Coyote Ridge

Máyyan 'Ooyákma – Coyote Ridge
Open Space Preserve

Map of Máyyan 'Ooyákma – Coyote Ridge

  • Multi-use Trail:
  • Hiking/Biking Trail:
  • Máyyan 'Ooyákma – Coyote Ridge
  • Pedestrian Bridge

Trails

Download Máyyan 'Ooyákma – Coyote Ridge Trail Map

Map of Máyyan 'Ooyákma – Coyote Ridge

  • Multi-use Trail:
  • Hiking/Biking Trail:
  • Máyyan 'Ooyákma – Coyote Ridge
  • Pedestrian Bridge

Trails

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

  • The Parking/Central Gathering Area is open Sunday through Saturday. Trails located inside the Habitat Protection Area (Butterfly Pass required) are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays  
  • Season/Hours of operation
  • Note: Red Flag Warning days and inclement wet weather can lead to trail or preserve closures without notice.
  • Saturdays and Sundays, March through May all visitors must sign-up for a docent led tour to access the trails inside the Habitat Protection Area. All events will be listed on the Open Space Authority EventBrite page here
 
Saturdays and Sundays, March through May all visitors must sign-up for a docent led tour to access the trails inside the Habitat Protection Area. Please note that registration is per vehicle. Carpooling is encouraged due to limited parking at the preserve.

Hike Sign-Up Dates: All events will be listed on the Open Space Authority Eventbrite page here

  • February 22: Sign up for March 2-3, March 9-10, March 16-17
  • March 7: Sign up for March 23-24, March 30-31
  • March 21: Sign up for April 6-7, April 13-14
  • April 4: Sign up for April 20-21, April 27-28
  • April 18: Sign up for May 4-5, May 11-12
  • May 2: Sign up for May 18-19, May 25-26
  • Hiking is allowed on designated trails. 
  • Picnicking is allowed in designated rest areas. (No BBQ or open flames) 
  • Bikes are welcome on the trails, which currently includes e-bikes.
  • Horses are welcome on the trails. Please note that due to limited parking, reservations are required for equestrians transporting horses in trailers. Horse trailer parking is available Wednesday through Friday by reservation only. Please email info@openspaceauthority.org to make a reservation.    
  • Reservations are required Saturdays and Sundays March through May for docent-led hikes only. There are no bikes/horses permitted on the trails Saturdays and Sundays March through May. 
  • Parking at the preserve is limited to 42 vehicles.
  • With mostly exposed trails, visitors should note that no water is available at the preserve and bring plenty to drink, especially during the warm season. 
  • There are no trash cans available at the preserve as these attract scavengers. Please pack out all trash.
  • There is an ADA all-gender restroom.
  • Due to the sensitivity of the habitats, dogs and drones are not permitted anywhere on the preserve. 
  • Cell signal is reliable in the Central Gathering Area. Signal can be unreliable along some sections of the trails inside the Habitat Protection Area.   
A free annual Butterfly Pass is required year-round to access the trails inside the Habitat Protection Area. This system was designed to educate the public about the importance of protecting habitats for endangered plants and animals and helping them adapt to a changing climate. When you obtain a Butterfly Pass, you agree that you have read and agree to follow the preserve rules. Passes are available here.
  • There are three trails included inside the Habitat Protection Area that require a Butterfly Pass at all times. These include the Serpentine Spring Trail, Tule Elk Trail, Bay Checkerspot Trail. 
    • The Habitat Protection Area trails feature serpentine grasslands which provide refuge for a wide variety of rare plants and wildlife, some of which have teetered on the edge of extinction. Among them are the Bay checkerspot butterfly, the Metcalf Canyon jewelflower, California red-legged frogs and tiger salamanders, tule elk, Western burrowing owls, golden eagles, and numerous other birds of prey. 
    Visitors accessing the Habitat Protection Area must stop and clean their shoes, bike tires, or horse's hooves at the cleaning station prior to going on the trails. This helps reduce the spread of disease and or invasive plants that cause harm to the rare plants and wildlife found within the preserve.
    March through May, the Habitat Protection Area will be open by reservation only on Saturdays and Sundays. During this time, the public must sign up for a docent-led hike or event to access the Habitat Protection Area. These will be available for free - only by advance registration – where visitors can learn about the native wildflower blooms and the rare Bay checkerspot butterfly population found within the preserve.     
    There are a wide range of experiences which are accessible. This includes a shaded picnic area, seating area with unique and secluded views facing into the preserve, and two scenic overlooks connected by accessible trail on either end of the central gathering area facing out to Coyote Valley and downtown San José. There is also a shaded central gathering area with interpretive signage.
    There are two picnic tables under the shade structure located along the Máyyan Wáayi Overlook Trail. Both of the picnic tables are accessible, with at least 4 wheelchair-accessible spots at each table, or up to 8 total.
    • Visitors must stay on designated trails at all times. 
    • Do not disturb any wildlife - including plants and animals found at the preserve. 
    • Share the trail and pack out ALL trash or food items. Take nothing and leave nothing behind.
    • There are no pets or drones allowed at the preserve.    
    • Hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding are only allowed on designated trails. Please stay on the trails to protect the preserves and the plants and wildlife that live there.
    • Pets are not allowed. For their health and safety, please leave them at home and never leave pets in the car while you hike, regardless of weather conditions.
    • Fires, fireworks, and smoking are prohibited.
    • Do not feed, disturb, touch, chase, or remove wildlife.
    • Do not remove or vandalize preserve facilities, including signs.
    • Hunting, fishing, and trapping are not allowed.
    • Possession or use of firearms, pellet guns, paintball guns, bows, or slingshots is prohibited.
    • Unmanned aerial systems/drones are not allowed.
    • Be considerate to other preserve visitors and share the trail.
    • Please leave no trace and pack out your trash.

