Completed: April 28, 2024 | Elevation: 2,651′ | Trail: Willson Peak Loop | Distance: 7.2 miles w/ modifications to AllTrails route.
After months of on again, off again wet weather that somehow always coincided with the weekend, things are finally drying up. This past weekend we were back on the trail in pursuit of the Nifty Ninety challenge we set for ourselves a year ago, and bagged peak number eighty. Only ten more to go!
I seized on Willson Peak because it was one of the few remaining that could be reasonably hiked in a day (for us). On Saturday we were visiting friends in Menlo Park and decided to continue our journey down the peninsula where we spent the night in Morgan Hill to save us the hassle of returning home and then driving 1.5 hours back to Henry Coe State Park in the morning. It worked out well. Not having to rush meant a leisurely arrival at the Hunting Hollow entrance around 9:15 A.M on Sunday. There was still plenty of spaces in the large lot.
After paying the $6.00 self-registration fee we headed to the start of the trail just past the toilets. AllTrails plots the hike going counter-clockwise to avoid the steep climb on Steer Ridge. However, we forgot to bring our poles so went clockwise instead. We made our first river crossing and soon after made a left turn onto Steer Ridge Trail. It was about 1,800′ of steady uphill but honestly, I was expecting worse.
One and a half hours later, we reached Willson Peak. Other than a few mountain bikers, we only came across one other hiker coming down from the summit. The top is marked by two geological survey markers and views of the surrounding hills and Gilroy off in the distance.
Continuing on the loop, not far from the peak, we came to a short section of trail that had wildflowers blooming on both sides. The bursts of color, especially from the California poppies, was beautiful and a reminder that we had missed an opportunity to see the super bloom in the desert this year.
At the intersection of Steer Ridge and Serpentine, we stayed on Steer Ridge for 0.8 miles and cutover to Lyman Willson Ridge Trail instead of following the AllTrails route that would have taken us all the way to Wilson Camp. This shaved off about 1.8 miles from the AllTrails hike distance (9 miles) and saved us quite a bit of time. Down on Hunting Hollow Road, we had to navigate five additional water crossings which added some fun to the hike.
Total hiking time was about 3.5 hours, due to the alternate route we took. I was glad for the shorter hike, though. My feet were starting to hurt (out of practice!). It had been a nice hike, especially with all the hills still a lush green. We also couldn’t have asked for better weather. There’s very little shade on the trail so I can only imagine how hot it must be in the summer.
This was the first of five peaks in Henry Coe State Park so needless to say, we’ll be back a few more times!
Follow our progress bagging the Bay Area’s Nifty Ninety here.