The San Simeon trail at Hearst San Simeon State Park is being completely reconstructed in order to adhere to accessibility guidelines.
“We want the resources to be protected but still allow folks to get out and enjoy nature,” said Dan Falat, District Superintendent for the San Luis Obispo Coast District of California State Parks.
Falat said about half a mile of trail will be replaced, including 1,300 feet of boardwalk.
“That is all for ADA guidelines and accessibility," Falat said. "So, what this does is kind of retrofits all that you see existing today, similar to what we did on Moonstone boardwalk.”
The $1.2 million project will be completed in two phases, with the boardwalk section from the beach to the campground closing first. Once that is fixed, the back half of the trail will be closed to complete the project.
Falat said that one issue they plan to tackle with the project is the gaps between the boards.
"You know, these shrink up, so you see how these gaps kind of get a little widened out? All of that is part of that guideline to make sure that it’s consistent and smooth and that folks of all abilities can access it,” Falat said.
On Wednesday morning, Angel Lopez and Sylvester Espinoza from Quincon, the company that will work on the project, were at the site unloading materials.
“Chemicals from the wood could sink into the ground, so that’s why we put in tarps under before we lay down the materials,” Lopez said.
Espinoza explained that the boardwalk will have a new look.
“Everything is going to be redwood. Slash pressure treated as well, but for the most part, it’ll be redwood all the way through, so it’ll actually look nicer than all the pressure-treated stuff that’s on there," he said.
They will also replace railings and benches along the trails, as well as repack and smooth out the granite pathway.
Falat said that some portions of the Washburn parking lot will remain open to the public.
“Visitors will not be able to access this trail to get to the beach, so they can still go across the street and access [it] from some of the coastal access points and then also from the campground as well," he said.
The work is expected to be completed in April, weather conditions allowing.
