Press Release: SCC and City of Pacific Grove Celebrate Opening of Point Pinos Coastal Trail

Newest segment of the California Coastal Trail open to the public

PACIFIC GROVE, May 20, 2022 – Today, the City of Pacific Grove celebrated the formal opening of the Point Pinos Coastal Tail with a ribbon-cutting event attended by state and local officials and community leaders.  This newest segment of the state’s California Coastal Trail completes the 4 mile stretch of trail along Pacific Grove’s coastline and links to Coastal Trail segments to the north and south of the city.

“We are thrilled to have partnered with the Coastal Conservancy and other state and regional funding partners to move this trail project from vision to reality,” said Pacific Grove Mayor Bill Peake, “It is a culmination of efforts over 24 years by City Councils, Committees, Staff and Funding Agencies.  Without their continued support and efforts, it would not have been possible. Pacific Grove is already a world-class visitor destination, as positioned on the spectacular rocky coast of the Monterey Peninsula. This trail provides unimpeded access and views to the Pacific Ocean and Monterey Bay and links to coastal trails in Asilomar State Beach. This new coastal trail is easily accessible by car with nearby parking, hotel, and dining venues and downtown a few minutes away.  Visitors will not be disappointed.”

“Congratulations to the City of Pacific Grove for completing their spectacular Coastal Trail.” Said Amy Hutzel, Executive Officer of the State Coastal Conservancy, “Now residents and visitors can enjoy walking and biking not only the 4 miles within the City but also the 30-plus additional miles that connect to the cities of Monterey, Sand City, and Marina to the north and Carmel to the south. Pacific Grove has demonstrated to other coastal communities how to design and build trails to be resilient to climate change – by locating their trail and parking lots away the most vulnerable coastal areas and having a long-term plan to move the trail inland over time.”

The new trail improves the visitor experience and enhances safety and accessibility by locating the trail seaward of the parking areas to provide unobstructed ocean views. Beach access pathways direct visitors to designated access points and away from sensitive dune habitat. Buses and recreational vehicles can park in designated lots at either end of the trail, and accessible parking spaces are available at several locations.

Recognizing the threat sea level rise poses, the trail and parking are located outside of the projected 30-year erosion zone.  The impacts of storm surge and coastal erosion will be buffered by the 2.5 acres of restored dune habitat that was part of this project. In anticipation of future climate impacts beyond 2050, the City has developed a plan to relocate the trail inland and convert Ocean View Boulevard to a public two-way bike path when rising seas make it unsuitable as a roadway.

The project was funded by the City of Pacific Grove, the California State Coastal Conservancy, Air Resources Bord, California Natural Resources Agency, and Transportation Agency for Monterey County.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

More about the project can be found here: https://www.cityofpacificgrove.org/pointpinostrail

The Coastal Conservancy is a state agency, established in 1976, to protect and improve natural lands and waterways, to help people get to and enjoy the outdoors, and to sustain local economies along California’s coast. The Conservancy is a non-regulatory agency that supports projects to protect coastal resources and increase opportunities for the public to enjoy the coast.

Since its founding, the Conservancy has:

• Funded 4,000 projects along the California coastline and in the San Francisco Bay.
• Protected 390,000 acres of coastal lands through acquisition of fee title and conservation easements.
• Restored 33,000 acres of habitat.
• Built 200 new coastal accessway and 210 miles of new trails.
• Put $1.8 billion to work for conservation projects, and leveraged far more from federal, local government, and private sources.