Location: County: Santa Clara. Nearest City:
Gilroy.
Campsites, facilities: The Lakeview Campground provides
74 reservable campsites with two restroom facilities and fresh
tapwater, and firepit barbecues. RVs are allowed, but there are
no hook-ups. There is one campsite dedicated to wheelchair access.
Over 75 first-come, "first-serve" picnic tables are
available year round.
Reservations, fees: Call 1-408-358-3751 to make a camping
reservation. Vehicle entry fees are collected year round. Fees
are required for camping and are also required for boating. Fees
are posted at the entrance kiosk.
Contact: Phone Coyote Lake County Park at 1-408-842-7800
or fax 1-408-842-6439.
Coyote Lake County Park
10840 Coyote Lake Road
Gilroy CA 95020
Operating hours, seasons: The park is open year-round
from 8 a.m. until sunset.
Directions: Coyote Lake County Park is located off
Gilroy Hot Springs Road in the Mount Hamilton Range foothills,
east of Highway 101. To reach the park, take Highway 101 to Gilroy.
Take the Leavesley Road exit. Follow Leavesley Road east 1.75
miles to New Avenue. Turn left onto New Avenue and proceed north
for .6 miles to Roop Road. Turn right onto Roop Road. Roop Road
eventually turns into Gilroy Hot Springs Road. The park entrance
is approximately 3 miles from New Avenue. Turn left onto Coyote
Reservoir Road, the park visitor center/ranger station is about
one mile from Roop Road.
Weather, clothing: Hot dry summers, cool wet winters;
average of 25 inches of rainfall annually. Spring is the most
temperate time to visit the park with cool to warm days. Summers
are hot and dry with the latter parts of summer (August and September)
being hottest. Fall starts out hot but cools quickly in November
and December. The winter can be variable with mild cool dry days
alternating with cold wet ones.
Trip notes: Coyote Lake County Park. The 796-acre park;
which features a three-mile long, 635-acre lake; provides camping
and boat launch facilities nestled in the Mount Hamilton Range.
The reservoir provides opportunities for power and non-power
boating and fishing. The lake covers 688 acres and is stocked
with a total of 24,000 trout on a biweekly basis from late winter
through spring; the lake also provides a decent fishery for bass
and contains unstocked populations of bluegill and crappie. The
boat launch ramp is located one mile north of the visitor center.
As of August 9, 1999, only 20 launches per day of personal watercraft
(jetskis) is allowed due to high MTBE levels found in the water.
Shoreline picnic areas are provided along the western shore of
the lake. Barbecue facilities are provided in the southern half
of the park. The reservoir is stocked with trout. Two hiking
trails are available along the lakeshore. The park visitor center
and ranger station, located near the park entrance kiosk, features
a display on local wildlife and Ohlone Indian culture.
© 2001, Miwok Lodge 439, Order of the
Arrow, Santa Clara County Council Inc., BSA
Revision 1.2
