Santa Cruz redwoods hiking: 7 miles of new trail open in December

It is not typically that a massive chunk of redwoods ecosystem gets redesigned for general public recreation. So it’s a cause for celebration that 7.3 miles of new trails are opening in close proximity to Santa Cruz on Dec. 3, accessible to any hiker, bicycle owner or equestrian with a cost-free allow.

The trails are situated in the northern portion of the San Vicente Redwoods, a sprawling open-house space near the Pacific coastline in Davenport. It is the first stage of a prepared 38-mile trail process the next phase could start off construction in 3 to 5 many years. The trails are named in Awaswas, an Ohlone language, to figure out the ancestral stewardship lasting up to the existing day of the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band.

The new hikers’ stomping grounds are found in the burn up place of the damaging 2020 CZU Lightning Complex fires. A lot of work went into restoring the land to a put that will resemble healthy forest many years from now. Correspondingly, the evolving path system isn’t just intended for recreation – it is also developed as a significant gas split in the probability of foreseeable future wildfires.

“When you are out on the trails, you’ll be in a position to witness firsthand how character is rebounding” from the fire, stated Sarah Newkirk, government director of the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County.

Totally free registration permits are offered on the internet at landtrustsantacruz.org/svr. The San Vicente Redwoods are managed by that Land Have faith in, the Peninsula Open Area Believe in, the Sempervirens Fund and the Preserve the Redwoods League.

Here’s a somewhat desolate scene from right after the 2020 fires:

And below are a few of shots of the new trails established to open up this winter season: