THE CALIFORNIA COASTAL TRAIL

 

What is the California Coastal Trail?

The California Coastal Trail (CCT) is a dream in the making: when completed, it will be a 1,200 mile, continuous trail stretching along the California coastline from Mexico to Oregon. This dream started with the simple idea that the whole California coastline belongs to all of us, and should be accessible to everyone who will enjoy it with respect. Unfortunately, although our shoreline is universally considered to be a national treasure and one of California's great draws, much of it remains fenced-off, over-built, or otherwise inaccessible.

Through a great deal of effort, the tide is slowly turning, and each year a bit more of the Trail becomes available to those who want to enjoy it while helping to preserve it. Coastwalk has led the effort to create the CCT, but along the way we've picked up countless supporters and allies, from important agencies such as the California Coastal Conservancy, to individuals like you. We hope you'll join the effort.

Coastwalk runs another website which is devoted solely to the California Coastal Trail. Please visit it often to learn the latest news on the Trail, discover some great hikes, and to become more involved.

Californiacoastaltrail.info is the "official" site of the CCT: it contains plans and progress reports about the trail's completion, current news, detailed descriptions including maps and text about the Trail, and resources for hikers and visitors. Click to enter.

 

 


The Coastal Trail signage has begun!

Since approval of the official CCT insignia (above), almost 375 markers have been installed along over 100 miles of the coast: in Los Angeles, San Diego, Santa Cruz, Sonoma County, Orange County, Humboldt, San Luis Obispo, San Francisco, Mendocino and the Mendocino/Humboldt Lost Coast. Read more about the individual trail marking events below...

Coastwalk's California Coastal Trail Planning & Project Manager, Rue Furch, will be focusing much of her work on creating signage events and opportunities up and down the coast in the coming months. If you are interested in getting involved, or want to get your local stretch of trail signed, contact Rue via email or at the Coastwalk office: (800) 550-6854. Download a copy of the signage guidelines here.

Read more about the CCT signage effort.

Thanks to our partners in the CCT Signage Project:

Coastal Conservancy logo       PG&E logo

MacKerricher State Beach, Mendocino County

Trail markers at MacKerricher

Coastwalk volunteers sign another six miles of Coastal Trail, November 11, 2007
On a beautiful, blustery day on the Mendocino Coast, Coastwalk volunteers teamed up with representatives from Mendocino Land Trust and State Parks to sign six miles of Coastal Trail at MacKerricher State Park. Starting at Ten Mile River in Fort Bragg, fourteen hikers made their way down to the beach where they observed birds and avoided snowy plovers with the help of Win and Becky Bowen from Save Our Shorebirds. The group installed the final insignia at the parking lot north of the Beachcomber Motel. Coastwalk, MLT, and State Parks are teaming up again to sign a segment of trail at Russian Gulch next year.

 

Hammond Trail, Humboldt County

Hammond Trail Celebration
Celebrants at the opening of the Hammond Trail in Humboldt County

Coastwalk Trail Steward Judy Rosales and Trail Chair Fran Gibson joined Redwood Community Action Agency at a gathering in McKinleyville on November 10, 2007 to celebrate the opening of the newest section of the Hammond Trail. Where once was the “Hole in the Hammond,” are now a winding pedestrian trail and a paved multi-use trail that will enable non-motorized travel for over five miles between the Hammond Mad River Bridge and Clam Beach County Park, an effort that took nearly 30 years to complete. Coastwalk is invited to join RCAA at the signing of the Hammond Trail next summer.

McKINLEYVILLE -- A hole no more. On Saturday, people flocked to the start of the newest section of the Hammond Trail, which now officially splices together the north and south segments of the popular urban path. View Full Story.


Insignia in San Francisco's Golden Gate National Recreation Area.


