Contents

Main Lagoon Trail
West Lagoon Trail
Fremont Blvd. and Beyond
Coyote Creek

Links

Introduction

(Click on thumbnail to view larger picture)
Above is a view of the Coyote Creek Lagoon area, looking west from the Monument Peak Trail in the hills above Fremont and Milpitas. This shows the complex network of salt ponds, sloughs, creeks, and lagoons in this area. Coyote Creek Lagoon runs along the center of the picture. On the left side are the salt ponds at Alviso. Running along their north edge is Coyote Creek itself, eventually flowing into San Francisco Bay. Coyote Creek branches at the south end of Coyote Creek Lagoon, part of it flowing into the lagoon, and the main part flowing out to the Bay. On the north side of Coyote Creek is Station Island and the ghost town of Drawbridge. Mud Slough runs along the north side of Station Island.and joins Coyote Creek just beyond it. Mud Slough runs along the north edge of Coyote Marsh Lagoon. North and west of it are salt ponds.

Access Information

(Click on thumbnail to view larger picture)
Turn left or right to reach one of the two trail entrances. To reach the south entrance, turn left and follow Fremont Blvd. to its south end. There's a small parking lot next to a corporate hotel. To reach the north entrance, turn right on Fremont Blvd. Just past Warren Avenue, turn left onto the dirt road just before the drainage channel. This road leads west to a small park and parking lot by the north trail entrance.

From the north, take I-880 South to Warren Ave. West. Take it all the way to Fremont Blvd. Turn right to reach the north entrance or left to reach the south entrance. Alternatively, from the north, take I-880 to the Fremont Blvd. exit. Turn right. Follow Fremont Blvd. south to either of the two entrances listed above.

From I-680, take the Mission Blvd. exit and follow Mission Blvd. west. Continue on Mission Blvd. to the southbound I-880 on-ramp. Just before I-880, take the Gateway Blvd. exit to the west. Follow Gateway Blvd. to Fremont Blvd. Follow the directions above.

There are as yet no off-road accesses to the Coyote Creek Lagoon from the north or south. It's a long way to the next off-road segment of the Bay Trail at the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters in Fremont to the north. However, to the south, trails are under development along Coyote Creek. Parts of the Coyote Creek levees in Milpitas are under construction as recreational trails south of Dixon Landing Road. (See here for construction projects in Milpitas.)  A construction project north of Dixon Landing Road, which is in Fremont, will probably result in an extension of the Bay Trail to reach Coyote Creek Lagoon.

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Trail Description and Views

Main Lagoon Trail

A drainage channel runs along here. Across the channel, the plot of land between here and Dixon Landing Road is being developed. The future path of the Bay Trail will go through here and join up with the Bay Trail along Coyote Creek in Milpitas.

  Looking east, the gravel road follows the channel and turns left next to I-880. This gravel maintenance road is open all the way to just before the I-880 on-ramp at Gateway Blvd., but taking it is not recommended. The road dead ends and is gated off at Gateway Blvd. It also runs ruler-straight along I-880 and is not a very interesting route. Instead, take the main trail to the west.

This is a view west looking down the drainage channel. It is subject to tidal flow so will be muddy at low tide. A low concrete wall and fence separates the trail from the industrial park to the north. Ahead you can see the landfill hill ahead.

At 0.l2 miles is a FWS sign telling you where you are and what the refuge rules are. Interestingly, this sign is much larger than any signs visible from Fremont Blvd.

Looking to the right, the industrial park ends and a pickleweed-covered salt marsh begins.

Looking to the south across the drainage channel, there's a salt marsh and levees. This area is not accessible to the public, at least not yet.

Ahead you begin to approach Coyote Creek, you can see the creek coming in from the left and flowing ahead to the right along the base of the landfill hills.

This is a view of Coyote Creek flowing in from the south.

This is the view of Coyote Creek at 0.38 mile. You can reach the creek from here.

At 0.43 miles, you reach an intersection. The main trail goes to the right. There is a path ahead. The sign at the corner is in multiple languages. It is a warning sign for fisherman about the health dangers of eating fish caught in the bay. The path ahead leads to an access point where Coyote Creek flows around an island and into the lagoon. This is a fishing spot where fishermen can catch sturgeon. The main part of Coyote Creek flows northwest behind this island, then west into the Bay.

This is a view of the lagoon from the fishing access point. Tidal changes result in strong currents at this point.

This is a view down the main trail to the right at the junction. A channel runs through the marsh on the right.

At 0.48 miles is the first rest area with benches, trash can, and a sign explaining the history of the marsh restoration project. The benches provide a viewing point for the south end of the lagoon.

This is a view across the marsh to the east of the trail. You can see the line of industrial buildings on the other side. In the background are the three towering peaks behind Fremont: Mission Peak is on the left, Mt. Allison in the center, and Monument Peak on the right. These peaks, all over 2500-feet high, are publicly-accessible via the Bay Area Ridge Trail. (See here for a map.)

