The Green Valley Trail alignment has been confirmed and plans are now at 90% completion for this one-mile section of the California Coastal Trail to connect the Devil’s Slide Trail to Gray Whale Cove parking lot and trail.

The 6-foot-wide trail will have a natural soil surface for most of the alignment and will utilize an existing gravel road for a section, and include two boardwalks and a bridge to span wetlands. Two overlook areas with benches will allow for a pause to view the spectacular Green Valley as well as the Pacific Ocean to the north and south. The upper parking area of Gray Whale Cove State Beach is being re-designed to better accommodate 28 cars and will have a two-stall vault toilet.

See 2015 Public Workshop presentation and Parks Commission report.

The Planning Commission will consider the Coastal Development Permit at their November 2016 meeting. Completed plans and permits should be available by April 2017. Depending on funding and permits, trail construction could start in 2018 or 2019.

The Green Valley Trail has been designed and planned to comply with the 2013 Forest Service Trail Accessibility Guidelines (FSTAG). The FSTAG provide guidance to maximize the accessibility of trails while protecting the unique characteristics of the natural setting. San Mateo County Parks Department has adopted FSTAG for the Green Valley Trail to define best practices for accessibility for the Green Valley Trail. The Parks Department intends to provide an accessible trail as much as feasible for all trail users to understand and appreciate the natural, historical and cultural heritage of the Green Valley.

UPDATE 2018: COUNTY ABANDONS GREEN VALLEY TRAIL PROJECT

In Aug 2018 County Parks backed out of its role as Lead Agency for construction and operation of the Green Valley Trail, citing inadequate resources & staffing to comply with mitigations for the California Red-Legged Frog (CRLF) required by US Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) (8/8/18 letter).  The County webpage for the project is no longer available (image of page).

State Coastal Conservancy (SCC) staff facilitated a conversation to clarify the requirements, noting the available assistance of RCD and local volunteer hiking/biking groups (8/27/18 letter). Subsequent to those letters, the RCD agreed to work with USFWS on their mitigation requirements including directing SCC grant funds to improve maintenance of existing Caltrans ponds in the trail vicinity, rather than purchasing offsite mitigation credits. County Parks was not persuaded. 

Approximately $250K in SCC grant funds remain available to complete the permit phase; however, the funds would not be available until the County or another park agency operating in the area (State Parks, NPS) commits to operating the trail.

LCP Policy 2.50.c:  The County will work with CalTrans, the State Coastal Conservancy, the Coastal Commission, State Parks, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and other public agencies to ensure that a CCT trail alignment is developed and will continue from the southern terminus of the Devil’s Slide Highway 1 relinquishment and link to other trail systems.