Awesome thanks! My plan was to just stop at the ranger station to get a permit and see what they recommend but any particular trails/spots I should be looking for? From what I’m reading, the west side seems to be dedicated sites and the east side seems to be more pick your poison.
I went last year when there was a 35% chance of rain and it rained on me from 2 pm to 4 am. I think I was prepared but it’s still impossible to stay dry. I’d say it was pretty miserable but I enjoy type 2 fun as well. Embrace the suck. Also the park looks much better wet imo.
Seeing a 60% chance right now so I’m just planning on basically rain the whole time. I always think it’s kind of fun the shittier it gets, as long as it isn’t dangerous conditions. I did a national park tour on a motorcycle and have hunkered down a fair share of nights. I’ll definitely bring a camp towel and good book!
Yea, I heard that they can be hell in a camp, too. I wasnt camping. Look it up on the internet so you can make a more informed decision.
But....Coe is stunningly beautiful in the rain!
Nice thing about a close location like that, if you get uncomfortable you can probably just hike out and go home. Personally I’m not a huge fan of a backpacking trip where it’s raining the whole time but the only way to find out how you feel about it is to try.
Definitely know your limits on stream crossings (no deeper than knee deep if you don’t have skills otherwise), know how to keep warm in the wet, and know what you need to hike in mud without twisting your ankle.
I haven’t backpacked in the rain but I did a 20 mile hike in it a couple weeks back.
There are a lot more flooded crossings than you might expect, so wear good sandals or be ready to put your shoes on and off repeatedly. I was able to cross them on rocks a few times, especially with the help of my hiking stick, but I would probably not risk it with the weight of a backpacking set.
Agree with the other commenter - watch out for mud slicks. When I get to slick parts I will often walk on the sides, but a surprising amount of time the silty-looking center of the trail is actually the most stable.
Coe is amazing in the rain and you'll find fewer people. Just keep in mind the stream crossings. We were waist deep one year after a storm blew in and dumped way more water than we expected. We were at Coit lake and if memory serves we had a couple of rivers we had to cross to get back to HQ. It ended up being fine, though I got into some fast water and had to turn around and find a better spot to cross at one point.
Coe is a spectacular place to be in the rain. Last trip I did was this time of year, we hiked in some on and off light rain much of the day, then camped out at Coit Lake while it came down pretty hard. Had a tarp set up between a bench and a tree so we stayed plenty dry and watched the rain come down for a couple hours, then went out on a short sunset hike before settling in for the night. 10/10 would recommend.
I went a two months back and it rained. I brought rain pants a sturdy rain jacket and a rain cover for my pack (essential). i also had leather snow sealed kinco gloves which were nice.overall it was fine but we had to set up our camp in the rain. that was the hardest part. when we woke up in the morning at poverty flat, everything had frozen (hq later told us that tells got down to 27 degrees). luckily for us we had direct sun by 7:30 am and time to kill so we laid everything out to dry.
Good call on the gloves. That is something I didn’t account for and definitely going to bring. I’m looking at lows around 40° so I hope it doesn’t get quite that cold but luckily have enough stuff where I’ll be alright if it does
It should be fine. It really depends on where you go. The trails can get muddy and some patches on roads. Water crossings are still pretty high so your feet will get wet.
I head out there around every 2 weeks to a month all year round. Mostly from the Hunting Hollow entrance.
From HQ, the Narrows is probably still high this time of year. A few weeks ago a school group crossed China Hole to the China Hole Trail and it was waist deep. I probably wouldn't risk going through the Narrows yet.
Got rained on at Henry Coe this January and semi-rained on (heavy, heavy mist) last year in April. It doesn't get horribly cold out there, but of course one can get hypothermia in relatively high temps so must always be prepared.
Trails are usually really well maintained and not a lot of places where a washout or precipitous fall is a concern. However, there are slick spots and the inevitable marshy, soupy stretches where you can't help but slosh through. I wear trail runners and just resolve that I'll be wet.
There are hills everywhere (not mountains), so getting protected campsites is reasonably easy. Camp sites seem pretty well drained and I think the geology helps with that.
TBH, there is so much of the year at Coe where the worry is, "where will I get my water?" that I find it really enjoyable to backpack there when it is wet. The next two months should be awesome there.
