Revitalized Pinnacle Gulch Trail Complete and Open to the Public!
The previous steps at Pinnacle Gulch Trail were uneven, dilapidated and steep, making the descent to the main trail precarious.
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A portion of the newly-rebuilt steps.
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The Redwood Trails Alliance and Sonoma County Regional Parks Youth Career Pathways Crew have completed their work rebuilding the steps at Pinnacle Gulch Coastal Access Trail. Earlier this year, the Youth Crew built 24 new “terraced steps” at the beginning of the trail, which will correct erosion issues. The elongated steps are followed by 64 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.
Youth Career Pathways is a remarkable park program that provides paying jobs to young adults aged 18 to 24 with limited work experience. Youth Crew members learn valuable work readiness skills, expand their work experience, and receive mentoring that prepares them for future careers.
The nonprofit Sonoma County Parks Foundation thanks the dozens of generous donors who contributed to the Pinnacle Gulch project. The Parks Foundation grants hundreds of thousands of dollars annually to Regional parks to support the Youth Crew and to build or maintain trails throughout Sonoma County. We rely on donations from generous donors like you to make this work possible.
For more information or to make a gift of stock, an IRA Qualified Charitable Deduction or a bequest, please reach out to Melissa Kelley, Parks Foundation Executive Director, at [email protected] or (707) 565-1830. Thank you!
Youth Career Pathways is a remarkable park program that provides paying jobs to young adults aged 18 to 24 with limited work experience. Youth Crew members learn valuable work readiness skills, expand their work experience, and receive mentoring that prepares them for future careers.
The nonprofit Sonoma County Parks Foundation thanks the dozens of generous donors who contributed to the Pinnacle Gulch project. The Parks Foundation grants hundreds of thousands of dollars annually to Regional parks to support the Youth Crew and to build or maintain trails throughout Sonoma County. We rely on donations from generous donors like you to make this work possible.
For more information or to make a gift of stock, an IRA Qualified Charitable Deduction or a bequest, please reach out to Melissa Kelley, Parks Foundation Executive Director, at [email protected] or (707) 565-1830. Thank you!
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 began in March 2024 and were completed in June 2024. 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 mentored the Sonoma County Regional Parks Youth Crew in the installation of 88 steps at the entrance to the Pinnacle Gulch Access Trail. The work included 24 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. In the next lower section of the trail, 44 eroded and broken steps were replaced with 64 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 are designed to handle the more intense storm events we are experiencing with the changing climate. The steps were made of wood planks milled by Regional Parks staff from redwood trees that fell in Sonoma County parks. Parks staff used a portable mill purchased by the nonprofit Sonoma County Parks Foundation to mill the wood for this project. |