Insignia on Sonoma County's Kortum Trail
Photo courtesy Big Bottom Photos


Insignia at the Mattole River campsite, Lost Coast

Navarro Point, Mendocino County

Signing the CCT at Navarro Point

The Mendocino Land Trust’s Navarro Stewards and friends such as Coastwalk joined together March 8, 2008 to sign the first (CCT) segment on Land Trust property at Navarro Point Preserve. This mile and a half loop trail was signed with the official CCT symbol in three locations in conjunction with trail maintenance and invasive weed removal at the 54-acre Preserve. Seven people came out on this beautiful Saturday to take part in the signing and also get dirty as we pulled the first of the season bull thistle.  Participants also witnessed a number of grey whales making their migration north from the ideal viewing point off the Navarro headlands.

The Land Trust is in the planning phase of connecting this CCT trail segment to a public access easement a mile to the north located west of Highway One and one day, south to Navarro State Beach.  The hope is that this trail spur be connected to the one-hundred-thirty miles of Mendocino County’s coastline by way of a contiguous pedestrian trail. The planning involved in meeting this goal involves all the permitting agencies, funding agencies, and willing landowners.  It is a long-term process with many significant milestones such as designating the California Coastal Trail alignment at Navarro Point.

For information about the CCT, Navarro Point Preserve, or supporting the Navarro Stewards, contact Tamira Jones, Trail Coordinator, phone 707-962-0470

Hermosa Beach, Los Angeles County

Signing the CCT at Hermosa

On March 14, 2008, before a group of Hermosa Beach city officials, locals and the local press, members of the Coastwalk Board of Directors unveiled the first CCT insignia to be placed in Los Angeles County. Three signs were hammered in at The Strand at Hermosa Beach. Hermosa Beach resident and Coastwalk Board member George Schmeltzer is hoping to get installation approved next in Redondo Beach.

Read a Daily Breeze article about the signing event here.

Manhattan Beach, Los Angeles County

Manhattan Beach insignia

City of Manhattan Beach utility workers installed 6 insignia on 2.25 miles of The Strand on April 4, 2008. The signs are located at the boundary between Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach; the Manhattan Beach Pier; and the north boundary of Manhattan Beach.

Special thanks go to Coastwalk volunteer Bill Sauber, who pursued and submitted this project to the Manhattan Beach City Council.

 

Moonstone Beach/Leffingwell Landing, San Luis Obispo County

Moonstone Beach, SLO

Mike Connolly, SP Interpreter 1, SLOCD and maintenance worker Tammy Bjorkland-Seals installed 9 insignia on June 1, 2007.

 

Gualala Bluff Trail, Mendocino County

Gualala Bluff CCT Signing

On April 28, 2008 during a weekly trail maintenance work party, Redwood Coast Land Conservancy volunteers happily added 7 Coastal Trail insignias to the Gualala Bluff Trail, a beautiful short trail that overlooks the Gualala River and the Pacific Ocean near downtown Gualala in Mendocino County.

 

Spanish Landing, Port of San Diego, San Diego County

San Diego CCT

The first CCT insignia were installed in San Diego County on May 31, 2008. Port officials and representatives of the Coastal Conservancy and Coastwalk were in attendance. A beautiful day hike along the CCT capped off the day of celebration.

Russian Gulch, Mendocino County

Russian Gulch, Mendocino

Mendocino Land Trust and Coastwalk partnered to sign a new segment of CCT at Russian Gulch State Park on June 26, 2008. Coastwalk's adventure along Mendocino's CCT included an overnight at Russian Gulch. Participants took time out of their hike to sign a trail segment from the entrance of Russian Gulch to the South Headlands Trail terminus, just north of Mendocino. Twenty-eight participants took turns placing 4 CCT emblems along the trail in the Park. Mendocino County currently leads the State in CCT signing events with three this year.

Pismo Beach, Grover Beach & Oceano, San Luis Obispo County

Trail markers at MacKerricher
Coastwalk Executive Director Una Glass and Board Member Nancy Graves along with SLO County supervisor and Coastal Commissioner Katcho Achadjian, the mayors of Pismo Beach and Grover Beach, and representatives from State Parks and SLOCOG. Photo courtesy Richard Nichols.