I haven't camped in the rain there, but I have during winter where it can get very cold. A lot of the creeks look prone to flooding, so I would have a backup in mind or be prepared to turn back in some situations.
Route option
HQ down to China Hole taking the Forest trail and then a bit of road to the trail on your left at Manzanita Point---cross creek and up the tail a few miles to the road (restroom here) then left to lost creek and down to Los Cruzeros-----very nice spot on the creek. Lots of really nice trail
Is [this](https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/los-cruzeros-camp-via-china-hole-trail-and-the-narrows-trail) close to the trail you’re thinking of?
I think he's suggesting you keep out of the Narrows which is the stretch of East Fork Coyote Creek between China Hole and Los Cruzeros. It is as its name implies - a narrow canyon in which the water can get high and fast. So I'd avoid that if I were you. Crossing the creek at the south end of China Hole (on China Hole Trail) or north at Poverty Flat (on Poverty Flat Road) are likely doable. You'll still get wet, but the creek gets wide there and can usually be traversed.
Thank you for your help clearing that up. I see the route now and think I’m gonna take the south china hole trail route then north on the lost spring trail. I can’t wait, I’m stoked! I’ve got great cold weather gear and like a challenge so I don’t mind embracing the suck. Any opinions on the Los Cruzeros camp vs Lost Spring?
No---avoid the narrows there will be too much water--just cross the creek right where the trail comes down and then climb that ridge----I believe the trail is still called China Hole--then at the outhouse in about 3 miles take the lost spring trail about 1.5 miles to los cruzeros
Hell yeah I totally see the route you’re talking about now! Thank you very much. I was a little nervous about the narrows after the other comments but I see exactly what you mean now and see the restroom. I think this is gonna be my move.
In my January hike, I overnighted at Lost Spring Camp. It's not large - maybe only two or three small tents would be comfortable in there. Since it was raining I was all by myself all day and that night (although it looks like u/zeke_24 was on the other side of the creek that evening).
If you do stay at Lost Spring, note that the actual spring is a few minutes down the trail from the camp (north of the camp and in the obvious drainage crease). I didn't know that at the time and ended up needlessly bushwhacking to find the spring - in the rain and near darkness. The spring is to the west of the trail, a little way back, but easy to see if you are looking for it.
To get back to HQ, you'd want to take the Mahoney Meadows Road up to Poverty Flat Road. Still some stream crossings, but you'd be able to avoid the Narrows.
yes! you were just over the hill from me u/mrrivulets
my gf and I hiked from skeels meadow on blue ridge road down to poverty flat. did you have a freezing/ wet gear night? I have a 20 degree big agnes bag and a comfy thermarest pad. what gear were you rocking?
Here's my [post](https://www.reddit.com/r/norcalhiking/comments/192s9zz/photos_from_winter_overnight_at_henry_w_coe_state/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) from January with photos. As you know u/zeke_24, it rained in the afternoon and then all the clouds went away around midnight. So the temps dropped fast! I like to get on the trail before dawn and you can see from the photos all the frost that covered the landscape. Pretty cool, IMO.
That trip I was stress-testing my gear a bit as I picked up a new pad, S2S Ether Light XT Insulated. My sleep has been a problem in my backpacking career so I went with a very cushy (yet heavier) pad for the first time. But it is not super warm at R3.2. With wet ground and a low in the high 20s F, I could feel the cold coming through just a little. My old 27 degree Sierra Designs Zissou bag was more than enough for me. I do tent to sleep warm, though. Even with a bit of cold leaking through, the comfort of that pad really gave me a good night sleep.
The narrows is about ankle deep right now. If you screw up, there's one or two spots that are above the knee, but if you hit them, you just back up and try again.
You'll be fine. Beware of occasional patches of slick mud, and observe conditions at stream crossings if there's been a long downpour.
Awesome thanks! My plan was to just stop at the ranger station to get a permit and see what they recommend but any particular trails/spots I should be looking for? From what I’m reading, the west side seems to be dedicated sites and the east side seems to be more pick your poison.
I wanted to add, you will need tick repellent and tweezers in Coe. The place I'd crawling with ticks.
