to visit the park last weekend for my father in laws company picnic and I was amazed how beautiful it looked. They definitely had a face lift, nice green grass, new picnic areas, and the cat tails along the waters edge gave the park a nice feel. The south side of the lake has some really big trees with nice grass under them to sit and read a book (yeah right), well maybe just sit and relax, while The Cheese plays with his cars. Will have to do that one of these Saturdays.
What does 200 4th, 5th and 6th graders + 200 fishing rods + 1100 pounds of trout = CHAOS!
Well, maybe not chaos, but I was at Hellyer Park this morning for my Rotary Club's annual "Fishing in the City" event where members of Boys and Girls Clubs we sponsor came out to try fishing. Fishing 101 was taught on Tuesday and Thursday evenings to the would be fisherboys and fishergirls. However, asking them Saturday morning if they remembered how to cast and tie the knot in the hook, the answer was "No, I forgot.", at least, from the kids I was working with.
Our whole group only caught about 30 trout, but there's a lot of power bait floating on the top of the lake.
Cottonwood Lake is great with a long shoreline so we could spread out with the fisherboys and girls along with volunteers. There was a good sized pavilion with huge grills which provided a nice place for lunch to celebrate the catches and general fun all around. Parking was also very good.
The only reason I'm not giving the park 5 stars is there was one restroom on the side we were using. It wasn't too big, but was well stocked.
Hellyer Park is great place to bike, picnic and have an all round good time.
I ride my horse on this trail. it would be so much better if we riders had a Dirt path along side the trail where it is paved. that would make it easier to share the trail.
For all you walkers and bikers, I do get off the horse and kick my Horse 'Ace's' road apples to the side when i know he pooped.
I would also like to not have to deal with the homeless camping out along areas by the creek. they leave trash and some have dogs that have tried to attack my horse. I now carry pepper spray.
The Hellyer Velodrome was one of my finds on my most recent business trip to Northern California. I actually discovered it on the Internet a couple days before I found out I was supposed to travel to California.
I originally planned on traveling back to New Jersey late Saturday morning so that I could take the beginners class in the morning. Unfortunately, the available flights back to New Jersey did not support this but I did drive down to the track after work.
There was a training session going when I got there but several of the folks came over and talked to me. It looks like a lot of fun. There is just something about track bikes and velodromes. It is probably the simplicity.
Having a track like this is something I would move to San Jose for. Hopefully, I get a chance to ride it in 2008.
Hellyer Park is the northern trailhead of the Coyote Creek Trail, a 15.5 or 16 mile trail that runs from the park to near the Anderson Reservoir in Morgan Hill (though I've never seen the reservoir, all the bike books swear it is there...). The trail is almost entirely paved. There are only I think 2 road crossing, both on very lightly used roads.
There is one point, about 5.5 miles from Hellyer, where a 100 foot stretch of the pavement has worn away. They appear to have started the process of repairing it, but it has been in its current condition (an exposed, flat gravel base) for 6 mos now.
The trail is a mixed use trail and is typically sparsely used. Typically when I ride it, I pass a couple of dozen other bikers, a couple of dozen walkers, and a couple of people on rollarblades.
If you are a serious cyclist aiming to get some new best time, I don't know if this is the place. While the lack of cars or stoplights may seem appealing, there will be the occasional person walking their dog who won't get out of the way, plus there are some very tight corners. Also, the northernmost 4 miles are getting quite bumpy.
The ride back north is always into a pretty stiff wind.
This review is for the Coyote Creek Trail and not Hellyer Park. The trail is fairly nice, I would give it 3.5 stars. The trail is bumpy at times as roots grow underneath the pavement. Los Gatos Trail is much better maintained than this one. I only rode 6 miles on the trail from Hellyer Park cause someone in our party couldn't make it all the way. That's fine. I'll probably tackle the whole trail next weekend (fingers crossed!)
Oohh! And by the way, we stopped at the velodrome on the way back and they were having the Norcal Velodrome Association Sprint Tournaments. It was amazing! To be able to see the beautiful fixies in real life around the track. Its just amazing.
I am not a very big fan of hills or climbs, so this trail was good for me. It's flat except for some places where there are small (very short!) climbs.
At some places on the trail, you are very close to 101. You're probably about 50 feet away with a chain link fence between you cars buzzing past at 75mph. It's not that bad, but the sound can be deafening.(what can I say, I have sensitive ears). I passed through a field of yellow flowers and that was an amazing sight. Reminded me of the time I was in Yosemite. We took pictures, and it definitely didn't look like we were on a trail in South San Jose.
The wind on the way back was BRUTAL. I was pedaling, and at times, it didn't feel like I was moving at all. Haha! I kept cursing at the wind but had to stop cause I think I pissed off a couple of senior citizens on the trails. Somehow, when I was riding through the field of flowers(weeds more likely) on the left and the hills on the right , I felt an inspired to sing. And guess what song? The Sound of Music. and the SWAT soundtrack. LOL! Mind you, I didn't know 3/4 of the lyrics so I just made it up. I think I scared a lotta people that day. Crazy chick on a bike, pedaling furiously against the wind and only moving VERY slowly singing at the top of her lungs. My friends have banded together and agreed to pay for my psychiatric treatment if necessary. Hehe..
One more thing, parts of the trail is shared use - yes that means horses as well. So beware of horse dung remnants on the trail. Steer clear of the steaming brown goo in front of you. You've been warned!
I shall update this review once I've completed the whole trail to Anderson Reservoir. Which I intend to do the coming weekend! (fingers crossed again!) Wish me luck y'all!!
