The existing steps at Pinnacle Gulch Trail are uneven, dilapidated and steep, making the descent to the main trail precarious.
A portion of the upgraded Pinnacle Gulch Steps
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Update on Pinnacle Gulch Construction -- May 2024
The Redwood Trails Alliance and Sonoma County Regional Parks Youth Crew continue to work on the new steps at Pinnacle Gulch Coastal Access Trail. The Redwood Trails Alliance mentor reports that the Youth Crew members working on the project are becoming increasingly proficient with their stair-building skills. The crew will continue to work on weekdays and will clear the trail at the end of each workday. Visitors may use the trail, with caution, on the weekends and after hours on weekdays. Redwood Trails Alliance and the Youth Crew expect to complete this project early June 2024. The nonprofit Sonoma County Parks Foundation thanks the dozens of generous donors who have contributed to this project. To date we have raised approximately $8,000 of our goal of $15,000! To donate, please click the DONATE button at the top of this webpage. If you have questions about this project, feel free to reach out to Melissa Kelley, Parks Foundation Executive Director, at [email protected]. Thank you! Step Up to Transform Pinnacle Gulch! Anyone who has hiked the short Pinnacle Gulch Trail in Bodega Bay knows two things: The steps leading down to the main trail are uneven, dilapidated, and steep, but the awe-inspiring view of the ocean at the end of the trail makes the journey worthwhile! Currently, the trail is equipped with 47 steps, many of which are odd heights or broken. Due to the increasing severity of storms such as the bomb cyclone that hit the coast this winter, this park infrastructure is continuing to deteriorate, and the upper trail leading to the steps is rutted and experiencing erosion. Now you can STEP UP and help us transform this vital coastal access! The Parks Foundation is raising $15,000 to repair this beloved trail. This spring the Regional Parks Youth Crew will build 24 new “terraced steps” at the beginning of the trail, which will correct erosion issues. The elongated steps will be followed by about 65 sturdy, well designed steps leading down to the main trail. The project will help the stairs better withstand intense storms, make the trail safer and more accommodating for visitors, and protect the natural habitat. The Youth Crew is a remarkable park program that provides paying jobs to young adults aged 18 to 24 who are working to overcome challenges in their lives. Youth Crew members learn valuable work readiness skills, gain work experience, and receive mentoring that prepares them for future careers. A generous grant from the Kaiser Foundation Hospital Fund for Community Benefit Programs of the East Bay Community Foundation will cover the Youth Crew and mentor salaries for this project. We are grateful for their support! |
The Parks Foundation is raising $15,000 to purchase material to build the stairs, 700 feet of rebar, and 27 cubic yards of gravel.
Your donation today will help the Youth Crew carry out this much-needed project, giving young adults the opportunity to enhance their work skills while building a safer, more enduring trail.
Your donation today will help the Youth Crew carry out this much-needed project, giving young adults the opportunity to enhance their work skills while building a safer, more enduring trail.
Regional Parks and Redwood Trails Alliance staff examine the upper Pinnacle Gulch Trail, where new terraced steps will help control erosion.
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Project Description of Pinnacle Gulch Access Trail Improvements
Pinnacle Gulch trail improvements are scheduled to begin in March or April 2024. The project will require the trail to be closed for approximately four weeks. This project covers the top 450 ft. of the trail, from the pavement next to the parking area down to where the trail approaches the stream and flattens out. The nonprofit Redwood Trails Alliance will lead the Sonoma County Regional Parks Youth Crew in the installation of about 80 steps at the entrance to the Pinnacle Gulch Access Trail. The work includes 20 new terraced steps from the pavement down 150 ft. to the end of the tree canopy, to replace that rutted trail section and provide a safer and less erosive path. The next lower section of the trail with 47 existing eroded and broken steps will be replaced with 60 new steps, reducing damage to the landscape and provide safer passage for visitors. In addition to providing more pleasant initial access to Pinnacle Gulch, the trail improvements will be designed to handle more intense storm events we are experiencing with the changing climate. |