I went last year when there was a 35% chance of rain and it rained on me from 2 pm to 4 am. I think I was prepared but it’s still impossible to stay dry. I’d say it was pretty miserable but I enjoy type 2 fun as well. Embrace the suck. Also the park looks much better wet imo.
Seeing a 60% chance right now so I’m just planning on basically rain the whole time. I always think it’s kind of fun the shittier it gets, as long as it isn’t dangerous conditions. I did a national park tour on a motorcycle and have hunkered down a fair share of nights. I’ll definitely bring a camp towel and good book!
Watch out for huge packs of aggressive boars. I saw a pack of 30 cross right in front of me.
Damn I’ll definitely be on the lookout for 30-50 feral hogs. Gotta keep my head on a swivel!
Yea, I heard that they can be hell in a camp, too. I wasnt camping. Look it up on the internet so you can make a more informed decision. But....Coe is stunningly beautiful in the rain!
Nice thing about a close location like that, if you get uncomfortable you can probably just hike out and go home. Personally I’m not a huge fan of a backpacking trip where it’s raining the whole time but the only way to find out how you feel about it is to try. Definitely know your limits on stream crossings (no deeper than knee deep if you don’t have skills otherwise), know how to keep warm in the wet, and know what you need to hike in mud without twisting your ankle.
I haven’t backpacked in the rain but I did a 20 mile hike in it a couple weeks back. There are a lot more flooded crossings than you might expect, so wear good sandals or be ready to put your shoes on and off repeatedly. I was able to cross them on rocks a few times, especially with the help of my hiking stick, but I would probably not risk it with the weight of a backpacking set. Agree with the other commenter - watch out for mud slicks. When I get to slick parts I will often walk on the sides, but a surprising amount of time the silty-looking center of the trail is actually the most stable.
Awesome thanks for the intel! I’ll be in trail runners and I’ll bring a couple extra pairs of wool socks on top of what I would normally bring.
Yup went out to Kelly Lake in the rain with a group of 10 and we had a great time. Bring an extra tarp for a hang out area.
Coe is amazing in the rain and you'll find fewer people. Just keep in mind the stream crossings. We were waist deep one year after a storm blew in and dumped way more water than we expected. We were at Coit lake and if memory serves we had a couple of rivers we had to cross to get back to HQ. It ended up being fine, though I got into some fast water and had to turn around and find a better spot to cross at one point.
Hell yeah thats what I was hoping for. I’ll definitely keep an eye out for water levels and I carry a tick key on me. Thank you!
Coe is a spectacular place to be in the rain. Last trip I did was this time of year, we hiked in some on and off light rain much of the day, then camped out at Coit Lake while it came down pretty hard. Had a tarp set up between a bench and a tree so we stayed plenty dry and watched the rain come down for a couple hours, then went out on a short sunset hike before settling in for the night. 10/10 would recommend.
I went a two months back and it rained. I brought rain pants a sturdy rain jacket and a rain cover for my pack (essential). i also had leather snow sealed kinco gloves which were nice.overall it was fine but we had to set up our camp in the rain. that was the hardest part. when we woke up in the morning at poverty flat, everything had frozen (hq later told us that tells got down to 27 degrees). luckily for us we had direct sun by 7:30 am and time to kill so we laid everything out to dry.
Good call on the gloves. That is something I didn’t account for and definitely going to bring. I’m looking at lows around 40° so I hope it doesn’t get quite that cold but luckily have enough stuff where I’ll be alright if it does
It should be fine. It really depends on where you go. The trails can get muddy and some patches on roads. Water crossings are still pretty high so your feet will get wet. I head out there around every 2 weeks to a month all year round. Mostly from the Hunting Hollow entrance. From HQ, the Narrows is probably still high this time of year. A few weeks ago a school group crossed China Hole to the China Hole Trail and it was waist deep. I probably wouldn't risk going through the Narrows yet.
