Henry Coe State Park
Map SatelliteThe flora and fauna of this large "wilderness" park are typical of the central Diablo Range. Much of the area is an oak woodland interspersed with open grassland. Oaks include interior live, black, blue, canyon and valley oaks, Quercus wislizenii, Quercus kelloggii, Quercus douglasii, Quercus chrysolepis and Quercus lobata.
On the high ridges there is a pine woodland, with Pinus ponderosa the sole member of the overstory grasses, primarily exotics, form the understory. On the north-facing slopes the pines extend down into a mixed evergreen forest which here, in addition to black oak, includes big-leaf maple, Acer macrophyllum, madrone, Arbutus menziesii, and California bay, Umbullularia californica.
On some of the south-facing slopes, chaparral is present; chamise, Adenostoma fasciculatum, scrub oak, Quercus berberidifolia, toyon, Heteromeles arbutifolia, and Arctostaphylos glauca are the dominant members. There are also almost pure stands of the Arctostaphylos, and individual plants may reach 10 meters (33 feet) in height.
Along the stream courses a riparian association occurs, with sycamore, Platanus racemosa, the dominant and including some willow, Salix sp., and Oregon ash, Fraxinus latifolia. Small freshwater marshes are present on the artificial lakes.
Among the animals inhabiting the area are mountain lions, Felis concolor, deer, Odocoileus hemionus, golden eagle, Aquila chrysaetos, purple martins, Progna subis, rock wren, Salpinctes obsoletus, and, during population eruptions, Clark's nutcracker, Nucifraga columbiana. Riffle sculpins, Cottus gulosus, and squaw fish, Ptychocheilus grandis, and rainbow trout, Salmo gairdnerii, are found in the upper middle fork of Coyote Creek which is a perennial stream.
Several intermittent creaks and about 50 springs occur in the park, as do several artificial reservoirs, one nearly 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) long.
The area is underlain by rock of the Franciscan formation.
Integrity: Portions have been grazed in the past but much of the park is undisturbed. There are trails and several campsites. The eastern third was burned in the early 1960's and there have bean smaller local fires since.
Use: Research, educational, observational, present. Some private.
February 1982
Inventory of California Natural Areas
Revision © 2009 Steven Louis Hartman