At 0.61 miles, there is a gate controlling water flow into the marsh on the right. Beyond that another long narrow marsh begins, with a channel running down it.

On the western side of the trail is another tide gate on the lagoon. At low tide, the lagoon is a broad expanse of mudflats with the main creek channel meandering down the center. Shorebirds scramble over the mudflats looking for food. At high tide, the lagoon looks like a big lake, with flocks of waterfowl floating on the surface and wading birds hunting along its edges.

The trail follows a wandering path along the west side of the narrow marsh and channel. On the east side are the many businesses of the industrial park. There are no trails on the east side, but employees of the businesses can see the marsh from the back parking lots of their companies.

At 0.93 miles, you can see a viewing platform ahead on the side of the lagoon.

The channel on the right has a flat area along its edges.

The viewing platform is at 1.01 miles. It is elevated on piers and provides better views of the center of the lagoon. There are benches for resting and another copy of the interpretive sign on the marsh redevelopment.

This a view of the lagoon from the viewing platform at high tide. The mudflats are covered by water.

The lagoon  begins to widen out. Here is a view from 1.16 miles.

At 1.22 miles, the trail rounds a big bend. The channel makes a big curve here.

At 1.43 miles, you can see the end of the channel on the right. The channel widens out. At the end of it is a tide gate.

You might see large flocks of waterfowl on the water at this end of the channel.

You begin to approach the end of the lagoon. At 1.87 miles, you can see the lagoon waters flowing west under a bridge.

There is also another rest area here with benches, trash can, and the interpretive sign. To the north, you can see a salt pond, which is not accessible to the public. Beyond that are landfill hills.

This is a view of the bridge from the rest area.

The main trail turns to the right and heads east to the trail entrance around the edge of the channel. It passes over the tide gate. Another sign for the lagoon is here.

This is a view looking back at the rest area, with the lagoon beyond.

There is a trail junction here at 1.93 miles. The main trail goes to the right, back towards Fremont Blvd. A side trail leads ahead to the left and goes around the west side of the lagoon. This west side lagoon trail will be covered below. For now, turn right and follow the main trail. Cross over the channel and tide gates.

This is Mud Slough, which runs along the north side of the trail. Several creeks in Fremont flow into Mud Slough. A small forebay leads to pipes that travel under the trail and open onto the tide gates supplying the channel to the south. Paths lead out to the edge of the slough.

This is a view looking west along the slough. The slough will join the outflow from the lagoon and flow into the Bay.

This is a view looking east up the slough toward the water treatment plant on Fremont Blvd.

This is a view of the lagoon south of the tide gates.

Ahead, the marsh and channel on the right ends at a parking lot.

A freshwater marsh is on the left of the trail. Ahead, you can see the trail entrance at a gravel road. You exit the trail at the gates at 2.2 miles.

Pass through the gates. If you turn left, you will reach a small park and parking lot. Willow trees provide shade. There are picnic tables and a lawn. This is a good place for a picnic.

If you turn right just past the trail gate, you follow a dirt road east to the exit at Fremont Blvd., just north of Warren Avenue at 2.38 miles. Along the way, you follow a drainage channel that runs through the grounds of a sewage treatment plant on the other side of the fence. This area is not accessible to the public.

The entrance to the lagoon area access road on Fremont Blvd. is not well-marked, so may be easy to miss.

For further travel considerations, see the section below on Fremont Blvd. and Coyote Creek.
 

West Lagoon Trail

If you continue on to the left, you come to a locked gate, which blocks vehicular traffic. A worn footpath runs around the edge of the gate. This is a gravel road that runs along the edge of the lagoon. (See the picture at the top of the page.)

At 1.97 miles, you come to the bridge over the outlet of the lagoon. This bridge is made from a railroad flatcar.

From the bridge, you can see the lagoon waters flowing to the west on the way to the Bay.

Looking to the north, you can see the salt pond, the line of power towers crossing it, and a catwalk below them.

On the other side of the bridge, you can get close to the edge of the lagoon. This is the lagoon at low tide.

This is a view across the lagoon at high tide.

The trail turns right and passes under power towers. One of the towers is on a peninsula. A footpath leads out around the power tower and near the shore of the lagoon. Beyond it, the lagoon forms a wide bay.

  The shoreline is lined with dense stands of tall reeds, which block access to the lagoon edge.

Mud Slough joins with the drainage of Coyote Creek Lagoon. Looking back east, you can see their confluence.

At 2.14 miles, the trail turns left. At this corner, Mud Slough continues west, leaving the trail.
   There is a catwalk here leading west across the marsh, but it is off-limits to the public.

The trail heads south. It is surrounded by tall reeds and coyote brush. It is a dirt road and at about the same level as the lagoon. This segment does not have as good a drainage as the gravel-covered main trails. It tends to get muddy in the rainy season and may be impassable. On the right of the trail is a marshy area. To the left is the lagoon.

