Backpack Trail Guide

Trails / California / California Coast

Henry W. Coe State Park: Coe Ranch to Mississippi Lake

Henry W. Coe State Park, California State Parks (Coe Ranch Entrance, east of Morgan Hill)

Henry W. Coe State Park covers more than 87,000 acres of lofty ridges and steep canyons east of Morgan Hill, which the Pine Ridge Association calls the largest state park in Northern California. California State Parks says you could easily plan a weeklong trip, hiking 10 miles a day and camping at a different site every night. Mississippi Lake, deep in the backcountry, is one of the classic destinations from the Coe Ranch headquarters.

It’s a rugged walk: Coe’s old ranch roads run straight up and down the ridges, and summer heat can be severe.

The hike

The Pine Ridge Association says trips from Coe Ranch start with registration at the visitor center, open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends and holidays, or by self-registering, and that potable water is available at the trailhead. It says permits must be obtained on the day of departure. California State Parks adds that permits are usually available but recommends registering early in spring and on holiday weekends.

The Pine Ridge Association also suggests checking two binders at the visitor center, Trails of Coe Park and Camping at Coe, which have maps, mileages, and campsite photos.

Backpackers Review describes a route of about 24 miles round trip: the Corral Trail to the Springs Trail to Poverty Flat Road, then the Willow Ridge Trail and Willow Ridge Road to the Mississippi Lake dam. The writer warns that Poverty Flat Road and Willow Ridge Road are very hilly and steep, and suggests Manzanita Point Road, the China Hole Trail, and the Narrows as a more interesting alternative. After the first descent on Poverty Flat Road, you cross the Middle Fork of Coyote Creek.

Poverty Flat is a common first stop. The Pine Ridge Association puts the Poverty Flat camps 3.9 miles from headquarters, at 1,200 feet, with an outhouse and five sites, and says the Middle Fork of Coyote Creek runs through the flat. It says potable water isn’t available there; in wet years the creek flows through spring, and in summer and early fall scattered pools remain. It also tells the story of the name: Henry Coe started calling a neighbor’s homestead “Poverty Flat” after the neighbor refused to sell.

One AllTrails recording describes a three-day version: headquarters to Poverty Flat the first night, then along Coyote Creek and up Bear Mountain Road and the Bear Spring Trail to camp at Mississippi Lake, then back via Willow Ridge, the Narrows, and China Hole. An AllTrails reviewer in May 2024 found water plentiful and returned through the Narrows in about knee-high water. Another, in December 2025, found no water on the way.

At the lake, a Medium trip report describes a semi-private site on the east side and says water was tricky to get because the lake edges are thick with reeds. The writer found the lake water tasted terrible but found flowing water on the north side the next morning.

For a short introduction, the Pine Ridge Association calls Frog Lake, 1.6 miles from headquarters, probably the most popular destination within 2 miles. America’s State Parks lists spring, March through May, as the best season, with green hills, wildflowers, and flowing creeks. California State Parks says summers bring highs above 90 degrees.

For another California coast-range overnight, see Point Reyes to Wildcat Camp.

Tips

Camping

California State Parks says backpacking permits are required, issued first come, first served at the Coe Ranch and Hunting Hollow entrances, with designated sites within 1 to 7 1/2 miles of Coe Ranch and dispersed camping in outlying zones. Ground fires aren’t allowed in the backcountry, and parties are limited to eight people. The Pine Ridge Association says the park has space for over 60 backpacking parties.

Inside Intel: Backpackers Review’s writer has returned to Mississippi Lake several times and always tries to camp at the site on the northwest part of the lake. On the east side, the Medium writer found a semi-private site but had trouble getting water through the reeds. For a two-night trip, the AllTrails recording’s first-night stop at Poverty Flat splits the miles.

Trail facts

The Lowdown

Steep ranch roads to Mississippi Lake:

Backpackers Review warns that Poverty Flat Road and Willow Ridge Road are very hilly and steep, and Poverty Flat sits at 1,200 feet, well below Coe Ranch at about 2,600. Set your poles for the climbs and the drops.

See the pole tips →

Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.