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The Coe Park headquarters campground is located on the top of Pine Ridge close to the Visitor Center and the old Pine Ridge Ranch buildings. Many of the sites in the campground have beautiful panoramic views of the surrounding ridges and canyons, and those that don't are tucked under the shady boughs of old oak trees.
Accommodations
Each of the 20 drive-in campsites has a picnic table and a fire pit with a grill grate, and most of the sites that are located out in the open are shaded by ramadas. Pit toilets and piped mountain spring water are near each site, and there are restrooms (with flush toilets, sinks, and mirrors) in the Visitor Center, a short walk away. The campground is designated as "primitive" rather than "developed" because it has no showers or hook-ups.You'll want to pack all the food and supplies you might need during your stay at the park. We sell power bars, cold drinks, and hot beverages in the Visitor Center, but if you decide to go to Morgan Hill for more food or equipment, the round trip (not counting shopping time) will take you about an hour.
Getting a Site
You can reserve a site through by calling ReserveAmerica at 1-800-444-7275. Unreserved sites are available on a first-come, first-served basis, but the campground usually has empty sites, except on busy spring and summer weekends. If you arrive Friday evening or early Saturday morning on any weekend, you'll probably have several sites to pick from.For information about how to get to Coe Park headquarters, see our directions page. After you pull into the headquarters area, keep to the right on the one-way road. Follow the road around the back of the big white barn and downhill to the campground. Pick a vacant site, leave something at the site to show that it's occupied, and drive or walk to the Visitor Center to register and pay your camping fee. (If the Visitor Center isn't open when you arrive, use the "iron ranger" to register and pay for your site.)
Fires and Firewood
Fires are allowed in the fire rings provided at the headquarters campground. You can also use your own barbecue, but if you do, please dump all the ashes into the fire ring at your site. Campstoves, of course, are also allowed. You can bring your own firewood, or you can buy wood at the Visitor Center for $7 a bag.
Motorhomes and Trailers
If you're planning to camp with a large mobile home or a trailer, keep in mind that the road to the park has narrow, almost one-lane sections and several tight hairpin turns and blind curves. If you're used to navigating narrow, winding roads and you drive cautiously, you shouldn't have any problems. However, if you've had little experience with such roads, you may want to reconsider your plans.The campground has no pull-through parking areas. About half of the sites are suitable for small motorhomes or trailers (three can accommodate medium-sized camping vehicles up to 22 feet). The rest of the sites are suitable for tent camping only.
Rules and Recommendations
- No amplified sound of any kind is allowed in the park. Generators must not be turned on between 8 p.m. and 10 a.m.
- If you're going to be away from your campsite during your visit, leave something to show that your site's occupied, but don't leave anything particularly valuable.
- Gathering of wood is prohibited.
- Raccoons often patrol the campground around sunset and throughout the night. Lock your food in your vehicle at night, and keep a close eye on it when you have it out. The raccoons in the park are quick and can be both bold and stealthy.