08 August 2022
California State Parks Foundation awards grants to support and improve trails in California state parks
San Francisco, CA — California State Parks Foundation is announcing grant support for trail programs in California state parks. In total, California State Parks Foundation is investing $20,000 in funding for the Trails for All initiative, working to improve trails in both urban and rural settings for people of all ages, interests, skills, and physical abilities. This initiative promotes the enjoyment and appreciation of trails while encouraging greater public access.
"Trails connect people to their parks, they provide opportunities for health and wellness, while increasing our awareness of our surrounding natural and cultural treasures. It’s essential that every trail gets visitors safely from point A to point B, but great trails are accessible for all and teach visitors along the way." - Rachel Norton, Executive Director of California State Parks Foundation
With 279 state parks and 5,200 miles of trails, California state parks contain the largest and most diverse recreational, natural, and cultural heritage holdings of any state agency in the nation.
California State Parks Foundation believes that the enjoyment of California state parks should be for everyone, which is often experienced by exploring trails. Whether you’re an experienced backpacker or are just looking for a leisurely stroll, a trail leads the way. And between the state’s beaches, deserts, redwood forests, and mountains, there’s a landscape for everyone too.
Although many trails are present in parks, they may not be safe or accessible for all. In addition to basic trail management, there are also opportunities to create dynamic trails that allow for a deeper experience to learn.
"The CZU Lightening Complex Fire devastated our local parks, and as passionate trail users our staff is doing our best to support the reopening of these beloved open spaces. This grant will allow our professional Santa Cruz Mountain Trail Stewards Trail Crew to get to work in Big Basin Redwoods State Park and deliver an improved experience for park visitors." - Matt De Young, Executive Director of Santa Cruz Mountain Trail Stewards
Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Stewardship was awarded $10,000 to do work in Big Basin Redwoods State Park (Santa Cruz County), Butano State Park (San Mateo County), and Año Nuevo State Park (San Mateo County). The project will assess the damage and determine the scope of upcoming work. This includes removing hazardous fire-damaged trees, re-establishing damaged trail surfaces, repairing drainage structures, and re-routing existing trails for sustainability to adapt to the new landscape. The fire recovery work will create safe trails for visitors to experience the park and enjoy.
"In partnership with Trione-Annadel State Park staff and our Bay Area District Leadership this grant is critical in providing capacity for community engagement and help with maintaining our beloved trails." - Debbie St. Cyr, Executive Director of Redwood Trails Alliance
Redwood Trails Alliance was awarded $10,000 for their grant in Trione-Annadel State Park (Sonoma County). Redwood Trails Alliance will hire a Volunteer Coordinator to recruit and organize volunteers to work on specific trail projects and supply tools and supplies needed. This project addresses the significant challenge of improving park trails by coordinating available resources.
"It is vital that we ensure our trails are well maintained and offer meaningful experiences to all who visit. Whether that is wheelchair accessible trails, tactile additions such as Braille signage, or upgraded interpretive panels, all of this and more contribute to connecting people to parks. When we feel connected to these spaces we want to help protect and advocate for them for future generations." - Haley Gonzales, Partnership Program Manager at California State Parks Foundation
The Trails for All Grant Round focuses on trails but is part of a larger goal for California State Parks Foundation to improve park experiences for visitors. To spark a desire to return and keep exploring, visitors must forge a lifelong connection to parks. That first experience must be positive and meaningful. The signage should be clear; the interpreter leading the tour should be welcoming and knowledgeable; the trail should be navigable; the restrooms should be clean, and the vistas, habitats, and natural beauty should be unspoiled. In contrast, if first experiences are spoiled by inadequate infrastructure or programming, a first-time visitor is unlikely to want to return. California State Parks Foundation has consistently fought to ensure that a visit to a state park is an invitation to return.
To build upon the learnings and relationships from this work, California State Parks Foundation is advocating for Assembly Bill 1789 authored by Assemblymember Steve Bennett of Ventura. This legislation requires the Department of Parks and Recreation to include recommendations to prioritize funding to improve and expand nonmotorized surface trails when they update the California Recreational Trails System Plan.
To learn more about work to improve park experiences for visitors, visit our website at calparks.org/parkexperiences.
