Published in the July 22 – Aug. 4, 2015 issue of Morgan Hill Life
Mike Monroe
As highlighted in the July 8 issue of Morgan Hill Life, the Open Space Authority of Santa Clara County has opened the Coyote Valley Preserve for daily public access. It is located at the west end of Palm Avenue. We will try to beat the heat with an early morning “get-acquainted walk” of the property. This will be my first chance to hike the trails and enjoy the scenic views of Coyote Valley from the west foothills.
Hikers at the OSA’s Coyote Valley Presserve enjoy the spring beauty. Photo by Ron Horri.
Traveling north from Morgan Hill on Hale Avenue, the 1917 ranch house of Harold and Florence Tilton sits tucked back up to the hillside. The Tiltons had been ranching nearly 30,000 acres east of Gilroy when they decided to downsize their cattle operations and move to the unincorporated area of Madrone. The Tilton Ranch sits as the southern neighbor of the Coyote Valley Preserve. Cattle still run on the preserve lands, helping to “mow” the non-native grasses and doing their part to minimize fire danger. The Tilton’s daughter, Lillie, married Jere Sheldon and they took over operations during the 1920s. Mr. Sheldon is related (the maternal side of the family) to Henry Miller, the Gilroy-based “Cattle King” who was at one time the largest private landowner in the United States. Today, Sheldon’s granddaughter Janet Baird Burback and her husband Greg run a cow/calf operation of Herefords, Shorthorns and Angus breeds.
The Arrowhead Loop Trail at the preserve is about four miles long and has interpretive panels describing the cultural and wildlife resources. As noted in the Morgan Hill Life story, the wildflower displays in the springtime are amazing and the majestic valley oaks dotting the hillsides recall the days of a more calm and open landscape. The native Matalan peoples who lived here for thousands of years reaped the bounty of a land — fishing for steel-head trout in Coyote Creek, harvesting acorns and hunting elk.
There is always plenty to talk about during our walks so please join me for an early Sunday morning saunter of the Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve.
When: 8 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 2
Where: Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve, 500 Palm Ave.
Description: Four-mile moderate walk; bring hat, water, snacks and sturdy shoes
Contact: Mike Monroe at (408) 234-6377
Mike Monroe is a business owner and naturalist. He is a docent for Santa Clara County Parks.
