With your generous donations, the Coastside State Parks Association can fund dozens of projects every year to assist our local State Parks. Many involve supporting the docent programs, maintaining interpretive signage, beautifying entry stations, improving access to the parks and funding many other day-to-day operations. But this past year, CSPA is particularly proud to have been able to fund several large projects which will improve the visitor experience and keep our parks beautiful and accessible to all. These include:
Launching the Pigeon Point Light Station Restoration
By far the biggest project of the year — and in fact the biggest project in CSPA's history — kicked into high gear as restoration started on the tallest lighthouse on the west coast. This project, funded by California State Parks, started construction in January 2024. The work will include repairs to the lantern room, deck, railings, interior and exterior iron work as well as the oil house. However, it does not include landscaping the site nor the interpretation components necessary to meet the visitors needs. In anticipation of the structure's completion we will be kicking off a fundraising campaign to complete the project. Your donations will help bring this remarkable structure back to life and allow visitors to once again enjoy an important piece of California's maritime history. We plan to furnish the Keeper's office and the fuel room, refurbish the pedestal on which the lens sits, and move the crown jewel — the first order Fresnel lens — back up to its rightful place in the tower. It will be a fantastic day to see it lit again! And you can be proud to know that you helped us get there.
New Año Nuevo Staging Building
If you have ever been on an elephant seal tour at Año Nuevo, you have seen the very small, and leaky, staging building where visitors and rangers gather before leaving for the walk. The building had a useful life, but was showing its age and could no longer serve the docent and ranger needs or handle the scores of visitors that enjoy the park. Sparked by a very generous docent donation, CSPA raised the necessary funding to replace the building. Construction started this fall, and it will be ready for visitors before this year's winter season. Please book a tour and come see the building that your CSPA donations help to create.
Pebble Beach Pit Toilet
Pebble Beach is a fantastic park sharing the coastline with its sister park Bean Hollow to the south. It is popular with both public beachgoers as well as school trips. Unfortunately, the restrooms have always been a bit inadequate. Our local park rangers asked us if we could supply a new pit toilet to help with the demand. We were able to write a check and quickly get them a new toilet! If they had gone through the regular government channels it would have taken months, if not longer. CSPA can act quickly and help our parks stay clean.
Helping People Find Their Way in Montara
At the northern end of our Coastside State Parks is McNee Ranch at Montara Mountain. The trails wind their way up the mountain through grasslands and forest providing spectacular views. Hearty individuals that hike all the way up to the summit are rewarded with both bay and the ocean views at the same time! For those that visit often, finding your way around is easy, but first-time visitors need a little help. Our supervising ranger approached us with the old signs that were faded, hard to read and covered with graffiti. Before starting the process of replacement through the State, she came to us to see if CSPA could fund the signage. We were happy to help and within a short period of time, new way-finding signs were created and installed. If you have donated to CSPA, you have helped visitors find their way!
With your help, CSPA has funded many other efforts this year from trail repair and Año Nuevo van repairs to visitor counters and photo archiving projects. In a perfect world, our local parks would have all the funding they need to keep the parks maintained and thriving, but until then, they have us … and you! Thank you!