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Bay Area Ridge Trail Council News
5/20/2008
New Carquinez Strait Scenic Loop Trail Collaboration
The Council is thrilled to announce a new collaboration with our “sister” San Francisco Bay Trail Project: a 50-mile Carquinez Strait Scenic Loop Trail.
We have long envisioned an intertwined loop around the Strait as part of our regional network. The Ridge and Bay trails share an alignment between Vallejo and Benicia on the northern side of the Strait, and across the toll bridges. South of the Strait, the Ridge Trail winds up onto the ridgelines before heading south into the East Bay hills, while the Bay Trail hugs the shoreline.
While the area is not widely visited, it boasts dramatic bluffs with spectacular vistas and fascinating natural and human history. Stunning sections of the Carquinez Loop are already open, including Crockett Hills Regional Park, Benicia State Recreation Area, the Al Zampa Bridge path, Mt. Wanda in the John Muir Historic Site, and the Pinole Watershed trail, opened last November.
This year, in addition to support from the Coastal Conservancy, we are grateful to have received a generous grant from the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund for this special collaboration. Our goals are:
- To close as many gaps as possible in time for the fall 2009 opening of a new bicycle pedestrian path on the Benicia Martinez bridge; and
- To reach out with trail events and activities to build awareness of our trails, especially among youth.
New trail priorities include (moving clockwise around the Strait): Vallejo Bluffs, Glen Cove Waterfront Park, a path over I-780 to Benicia State Recreation Area, Martinez Regional Shoreline, the historic Feeder Trail, Fernandez Ranch, and community connections in Benicia, Martinez and Crockett.
Check out a special feature in your next issue of RidgeLines and http://ridgetrail.org for more details, as they take shape.
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