Sempervirens Fund Board and Staff: (from L to R) Robert Katz, William Harris, Emily Thurber, Nick Wyckoff, Robert Frazer, Gilbert Hernandez & Michael Reynolds.  Photo by Brian Steen

The most sought after trail link in the Santa Cruz Mountains is being purchased by Sempervirens Fund and its supporters. “We are a giant step closer to opening a hiking and riding trail to connect the Skyline entrance of Castle Rock State Park with trails that will encircle the entire 5,000-acre park,” declares Sempervirens Fund's Executive Director Brian Steen.

This ambitious project has been a dream since the Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail first connected Castle Rock with Big Basin and the ocean in 1969. To do it, Sempervirens Fund is pulling out all the stops.

Sempervirens Fund recently reached a purchase agreement with the current owner.  We are purchasing 40 acres of strategically located land with an existing rustic house and vast vistas of Monterey Bay to the south, the Big Basin watershed to the west, and the Pacific Ocean on the horizon to the north.  The house, the service road, the trail route and the 40 acres cost $700,000.

The seller will continue to occupy the house and the surrounding 5 acres in a life tenancy agreement that will insure his privacy there.  Sempervirens Fund is working with State Park officials to plan for the property's eventual transfer to the state.  We will manage the property and its access until the state takes ownership.

The trail is the primary objective
An existing private trail runs next to the house.  A condition of our purchase is that we build a new trail route that will highlight the magnificent scenery and keep far enough away from the residence to ensure privacy for both the occupant and the trail users.

Pictures and maps will be the best means to describe how much this trail connection will mean to the public's enjoyment of hiking and riding in Castle Rock State Park.  Photos will tell the story of this land purchase and reveal its breakthrough recreational opportunities.  Click the thumbnails to see the first edition of the Panorama Ridge porfolio provided by Sempervirens Fund friend and photographer Frank Balthis.

This parcel is the key link that was missing in the effort to complete a 20-mile trail system that circumnavigates the entire park, including the new forests of the San Lorenzo River Redwoods.

Donors will be invited to visit the property and watch as it is transformed into a key trail connection.  Special hikes and horseback rides will be planned for the summer of 2006.

Please consider making a donation right now!