Willow Springs Trail

Dogs Leashed

Features Birding · Lake · Views · Wildflowers · Wildlife

The Willow Springs Trail trailhead can be found on San Martin Avenue at the Harvey Bear Ranch Entrance to Coyote Lake - Harvey Bear Ranch County Park.

Willow Springs Trail climbs gradually and continually as it winds its way through rolling grass hills studded with oak trees. It heads towards Coyote Lake, which comes into view at the very end after a final climb. The golden grasses of summer and autumn become bright green with patches of yellow mustard in the winter and spring when the rains come.

Several trail junctions are passed along the way: a cutoff to Martin Murphy Trail at mile 0.15, Harvey Bear Trail at mile 0.4, Townsprings Trail at mile 1.0, and Rancho San Ysidro Trail at mile 1.1.

There are expansive views of the pristine grass hills looking north, northeast, east, and southeast. Looking behind (south, southwest, west, and northwest), are equally expansive views of rural southern Santa Clara Valley, and the forested, dark green Santa Cruz Mountains in the far distance to the southwest and west. If one looks carefully, they can pick out Mt. Umunhum in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Deer, wild pigs, and cows can be found here. Birds abound as well—common ones are yellow-billed magpies, red-wing blackbirds, steller's jays, and hawks. Wildflowers bloom in the spring, especially bright yellow mustard, some poppies, and lupine.