California Coastal Trail

California Coastal Trail
California Coastal Trail in Cambria looking north up the coast, towards other segments of the trail in State Parks
UseHiking, biking, equestrianism
WebsiteOfficial website
Trail sign for California Coastal Trail near Capitola, California.
Sign on the California Coastal Trail South of Muir Beach

The California Coastal Trail, or CCT, is an environmental project by the California Coastal Conservancy, an organization developed to enhance coastal resources and promote access to the shore in 2001.[1]

The trail is designed to connect the entire coast of California by forming an extensive multi-use trail. When complete, the trail will be 1,200 miles (1,900 km) long—spanning from Oregon to Mexico.[2] As of January 2017, the trail is about 30 percent complete with signage[3] (60 percent with mixed or no signage) and expenses are predicted to reach $668m when finished.[4]

"The California Coastal Trail will not be one single pathway that connects the entire coastline. It will consist of different, and approximately parallel trails that accommodate the needs of varying visitors. Some portions of the trail will be for beach walkers, and other sections will be for bicyclists and equestrians. The trail will also have paths to detour around seasonal nesting grounds or other sensitive sites. Though the paths may not all be physically connected, whenever possible all trails will be “within sight, sound, or at least the scent of the sea."[5]

A two-volume trail guide has been written about the California Coastal Trail entitled Hiking the California Coastal Trail.[6]

  1. ^ California, State of. "California State Coastal Conservancy - The Coastal Conservancy acts with others to preserve, protect and restore the resources of the California Coast. Their vision is of a beautiful, restored and accessible coastline". Archived from the original on May 21, 2009. Retrieved May 15, 2009.
  2. ^ "Gordons Pond Trail - Cape Henlopen State Park | Delaware Trails | TrailLink.com". Archived from the original on July 21, 2012. Retrieved May 11, 2009.
  3. ^ Seltenrich, Nate (January 1, 2017). "California's low-key coastal keeper blazes a 40-year trail". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved February 15, 2017.
  4. ^ "Completing the Trail". California Coastal Trail. Retrieved February 15, 2017.
  5. ^ Otter, Lee; Locklin, Linda. "Principles for Designing the Coastal Trail". Archived from the original on April 26, 2011. Retrieved March 20, 2011.
  6. ^ "Hiking the California Coastal Trail by Bob Lorentzen and Richard Nichols, a two volume set from Bored Feet Press".