How they Almost Closed the Gates to Paradise at Our State Parks | Whole Life Times

California’s state parks are safe for now, but in 2009 it was a different story. Any time budget cuts are discussed or there’s a change in Sacramento (2014 is a gubernatorial election year), public parks are at the top of the hit list

By Lena Katz

(August 2009) As songstress Joni Mitchell lamented, “you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.” Californians might be about to find out, and we’re going to absolutely hate it.

As WLT goes to press, beleaguered lawmakers in Sacramento ponder the fate of more than 30 state parks and attractions, possibly including local favorites like Topanga and Malibu Creek State Parks. While this number still seems painfully high, it’s dramatically down from the 220 previously anticipated. Although state parks will have $70 million of their General Fund allocation eliminated, $62 million of it will ostensibly be at least temporarily backfilled by other funding sources. But the backfill is as uncertain as the time frame, and the financial landscape is shifting daily.

Reeling from the budget cut, parks officials and partners raced to come up with alternative solutions and last-minute funding. But it’s hardly a general priority—just a piece of a much larger ($26 billion, at last count) California problem. Even more disheartening, many insiders believe that the initial cut—more than half the annual budget—will not be the last.

For the many people who want to help, there are various foundations and local action groups—check the sidebar for details. But one of the most important things you can do is exactly what you’d like to do: Visit. Escape the city for a week and hike, swim, bike, picnic, kayak and otherwise glory in the amazing sights just up the 101. From LA to SF is a day’s drive if you’re hurrying, and at least three if you’re wise. It’s the slow road to happiness—and this summer may be your last chance to enjoy its fullness. All the attractions below were on the original closure list, and their current status is unclear.

Hit the Road, Jack

Heading north, Angelenos tend to whiz through Ventura County, but slow down on this trip, because Ventura’s miles of coast offer a picture-perfect version of sunny golden So Cal. Emma Wood, right off the State Beaches exit in Ventura, is famous for surfing and sunset photo ops, but in summer it’s also abuzz with RV campers, swimmers and fishermen. Less known is McGrath State Beach in Oxnard, with sand dunes, beach campsites and a trail leading to the Santa Clara Estuary Natural Preserve, renowned for some of the state’s best birdwatching. Literally hundreds of thousands of species make this area their home.

Continuing to the Ventura county line, Carpinteria’s idyllic mile-long beach and picturesque bluffs introduce visitors to Santa Barbara at its safest and most family-friendly. Surfers wait for waves while visiting kiddies befriend the squishy denizens of the tidepool tank. The campground is perhaps too popular (“It’s a tailgate party!” one TripAdvisor user exclaims). For more pristine beauty, drive out to El Capitan, 17 miles from Santa Barbara. This state beach links up to Refugio State Beach a few miles away by bluff trails and a bike path, and you can make part of the trek along the beach. Refugio is an extremely popular camping beach that fills to capacity in high season, so book early.

San Luis Obispo County had more parks on the original closure list than almost any other coastal county—a dreadful shame, as its endangered attractions include Morro Bay with its landmark Morro Rock, Pismo State Beach and San Simeon. Morro Bay is an outstanding place to kayak, and local guide company Central Coast Outdoors provides enough bait fish to whip the local bird and sea lion population into a feeding frenzy. Pismo State Beach actually fronts the bustling little town of the same name. Since the beach is the town’s heart and soul, it’s unclear how a closure could even be logistically possible. San Simeon is the serene, wetland preserve yin to Hearst Castle’s fantastically architected yang. The castle itself has managed to elude closure lists to date.

In Monterey County, all four of the Big Sur state parks vie for attention. Limekiln, just 25 miles south of Big Sur and already closed due to fire, features redwoods and waterfalls, along with three enormous kilns built to make lime powder more than 150 years ago. Julia Pfeiffer Burns is the site of a purple sand beach, as well as the state’s most photogenic waterfall. Andrew Molera is home to the brand new Ventana Wildlife Society Discovery Center, where California condor chicks are raised and released into the wild. Unsurprisingly, Molera is the spot to see this incredibly rare species, either in the Center or on guided walks. And finally, Pfeiffer Big Sur—one of the most famous parks and busiest campsites on the West Coast—also faces closure.

If you haven’t had your fill of beaches and redwood forests, Santa Cruz County offers plenty, from Henry Cowell Redwoods (home of old-growth redwoods, with the oldest estimated at 1800 years), to Manresa State Beach (notable because on-leash dogs are permitted). This county also stands to lose one of its main historic attractions—Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park—with original buildings dating back to the 1790s. It’s right in the heart of Santa Cruz.

San Mateo is short on visitor cred but actually contains a multitude of parks including Big Basin Redwoods, the oldest park in the state system, and harbors the world’s largest continuous section of old-growth redwoods. And right outside of San Francisco—so near that it often gets lumped in with that county—is lyrical Half Moon Bay. With its boat harbor and dramatic bluffs, rushing creeks and profusion of colorful flowers, it’s ideal for romantic proposals.

Furthest north on this itinerary is San Francisco. Avoid Alcatraz, which is both spooky and horribly crowded, and ferry instead to Angel Island. Formerly a military base and immigration station, this park is a historical jackpot. A wealth of educational and recreational activities are offered here, including Segway tours, tram tours, a restaurant, volleyball courts and eight miles of paved bike trails. The park’s gone through rough patches lately, though. After an oil spill forced temporary closure, it reopened in late 2007, only to be hit with wildfire a year later and closed for another week. Undaunted, the park continued renovating its landmark U.S. immigration station, which opened with quite a bit of ceremony last February 15. Now under threat of closure once more, Angel Island is a symbol of California’s storied past, troubled present, and what might be lost forever in the near future.

Facts and Figures

• State parks had more than 80 million visitors in 2008.

• The General Fund monies that state parks were receiving accounted for only 1/10th of 1 percent of the total state budget.

• According to the California State Parks Foundation, for every $1 of General Fund money spent, the parks return $2.35 in revenue.

• According to a Cal State University Sacramento study, state parks generate more than $4.2 billion in spending. [Ed note: Hospitality revenues in gateway cities]

For more information on the latest state park budget news, ballot measures, proposed legislation, petitions and other news, visit:

• calparks.org • savetheredwoods.org • savestateparks.org