In July, 2008, 34 new California Coastal Trail insignia signs were erected along nine miles of coastline in Pismo Beach, beginning at the Bluffs Coastal Trail in Shell Beach and ending at the trail at the Oceano Memorial Park & Campground. Coastwalk board members and Executive Director Una Glass joined city staff and members of the community in a brief ceremony “celebrating the dedication of one of the most beautiful parts of the trail along the (state’s) entire coastline,” said Coastwalk Board Member Nancy Graves. Nancy is the SLO CCT County Coordinator.

Read More:

Coastal Trail Takes Big Step
Local Link in CCT Dedicated
CCT in Pismo Part of Statewide Effort

Patrick's Point, Humboldt County

Patrick's Point CCT Signing

On July 10, 2008 the Coastal Trail at Patrick’s Point was signed by a group of Coastwalkers out on the magnificent north coast for Coastwalk’s Classic Humboldt adventure. The trail weaves through old growth redwoods with spectacular bluff top views of the Pacific Ocean.

 

Doran Beach: Cheney Creek Bridge and Trail Dedication, Sonoma County

Cheney Creek CCT Signage Ceremony
From left: Jim McCray, Sonoma County Regional Parks Manager; Yancey Forest-Knowles, Park Commissioner; Una Glass, Coastwalk Executive Director; Norma Jellison, Bodega Bay Biclycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee; Joe Kase, Park Planner; Richard Retecki, State Coastal Conservancy; County Supervisor Mike Reilly; Kory Hebner, Park Intern. Photo courtesy Sonoma County Regional Parks.

On a beautiful, sunny late August 2008 day in Bodega Bay, a dedication ceremony was held for the new 110-foot metal bridge over Cheney Creek and a crushed rock trail. This important link in the California Coastal Trail connects two spectacular parks, Doran and Birdwalk Coastal, creating a safer, shorter, off-road route affording visitors an uninterrupted walk along the coast.

Read More:

First Stretch of Bodega Bay Coastal Trail Opens

 

Fort Ross Reef Trail, Sonoma County

Fort Ross CCT Signing


The historic Russian fort at Fort Ross was the backdrop for the Reef Trail signing event on September 6, 2008, coinciding with the Coastwalk Fort Ross Overnight. Coastwalkers young and old, installed emblems on almost a mile of Coastal Trail along the beautiful Sonoma coast.

 

West Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz County

Santa Cruz CCT Signing
From left: Corey Cline, UC Santa Cruz student, and Lee Otter of the Coastal Commission,
installing an insignia at the entrance to Natural Bridges State Beach

On September 20, 2008, Coastwalk, in partnership with the City of Santa Cruz and Save Our Shores, celebrated the California coast with annual Coastal Cleanup Day and a dedication ceremony announcing the signage of the Coastal Trail along West Cliff Drive. Santa Cruz Mayor Ryan Coonerty presented a proclamation to Coastwalk and Save Our Shores for working to raise awareness for two important issues for the California coast, coastal access and coastal preservation. Tim Duff from the Coastal Conservancy and Lee Otter of the Coastal Commission also commended the organizations for their work and emphasized the benefits we all share as a result of a clean and accessible coast. Sunbathers danced on the beach to the lively rhythms of local marimba band Kuzanga.

Read More:

State's 1,200 Mile Coastal Trail Makes Inroads in Santa Cruz

 

San Clemente CCT Signing

San Clemente, Orange County

On October 3, 2008, a crowd of approximately 200 people gathered for the dedication ceremony announcing the connection of San Clemente’s Beach Trail to the California Coastal Trail. The event was a collaborative effort between the City of San Clemente, Coastwalk, and the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. Coastwalkers from Orange County joined the festive event along with the Coastal Conservancy’s Executive Officer Sam Schuchat, Orange County Supervisor Patricia Bates, and representatives from numerous private and public agencies.

 

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