The park that emerges in the aftermath of a contentious settlement over ranching in the Point Reyes National Seashore could eventually offer new opportunities for hikers, bikers and equestrians, along with new overnight options for campers.
West Marin trail enthusiasts are excited about the possibilities, even as they sympathize with the ranching families that are departing after working the land for generations.
Groups such as the Point Reyes National Seashore Association and Access4Bikes did not take a stand on the lawsuit, but they plan to engage with park officials as they reimagine trail and camping opportunities in the park.
As part of the Jan. 8 legal settlement with environmental groups, the park service released an updated general management plan that will provide more of what it calls “visitor enjoyment opportunities.”
The plan doesn’t envision the construction of an entirely new trail system, but mostly a reworking of existing ranch roads. Most of the trails would be open to hikers, bikers and horseback riders, although some might be restricted to a specific use.
“Trail opportunities may include loop routes, improve connectivity with adjacent public lands, and facilitate north-south connectivity across the landscape,” the plan states.
Even before the settlement was announced, PRNSA was collaborating with the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria on a “Trails Forever Initiative” launched last year to reimagine the 150 miles of trails outside the ranching areas.
Donna Faure, PRNSA’s executive director, said that the settlement agreement will open new areas of the park for trails and restoration. Working with FIGR, the nonprofit recently completed an inventory of existing trails, most of which are old utility, military or ranch roads.
“They were not created to be a comprehensive trail system,” Ms. Faure said. “We are thinking about how to improve the ones that we currently have, and considering new or redesigned trails in the future that will create a better human experience while enhancing the surrounding ecology.”
Ms. Faure was also upbeat about the opportunities for increased overnight stays described in the updated park plan, which envisions opening new campgrounds in the pastures, a hostel in one of the existing buildings, and possibly yurts or tent cabins.
“We’re excited about the possibility of more recreational opportunity, especially ways to bring more people who have historically not been included on public lands, including Indigenous, BIPOC and disabled people,” she said. “We’re really looking at how we can expand access.”
Vernon Huffman, executive director of Access4Bikes, said the group believed public access could have been significantly improved even if the ranchers had not accepted buyouts requiring them to leave the park. But now that nearly all of them are leaving, the group looks forward to helping reimagine the park’s future.
“We advocate for public access, so we are excited about the opportunity to restore the ranches as true public assets for recreational opportunities,” Mr. Huffman told the Light while riding his Specialized bike up the Shafter Grade Trail in Samuel P. Taylor State Park. “We would appreciate a seat at the table in all planning moving forward so that we can create connected spaces that link different areas of the park.”
The updated management plan acknowledges that the park service will need support from outside groups to realize significant improvements in its visitor opportunities.
Jerry Meral, an Inverness resident who has long advocated for increased camping opportunities in the seashore, pointed out that the park’s budget has been repeatedly slashed over the years. As a result, previous plans for improvements have gone unfulfilled.
“The park has proposed building new trails of various kinds for 20 years,” he said. “There’s one proposal to build a trail along the coast, from north of the elk fence over to Abbotts Lagoon, which would be a nice trail. But trail building is expensive, and they absolutely do not have the money for it.”
In recent years, Mr. Meral has encouraged park officials to install campsites at Duck Cove, where the park service demolished an old bayside community. Foundations remain, along with the remnants of an old septic system. But any such plan will require a new funding source, and Mr. Meral has been advocating for a controversial one: collecting parking fees from visitors.
“Virtually every other national park has an entry fee or a parking fee,” he said. “The Great Smokies did one and brought in a lot of money. We could do a ton of stuff if we had one. They don’t have to go to Congress. They have the authority to do it tomorrow if they want to.”
The demand for campsites is great, said Mr. Meral, who just returned from an overnight stay in the Wildcat Campground, where elk wandered through his campsite.
“It’s the freaking middle of winter, it’s cold as hell, and most of the campsites were full,” he said.