State Parks Weather the Weather Well

Capitola Village flooded, Larkin Valley Road broke in two and were temporarily turned into one giant aquatic center. Last week’s storms have cleared, leaving Santa Cruz County with sunny skies and an estimated . But as far as local California State Parks officials are concerned, they got off pretty easily.

“We were really spared. It was just regular, status quo park operation,” said Mike McMenamy, public safety superintendent for the state parks.  

Of course, "state park status quo" includes things like multiple mudslides and downed trees. McMenamy said he feels fortunate, because none of those falling trees or sliding piles of earth damaged major park infrastructure or required severely restricting public access.

“Thankfully none of them (storms) were major, impacting things that took bridges out or restricted the public’s access in a major way,” said McMenamy.

While the public’s access to Henry Cowell Redwoods, The Forest of Nisene Marks, Big Basin, Wilder Ranch and other state parks is not restricted, there are plenty of trees and mudslides that need to be addressed. A large mudslide occurred on Aptos Creek Fire Road in Nisene Marks, about six miles from Soquel Drive and past the “top of the incline.”

According to Chris Pereira, Santa Cruz District trail supervisor, that was just one of the major slides that occurred in Nisene Marks and Big Basin State Park. Pereira’s staff surveyed part of Nisene Marks on Monday and found a significant mudslide on the Bridge Creek trail.

“We’ve have had problems with (that area) before. We’ve had multiple slides up in the back end toward Maple Falls,” said Pereira.

Pereira believes in this case they did not actually lose the trail—with the ground sliding from underneath it. Instead, material from above the trail slid down over it—a much easier  fix.

“We can usually build trail over the top of it,” said Pereira.

In Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, a large tree fell across Pipeline Road. McMenamy learned the tree was down when a park visitor stopped by his office to let the staff know.

With the hundreds of miles of trails and fire roads throughout the county’s state parks, the public plays a significant role in identifying areas that need attention. The more remote the area, the less likely state parks’ officials will have the chance to inspect for damage soon after a storm.

Pereira's five-person trail crew covers 290 miles of trail. He knows how valuable local volunteers are for reporting issues and performing trail work.

“Volunteer groups play a huge part in keeping our parks open, and from a trail maintenance standpoint, they’re definitely crucial,” said Pereira.

In Wilder Ranch State Park on March 26, Pereira was with 40 volunteers from the Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz conducting previously scheduled trail maintenance. According to the group's president, Mark Davidson, the group added more than 30 drainage features to one section of the Zane Gray Trail.

Joint efforts like these play an important role in keeping Santa Cruz County’s state parks open and accessible throughout the entire year.