news Hard Work Pays Off in Point Reyes
Point Reyes National Seashore, the crown jewel of Marin’s natural treasures, has for too long been public land without adequate public access. Thanks to the hard work and support of our Marin County Bicycle Coalition members, that needle is finally moving.
Hundreds of you joined us in calling on the National Park Service to expand bicycle access and improve connectivity throughout the non-wilderness areas of our public lands in Point Reyes. Finally, after much debate, the land managers have released the General Management Plan Amendment, a high-level guiding document which will serve as a framework to expand access and improve connectivity in Point Reyes National Seashore over the next 30 years.
[Above: this proposal to extend Bolinas Ridge Trail to Point Reyes is only one example of many new possibilities!]
The Plan Amendment acknowledges the need to expand public access, including bike-legal trails and gravel roads, throughout 18,000 acres it currently leases for ranching operations. It incorporates several of our requests, including:
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Connecting L Ranch Road to Pierce Point Road using an old road grade to allow bicycles to ride a large loop using these two roads and to facilitate access between Marshall Beach and Pierce Point Road. This connection ultimately could be extended to create a loop that connects Pierce Point Road to Sir Francis Drake Boulevard using old alignments.
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Connecting Kehoe Trail to L Ranch Road using an old road alignment through K Ranch.
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Creating a loop with the Estero Trail and Home Ranch roads and consider alignments around the core of Home Ranch.
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Connecting Drakes Beach to Drakes Estero using an old ranch road.
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Connecting the Drakes Estero Trailhead to N Ranch Roads to create a loop.
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Improving and promoting loop trail opportunities that connect the Olema Valley Trail and the Bolinas Ridge Trail.
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Extending the Bolinas Ridge Trail north of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard and connect the Bolinas Ridge Trail to Five Brooks using an existing ranch road.
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Creating trails on ranch roads in the north district of Golden Gate northeast of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, using the former Cheda Ranch complex as a trailhead.
As many of you are aware, the General Management Plan Amendment includes some controversial decisions surrounding ranching and wildlife management. We are sensitive to these issues, and we want to make it clear that we are celebrating this strictly as a win for bicycle advocacy. That is our mission and has been the extent of our involvement as an organization. We will continue to focus on expanding bicycling opportunities within this spacious and serene seaside sanctuary.
As for next steps: the door is (finally) open for us to work together with park staff to build new trails, adopt existing social trails, open up access to ranching roads, close gaps, and create loops to make Point Reyes into a truly world-class cycling destination for riders of all abilities.
Without a doubt, we are proud of this win – and you should be too. Let’s carry this momentum forward, because now the real work can begin. We’ll keep you updated regularly via the MCBC eNewsletter, and if you have questions or ideas about the future of riding in Point Reyes, feel free to reach out to our Off-Road & Events Director, Tom Boss (tom@www.marinbike.org).
PRNS Management Amendment Appendix H This document covers the trail enhancements identified in the update.
MEMBERS MAKE IT HAPPEN
We need your support to expand trail access in Pt. Reyes National Seashore and throughout Marin. Are you with us?
