The last time I hiked the trails in this section of Gaviota State Park, several of them were pretty badly overgrown (see Trail Quest: Las Cruces Trail). Woodland Trail was but a faint memory in places through the tall grass; Ortega Trail was an overgrown tick festival; the underpass connector trail was virtually non-existent; and Yucca Trail was essentially impassable. One could hike down from the top of Yucca Trail, pushing through brush, but there was no easy way to connect to the bottom of the trail.
A view south across the park from Yucca Trail
Thanks to the efforts of volunteers, all of these trails have been largely reopened. And for the first time in more than 10 years this map of the trails in the park is actually accurate. The work, organized by Santa Barbara Trails Council, is part of a larger effort to improve access and trail conditions along the Gaviota Coast. And the success of the work at Gaviota State Park has allowed the Trails Council to begin work maintaining Bill Wallace Trail in El Capitan State Park.
A couple weeks ago I joined a group of volunteers in clearing part of Yucca Trail and interviewed Curt Cragg, volunteer trail projects coordinator for the Trails Council. Article appears in section A of today’s edition of Santa Barbara News-Press.
Volunteers gather for the project at Gaviota State Park
Older articles can be seen by scrolling down or using the search feature in the upper right corner. Articles from the News-Press appear here a couple months after they appear in the News-Press.
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