My review is for bike riding on the Coyote Creek Trail, not so much about Hellyer Park.
The trail is best for running or bike riding as walking it can be rather boring. Much of it is straight or only gently curving and walking it can be like walking down a long strip of sidewalk.
I ride on this trail regularly and on weekends and summer evenings, there can be a lot of pedestrian traffic around Hellyer Park and nearest to the parking lot entrances. This includes people pushing strollers, people who let their dogs wander all over the path, or even people who wander all over the path.
If you want to ride fast, the pedestrian-heavy sections are not the place to do it. Just be understanding and roll at a moderate speed through these sections, slowing down as you pass them and sharing the path with them.
You can ride about as fast as you want to south of Metcalf road as there are few pedestrians there, though you'll still have to be attentive for the few.
If you're on a road bike, be weary of some uprooting and other poor pavement. The plants next to the path can cast shadows that obscure poor pavement and you don't what you've hit it until you've hit it so, to be dramatic, beware the shadows.
Last thing- be mindful of the wind blowing south. If you start your ride in the southbound direction, you'll have the wind at your back and you'll go fast, far, and easily. This means that when you turn around to go back to your starting point, you'll have significant wind resistance. The best thing to do is to think of the outbound trip as requiring about a third of your energy and the return trip requiring two thirds so you don't go too far south and than have a long, energy-draining return trip.
Sister (brother?) course of la Raza disc golf course. The tees are all concrete and there is pretty good mix of open, closed, uphill, & downhill holes. The holes often have multiple tees and basket positions. The park itself isn't too well kept & some of the holes are a bit short and not terribly fun. Overall a solid course though.
My 4-star rating applies here to the disc golf course and the bike trail; I've never used any other part of the park - though I REALLY want to check out the velodrome, and I think Coyote Hellyer gets mad props just for having all of these facilities in one place!
DIsc Golf course: We just went on a cold and damp Sunday afternoon in February - not a lot of people, not a terribly pretty place (lots of erosion from all the disc golfers walking everywhere to get our discs, plus really loud from Hwy 101 literally right up against the course), but tons of fun. I'm a crappy disc golfer (just did the course in 43, I didn't see par numbers so you could do your own math if you know it), but this was a lot of fun, and awesome for being the only developed outdoor disc golf course in San Jose. Nine holes with multiple start positions for each, all within a conveniently compact area with a lot of clearings but still plenty of hazards, this is a spot I look forward to coming back to. One idea: we disc golfers should probably develop a bit better of a leave-no-trace ethic to avoid trampling all the grass and shrubbery quite as much as has been done here.
Bike trail: Since I was 12 years old in the Boy Scouts, this has always been a fun trail to ride - as others have noted, it's long and flat, but plenty pleasant and gets its props for being one of the longest in the South Bay. If I end up on a long road ride in this section of town, I always make sure to hit up some part of the trail to cut my way back towards downtown. The trail is good times for everyone from families with new riders to experienced road or mountain riders just wanting a pleasant creek path stroll - well worth the trip!
Velodrome: I can't wait to try, I hear great things from the fixie scene about watching the races.
The park is almost in my back yard. Due to convenience, I run, walk and bike on the paved trail a few times per week. It is not the nicest park I've been to, but it serves a purpose. Reasonably well maintained by staff and also volunteers who pick up trash from along the creek (tip of the hat to these people)
Constant hum from Highway 101 which is right beside the park. I appreciate the mile markers on the trail. There is a disc golf course near Hellyer lake that is popular on the weekends.
There is an outdoor velodrome, north of the lake, that is currently being refurbished. I always wondered what it would be like to ride on a velodrome. I'm not sure about public acess to it.
coyote creek trail is a good paved trail for cardio.
start at hellyer park and head south. usually go to morgan hill depending on how windy it is. most times is pretty empty on the trail. need to be very aerodynamic on them windy days! trail is completely flat. plenty of off street parking surrounding the trail. best place to park is near the frisby-golf area - near the north bound 101 hellyer off ramp.
I love this trail. I use this trail for both running and mountain biking. Most of the trail is flat with a few 'rolling hills', but easily manageable for the beginner runner and biker. Are you curious to know how far you've ran or biked? This trail also has mile markers and goes through a few parks including Hellyer Park and Metcalf Park. Most of the trail is shaded with trees so it can be a good run/ride any time throughout the day.
Ahh, Hellyer Disc Golf-Great place to play. It is a 9 hole. Most play it 2 times to get 18. Some spend all day there and play 27-36. Many up hill, down hill and flat shots on this course. All tees are concrete with 2 tee locations on each hole. There are many semi-pro to pro's that play at this course on a regular basis. Everyone I have meet there is nice. This will make you sleep well at night. There is a bit of up and down hill walking. The place looks absolutely amazing in the spring when the entire place lights up with bright green grass. Beginners might have some frustration at this course given it's up and down hill shots. Most holes are about 300 some longer some shorter. All in all, a great place to get away and play some disc golf. I would have gave it 4 stars if it was 18.
Lake water is brown. Grass is dead. Lowriders in parking lot.
Hellyer park isn't my favorite of spots to kick it on a sunday afternoon. But the disc golf course is fair game here. Basically my review is for the course. My average is 3 or 4 over par. What can I say? Just that the only thing that keeps this spot from being a five star is that the bathrooms are inaccessible. Otherwise the lake near the putting baskets is nice on a fall afternoon. There is shade, but bring a hat or sunglasses cuz about half the course faces the afternoon and midday sun.
Great paved trail to run at with mile markers every half a mile. I have run from mile 0 to mile 15 1/2 one way (31 miles round trip). Great marathon training course.
