Coastal Trail takes big step

Most people who enjoy leisurely walking along Pismo Beach’s blufftop trails probably don’t know they are also traversing a section of the almost half-complete California Coastal Trail.

But that will all change today, when the first emblem marking the statewide Coastal Trail in Pismo Beach is erected near the kiosk along the blufftop at Dinosaur Caves Park, along with other trail sites in the city and to the south.

“The city of Pismo Beach’s participation in the signing program is a great step forward for the Coastal Trail,” said Sam Schuchat, Coastal Conservancy executive officer. “To be designated with the Coastal Trail insignia will identify the trail as it grows and links all the spectacular places along our world-renowned coastline.”

The Coastal Conservancy approved the insignia sign program for the trail in 2005, launching the inaugural program last year. Since then, 88 miles of the extensive route have been signed with 270 emblems.

By signing the areas of the trail that are complete, such as Pismo’s trails system and those in Grover Beach and Oceano, the Coastal Conservancy hopes to give the trail an identity, letting people know it exists, even though it’s not completed.

“We want people to know it’s definitely a reality; it may not be complete, but it’s a reality,” Dick Wayman, Coastal Conservancy communications director, said about the insignia program. “Having a graphic emblem also helps identify parts of the trail as a greater whole. We want to put the emblem wherever the trail is.”

Pismo Beach has an extensive blufftop trail system that has been developed over the years as the city has improved its parks. When Pismo updated its Local Coastal Plan, all of its trails were identified and eventually adopted as part of the California Coastal Trail.

“We wanted to be part of the California Coastal Trails for years,” said Carolyn Johnson, Pismo planning supervisor.

So after the city developed a trails brochure highlighting Pismo’s more than one dozen blufftop trails, it was sent to the Coastal Conservancy with a request to have the trails system added to the California Coastal Trail.

“We said, ‘We’d really love to have the distinction,’ and they agreed,” Johnson said.

Emblems identifying other parts of the statewide trail in the county have already been placed — in Cambria, at Moonstone Beach, along the boardwalk and at Leffingwell Landing, as well as at Fiscalini Ranch in San Luis Obispo.

“The city of Pismo Beach is very proud to have its trail (system) along the ocean included in the California Coastal Trail,” Pismo Mayor Mary Ann Reiss said. “We are pleased to be able to call the trail (system) what it is — a trail for the entire California community.”

As part of today’s linking event, 34 new California Coastal Trail insignia signs will be erected along the coast, starting with the Bluffs Coastal Trail in Shell Beach and ending with the trail at the Oceano Memorial Park & Campground near the Oceano Airport.

The sign project is a joint undertaking of the Coastal Conservancy, State Parks, Coastwalk and numerous community groups.

Once completed, the complex Coastal Trail will extend 1,200 miles along the California coast from the Oregon border to Mexico. It is more than 50 percent complete.

July 25, 2008