Rancho La Polka Trail

Dogs Leashed

Features Birding · Views · Wildflowers

Rancho La Polka Trail is easily accessed from the Mendoza Ranch Entrance to Coyote Lake - Harvey Bear Ranch County Park on Roop Road. From the parking area, take the Access Trail to Mendoza Trail, and then take Mendoza Trail 0.3 miles to the start of Rancho La Polka Trail on the left.

Rancho La Polka Trail is a loop trail that circles around the southern end of Coyote Ridge, traveling close to the top of the ridge. The eastern side of the ridge is wooded. Grass, with a few scattered trees, covers the western side of the ridge.

Rancho La Polka Trail begins by heading south in the grass hills. Almost immediately, a fork in the trail is reached. The most obvious path is to the left which leads one on a clockwise run around the loop (as described here). Taking the left fork, the trail enters the woods, as this section of the trail is on the wooded east side of Coyote Ridge. The woods are thin and to the left, views below of the countryside with some houses, can be seen. Coyote Ridge rises to its crest to the right of the trail.

At the 0.55-mile mark, Rancho La Polka Trail veers right to go around the southern end of Coyote Ridge. Emerging from the woods onto a grass hillside, the trail now heads northwest on the west side of Coyote Ridge. Southern Santa Clara Valley below, with the Santa Cruz Mountains in the distance, can be seen to the left. To the right, the grass hillside rises to the top of Coyote Ridge. Traveling, along the ridge hillside, the trail returns to the trail fork at the beginning to complete the Rancho La Polka Trail loop.

Deer. Wooded and grass hills. Many birds, including a turkey vulture live here.