Learn about our restoration work and improvements to the trail system at the
San Marcos Foothills West Mesa

Channel Islands Restoration has partnered with local trail expert Ray Ford to improve the trails on the West Mesa and to make a few changes that will both enhance the visitor experience and help to protect wildlife. The plan includes adding a considerable amount of new trail, including paths that are accessible to wheelchairs and decommissioning some of the redundant crisscross trails that bisect important ground-nesting bird habitat. One important change will be the building of a new trail from the northern end of the property, providing gentle switchbacks downhill to link up with the existing trail along Atascadero Creek. This will provide a safer and more sustainable path for visitors to follow when hiking from the West Mesa to the existing San Marcos Foothills Preserve.

Trail restoration provides many important benefits by helping to ensure that paths are safe for people, avoid important wildlife locations and are built in a sustainable way that are less likely to cause erosion and will require less ongoing maintenance. When visitors make their own shortcut trails, these often-cross native plant habitat which are useful for nesting birds, and they often cause erosion because they are not developed in a sustainable way. Once a single visitor takes a shortcut, other visitors soon follow, and a new ad hoc trail is created irrespective of its safety, effect on wildlife and erosion.

Your cooperation is greatly appreciated in helping us with these trail improvement efforts!

CIR is working with local Chumash to create a native plant garden along the new trails at the San Marcos Foothills West Mesa.

Want to Support Trail Restoration at the West Mesa?