Coe Park features a variety of water resources including lakes, ponds, creeks and springs. Recreational uses include swimming, fishing and nature observation. No diving is allowed.
On long hikes, be sure to take plenty of water and food. On warm days, take more water than you think you'll need. Coe Park is a huge wilderness. It's not that difficult to take a wrong turn and get lost. Maps are available in the Visitor Center.
Before you set out, you might want to ask someone in the Visitor Center about the latest water conditions for the areas you will be traveling. After heavy rains many creeks are uncrossable. In contrast, by early summer many of the smaller ponds can already be dry. The flow from springs varies throughout the year.
Water observations are collected by park visitors and volunteers. If you have questions or an update on water resources, you can send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Available water could be a flowing spring oasis, a mud hole, or a stagnant pool. Don't rely on a single observation about water availability; consider alternate water sources as a backup. Take into consideration the timeliness of the observation. Consider recent weather conditions. Would water conditions be improving (due to rainfall) or getting worse (during hot weather) since the last reported observation? Water conditions can change quickly.
Visitor Centers: The park's Visitor Centers and adjacent camping and picnicking areas have potable water available at faucets and drinking fountains. These are at the Coe Park Headquarters facility and also at the Dowdy Ranch Visitor Center. Also in the Headquarters area there are 2 poly tanks maintained with water; one at the intersection of Manzanita Point and Poverty Flat Roads; the other at the Manzanita Point Group Camping area. Some special events at the park are provided with a water trailer supplying water. Note: The water tanks and the water trailer are currently out of service.
Ponds and Lakes: Many of the smaller ponds can dry up quickly. Water level is the relative percentage of being full, measured to the spillway. A water level of 1% generally indicates mud only. A water level of 0% indicates the site is completely dry.
Springs: Not all springs shown on the park map are developed. Some springs have flow cutoff valves so water may not flow continuously. Many springs have troughs to make access easier for horses. On the report, water level indicates the trough's relative percentage of being full. A water level of 0 or a blank water level indicates that either no trough is available or that the source is dry. The flow rate is the rate of water produced by the spring (in liters per minute) measured at the time of observation. Some springs may flow only during the night. Thus, the combination of flow rate and water level can give you a better understanding of the conditions.
Creeks: Water levels above knee-high are considered non-crossable. Use extreme care when crossing creeks. Consider weather conditions.. You may not be able to return if the creek rises. By late spring most of the creeks are reduced to isolated pools. In such cases, the report designates that the creek is not flowing but that water is available.
GPS: UTM-East and UTM-North are the approximate GPS coordinates using the UTM UPS grid and the WGS 84 map datum to locate the water resource. Ponds and lakes are measured at the mid-point of the dam. Springs are generally measured at the water trough or output pipe. Creeks are generally measured at an intersection or crossing.
Purify all backcountry water that you intend to consume. Bury human waste and wash dishes at least 100 feet from streams, lakes, and springs. There is a lot of information regarding water purification on the internet. You may want to search on backpacking water purification, for example.
The Backpacking at Coe Park page has additional information, including backpacking rules and recommendations.