    How to get there

    Máyyan 'Ooyákma – Coyote Ridge Open Space Preserve

    9611 Malech Rd., Morgan Hill, CA 95037

    Directions
    From Hwy 101 or Hwy 85
    • East on Bailey Avenue
    • Continue on to Malech Road
    • Free public parking area will be on the right

    About

    Máyyan ‘Ooyákma – Coyote Ridge Open Space Preserve connects over 1 million acres of important habitat in the Santa Cruz Mountains and the Diablo Range. Comprised of rare, sensitive serpentine grasslands, this unique landscape is a biodiversity hotspot for endangered plants and animals. Scientific research on the plant and animal communities found here continues today. 

    Visitors will need a free "Butterfly Pass" for hiking, biking, or horseback riding on the trails located inside the Habitat Protection Area. Total, there are 3 miles of trail designated as a portion of Bay Area Ridge Trail, a regional trail system that will someday stretch more than 550 miles along the ridge lines that encircle San Francisco Bay. 

    Máyyan ‘Ooyákma (pronounced My-yahn Oiy-yahkmah) directly translates to Coyote Ridge in the Chochenyo language. Chochenyo is the language stewarded by the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area, whose members trace their ancestry to the Indigenous Peoples, or aboriginal inhabitants, of this region. The Open Space Authority is partnering with the Muwekma Ohlone to raise awareness about the importance of the protection of irreplaceable landscapes.

    THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS

    In 2015, the Open Space Authority permanently protected the property after successfully securing a total of $8.6 million in funding to protect the rare serpentine grasslands, the Bay checkerspot butterfly population found on the preserve and the wildlife connectivity this location provides between the Santa Cruz Mountains and Diablo Range. The acquisition was made possible through the generous support of various public and private partnerships, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the State Coastal Conservancy, the Wildlife Conservation Board, California State Parks, the Santa Clara Valley Habitat Agency, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and the Resources Legacy Fund. 

    Funding for this public access project totaled $4 million, provided by the Open Space Authority's Measure Q, a $400,000 grant from the Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation, $400,000 in funding from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s Priority Conservation Area Grant Program and over $2.5 million from California State Parks.  

    Large tule elk bull with antlers standing next to two tule elk does
    Smiling woman sitting in field of wildflowers, green hills in background
    1,859
    acres
    5
    miles of
    trails
    20
    minutes from
    downtown
    San Jose
    please do not
    bring pets