  These are views of the lagoon at high tide from the trail as it runs south along the west edge of the lagoon. The first picture is looking southeast. The second picture is looking northeast and shows a power tower on a peninsula. The trail goes to this peninsula.

The trail turns left and heads east at 2.28 miles. Wetlands lie to the west.  At 2.48 miles, the trail passes under powerlines. A closed catwalk leads across the marsh to one of the power towers.

The trail then ends at a small hill at 2.51 miles. The hill offers panoramic views of the lagoon and surrounding marshlands. Bicycles should go no further.

This is a view looking back from that hill to the west. The trail, the edge of the lagoon, the marsh, and a salt pond beyond it can be seen.

To the north of the little hill is the peninsula with the power tower seen earlier. A narrow and unmaintained overgrown footpath continues north around the power tower.

This is a view from the end of that peninsula looking north towards the first power tower.

Further travel from here to the south along the lagoon edge is possible on unofficial footpaths for a short distance, but is not safe due to soft mud. Return on the trail to the junction with the main trail.
 

Fremont Blvd. and Beyond

At the exit of the trail at Fremont Blvd. near Warren Avenue, if you cross over Fremont Blvd. and turn left, you'll see that there is a park area along the drainage channel. This is a linear park that follows the channel through the industrial park. It has paths, shade trees, picnic tables, bridges, waterfalls, and fountains.
It is not a public park, but it is not inaccessible to the public. Some recreational facilities along the way, however, are private, for the use of employees of the businesses along it. This parkway follows the drainage channel to the south and ends just past Gateway Blvd. This route is OK for pedestrians, but is not appropriate for bicycles, especially on work days when the narrow paths are likely to be used by workers from the adjacent industries.

You can return to the start of the trail the fast way, which is to head south on Fremont Blvd., or re-trace the main trail back along the lagoon.

Continuing north on the Bay Trail route from here by foot or bicycle is possible, but not particularly pleasant. The actual route has gaps in it. The current route is all on busy city streets and has little in the way of natural scenery. It is a long way to the next off-road Bay Trail segment at the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters in Fremont near the Dumbarton Bridge.

Coyote Creek

Currently, there is no way to reach Coyote Creek to the south of Dixon Landing Road without traveling over or on I-880. This means back-tracking to Gateway Blvd. to I-880 south, if traveling by car, then exiting at Dixon Landing Road. However, there is no place to park here yet. Warren Avenue is the southernmost route over I-880, but bicycle/pedestrian travel on this overpass is not allowed. The only other route to the south is a very long detour over Fremont Blvd. north to Grimmer Blvd. east, to Warm Springs Blvd. south to Dixon Landing Road west. This is a 6.8 mile detour along busy industrial roads, not suitable for pedestrian travel and not particularly scenic. This should change after the construction project to the south is completed, and Bay Trail access is provided.

  At Dixon Landing Road, the Bay Trail route follows Dixon Landing Road west of I-880, crosses over Lower Penitencia Creek, then crosses over Coyote Creek near the BFI Recyclery by the entrance to the Newby Island Landfill.

The Bay Trail then runs on a paved sidewalk on the edge of McCarthy Ranch Road. It crosses over Coyote Creek again.

   A gate (closed at this writing) provides access to the east levee of Coyote Creek, which is open at its southern end on Alviso-Milpitas Road. There are bike lanes along McCarthy Ranch Road. It leads to Alviso-Milpitas Road.

  Take Alviso-Milpitas Road west. It dead ends at a paved path. This path ends at Zanker Road. Take Zanker to the north past the San Jose Water Treatment Plant. Zanker ends at Los Esteros Road in Alviso. To the right is the Environmental Education Center of the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge and access to the Mallard Slough Trail. To the left, take the roads through Alviso to reach the Alviso Marina and the Alviso Slough Trail Loop. A little farther to the southwest, you can access the Bay Trail leading to the Sunnyvale Baylands.

The east and west banks of Coyote Creek are accessible from Alviso-Milpitas Road south. The east bank levee trail ends at Montague Expressway. The west bank levee goes at least to Charcot Avenue. You may be able to take it as far as O'Toole Avenue, just before I-880. From Dixon Landing Road to Montague Expressway, Coyote Creek forms the border between Milpitas and San Jose. South of Montague, it runs entirely through San Jose. Several San Jose city parks are along Coyote Creek, including Kelley Park, but there is no continuous trail joining them yet, though there are efforts to join them. The Coyote Creek Trail begins south of Capitol Expressway and runs to Yerba Buena Road. It begins again in Coyote-Hellyer County Park and is a long, continuous paved path all the way to Anderson Lake Park in Morgan Hill. This segment of the Coyote Creek Trail is part of the Bay Area Ridge Trail. Thus, if and when the Coyote Creek Trail is extended all the way to the Bay, it will provide a link between the Bay Trail and Bay Area Ridge Trail.