Trail Run Project Logo

Blue Oak Trail is a fun, scenic, singletrack trail with a variety of terrain, vegetation, and spring wildflowers.


Your Rating: Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating      Clear Rating
Your Difficulty:
Your Favorites: Add To-Do · Your List
Zoom in to see details
Map Key

0.7

Miles

1.0

KM

90%

Runnable

953' 290 m

High

757' 231 m

Low

1' 0 m

Up

196' 60 m

Down

6%

Avg Grade (3°)

13%

Max Grade (8°)

Dogs Leashed

Features River/Creek · Wildflowers

Open 8am to sunset.

Description

Blue Oak Trail is a "shortcut" between the midsections of Coyote Ridge Trail and Gaviota Trail. Thus, it is typically combined with these other trails as part of a run in Coyote Lake - Harvey Bear Ranch County Park. Although Blue Oak Trail can be traveled in either direction, this description starts from Coyote Ridge Trail at its 2.1 mile mark.

From Coyote Ridge Trail, Blue Oak Trail descends gradually for its entire length as it drops down the western side of Coyote Ridge. It begins in a high grass meadow on the crest of Coyote Ridge. In the spring, there is a variety of wildflowers here that are typical of the grass hills.

The terrain soon becomes wooded as Blue Oak Trail approaches a seasonal branch of Church Creek. Making a sharp right turn and crossing the creek bed, the trail follows the creek downstream in the woods for about a quarter mile. Besides the vegetation changing to woods, the variety of spring wildflowers also changes to woodland flowers here.

At about the 0.4 mile mark, Blue Oak Trail then veers left and leaves the wooded creek behind, as it crosses another grass hillside, complete with grassland wildflowers in the spring. Here, the trail is heading to another wooded seasonal creek valley that it reaches after about a quarter mile.

This second seasonal creek is yet another branch of Church Creek. Blue Oak Trail enters the woods of this creek valley and makes a sharp right turn as it crosses the creek bed. With this creek now to the right of the trail, the trail follows the creek downstream in the woods. Very shortly, Gaviota Trail appears and Blue Oak Trail ends here at the 1.5 mile mark along Gaviota Trail.

Flora & Fauna

Expect grass meadows and wooded creek valleys. Oaks dominate in the woods, with some California buckeye trees also. A large variety of spring wildflowers typical of both the grass and wooded terrains can be found here as well.

Contacts

Land Manager: Santa Clara County Parks

Shared By:

Joan Pendleton

Trail Ratings

  3.0 from 1 vote

#36157

Overall
  3.0 from 1 vote
5 Star
0%
4 Star
0%
3 Star
100%
2 Star
0%
1 Star
0%
Trail Rankings

#4,116

in California

#36,157

Overall
2 Views Last Month
45 Since May 6, 2018
Easy Easy

100%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%

Photos

A flowering California buckeye tree among the oaks along Blue Oak Trail.
May 6, 2018 near San Martin, CA
Purple wildflowers along Blue Oak Trail.
May 6, 2018 near San Martin, CA

0 Comments

Weather


Current Trail Conditions

Unknown
Add Your Check-In

Check-Ins

none

Join the Community

Create your FREE account today!
Already have an account? Login to close this notice.

Get Started.