Capistrano Beach Coastal Trail Will be Saved - At Least for Now

CAPISTRANO BEACH, CA —Residents who signed a petition to save the iconic coastal trail between Capistrano and Doheny Beaches (https://www.ipetitions.com/pet...) will be thrilled to hear efforts are underway to do exactly that. The County of Orange was recently granted a California Coastal Commission (CCC) permit to shore up the trail to preserve the historic stretch linking the two popular beaches.

This pathway is part of a decades-old vision of an uninterrupted 1,230 mile path from Mexico to Oregon. The trail, a collaborative effort of the CCC and Coastal Conservancy that was established in the 1975 California Coastal Plan, is presently 70% complete. A new interactive map https://the-california-coastal... shows notable gaps, with the Capistrano Beach portion depicted as "Primary California Coastal Trail - Needs Improvement". No kidding.

The trail was in serious jeopardy two years ago when high surf and the erosive effects of typical wave action succeeded in undermining the sand and cobble structure holding up the narrow path used by thousands of pedestrians and bicyclists each week. In September 2019, the City of Dana Point came to the rescue, undertaking emergency repairs and adding sand cubes to protect critical storm drain and water quality infrastructure. Since then, the sand cubes have shifted and deteriorated and parts of the trail are once again in jeopardy.

The joint effort is a good example of cooperation between multiple agencies, including OC Parks, Dana Point Public Works, State Parks and the Capistrano Bay District. OC Parks, in conjunction with the City of Dana Point, will be adding new sand cubes and moving sand and cobble to shore up the trail once again.

The deteriorating pavement will be removed and replaced with a new asphalt path. The area has been fenced off and traffic has been rerouted through an adjacent path owned by the Capistrano Bay District, an agency which administers nearby Beach Road.

State Parks has permitted the County to stage a huge mound of sand on what was once the South Parking lot at Doheny Beach, now seriously damaged by erosion. Heavy equipment is filling the giant sand cubes that will help support the trail, and mitigate two enormous holes marring the coastline at Capistrano Beach Park. Work started May 24th. The trail work is expected to be completed in July, and the work on the beach gaps in August.

Carlos Gayoso, a Dana Point resident and recent visitor to the park, found a perfect spot to watch the beautiful Pacific at low tide, placing his beach chair between ruined pilings from the now lost boardwalk that used to frame a popular basketball court and remnants of a century old sea wall that once protected the beautiful Capistrano Beach Club. Immediately behind him, broken pieces of the Club’s scored concrete pool deck were visible at the bottom of the steep cliff eroded from the unprotected shoreline. "The ocean is very strong"; he said. "It seems we need boulders or maybe a jetty to protect this beach." For now, sand cubes will have to do the job.

OC Parks is engaged in a long-term project to determine a master plan for the area. Public Workshops were placed on hold during the pandemic but should resume soon. The public is urged to weigh in by completing a short survey which can be found at https://www.ocparks.com/beaches/capistrano-beach/masterplan.