San Luis Obispo County officials will begin cleaning up the Cave Landing parking lot above Pirate's Cove on Thursday.
The parking lot will be closed to vehicles from 8 a.m. on May 13 to 4 p.m. on May 14.
Park rangers and contractors will be cleaning up trash and debris and CAL FIRE will begin fuel reduction in the area.
County officials say this is the first step in transitioning the site to the county park system.
Over the next few months, officials say the site will be cleared of trash and graffiti with the exception of the interior of the cave area, which requires further consultation to determine if there are any cultural artifacts under the graffiti that need to be protected.
Upgrades to the parking lot area will include the addition of natural-colored rock and gravel to improve the parking surface, installation of trash cans, placing of boulders to protect cultural resources, adding bioswales to manage the drainage of the site, and installation of accessible parking with an overlook area.
County officials say members of the sheriff's office, 5Cities Homeless Coalition, and Transitions Mental Health Association have been meeting with people living in a homeless encampment at the parking lot to transition them out of the area and to other services.
Everyone who had been camping at the site is expected to leave the area by Wednesday, according to county officials.
Overnight camping and fires are not permitted within the Cave Landing Natural Area.
The parking lot project is expected to be complete by December 2021.