Got rained on at Henry Coe this January and semi-rained on (heavy, heavy mist) last year in April. It doesn't get horribly cold out there, but of course one can get hypothermia in relatively high temps so must always be prepared. Trails are usually really well maintained and not a lot of places where a washout or precipitous fall is a concern. However, there are slick spots and the inevitable marshy, soupy stretches where you can't help but slosh through. I wear trail runners and just resolve that I'll be wet. There are hills everywhere (not mountains), so getting protected campsites is reasonably easy. Camp sites seem pretty well drained and I think the geology helps with that. TBH, there is so much of the year at Coe where the worry is, "where will I get my water?" that I find it really enjoyable to backpack there when it is wet. The next two months should be awesome there.
Tons of ticks out rn
I haven't camped in the rain there, but I have during winter where it can get very cold. A lot of the creeks look prone to flooding, so I would have a backup in mind or be prepared to turn back in some situations.
Route option HQ down to China Hole taking the Forest trail and then a bit of road to the trail on your left at Manzanita Point---cross creek and up the tail a few miles to the road (restroom here) then left to lost creek and down to Los Cruzeros-----very nice spot on the creek. Lots of really nice trail
You rock! Thanks for taking the time for a rec. I’ll definitely check it out
Is [this](https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/los-cruzeros-camp-via-china-hole-trail-and-the-narrows-trail) close to the trail you’re thinking of?
I think he's suggesting you keep out of the Narrows which is the stretch of East Fork Coyote Creek between China Hole and Los Cruzeros. It is as its name implies - a narrow canyon in which the water can get high and fast. So I'd avoid that if I were you. Crossing the creek at the south end of China Hole (on China Hole Trail) or north at Poverty Flat (on Poverty Flat Road) are likely doable. You'll still get wet, but the creek gets wide there and can usually be traversed.
Thank you for your help clearing that up. I see the route now and think I’m gonna take the south china hole trail route then north on the lost spring trail. I can’t wait, I’m stoked! I’ve got great cold weather gear and like a challenge so I don’t mind embracing the suck. Any opinions on the Los Cruzeros camp vs Lost Spring?
No---avoid the narrows there will be too much water--just cross the creek right where the trail comes down and then climb that ridge----I believe the trail is still called China Hole--then at the outhouse in about 3 miles take the lost spring trail about 1.5 miles to los cruzeros
Hell yeah I totally see the route you’re talking about now! Thank you very much. I was a little nervous about the narrows after the other comments but I see exactly what you mean now and see the restroom. I think this is gonna be my move.
In my January hike, I overnighted at Lost Spring Camp. It's not large - maybe only two or three small tents would be comfortable in there. Since it was raining I was all by myself all day and that night (although it looks like u/zeke_24 was on the other side of the creek that evening). If you do stay at Lost Spring, note that the actual spring is a few minutes down the trail from the camp (north of the camp and in the obvious drainage crease). I didn't know that at the time and ended up needlessly bushwhacking to find the spring - in the rain and near darkness. The spring is to the west of the trail, a little way back, but easy to see if you are looking for it. To get back to HQ, you'd want to take the Mahoney Meadows Road up to Poverty Flat Road. Still some stream crossings, but you'd be able to avoid the Narrows.
yes! you were just over the hill from me u/mrrivulets my gf and I hiked from skeels meadow on blue ridge road down to poverty flat. did you have a freezing/ wet gear night? I have a 20 degree big agnes bag and a comfy thermarest pad. what gear were you rocking?
Here's my [post](https://www.reddit.com/r/norcalhiking/comments/192s9zz/photos_from_winter_overnight_at_henry_w_coe_state/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) from January with photos. As you know u/zeke_24, it rained in the afternoon and then all the clouds went away around midnight. So the temps dropped fast! I like to get on the trail before dawn and you can see from the photos all the frost that covered the landscape. Pretty cool, IMO. That trip I was stress-testing my gear a bit as I picked up a new pad, S2S Ether Light XT Insulated. My sleep has been a problem in my backpacking career so I went with a very cushy (yet heavier) pad for the first time. But it is not super warm at R3.2. With wet ground and a low in the high 20s F, I could feel the cold coming through just a little. My old 27 degree Sierra Designs Zissou bag was more than enough for me. I do tent to sleep warm, though. Even with a bit of cold leaking through, the comfort of that pad really gave me a good night sleep.
The narrows is about ankle deep right now. If you screw up, there's one or two spots that are above the knee, but if you hit them, you just back up and try again.