If you are a Montara resident or a frequent visitor to Montara State Beach, you have watched the sad decline of the staircase at the north end of the park. At first, a few of the bottom steps eroded, and it required a big step to get to the sand. Then several more steps washed away, and it required a bit of climb down the bluff to reach the beach. When the creek shifted, it also required a wet feet approach or a traverse along the bluff. Now, it is a nearly impossible descend, especially if you want to bring down a beach chair, surfboard, or cooler. How did this happen and why hasn’t it been fixed? 

Back in 2018, the California Department of Parks and Recreation received a grant for a “Montara State Beach Access Improvement Project.” The completed work included a new paved parking lot with 37 spaces and two accessible spaces as well as improvement to a 230 foot trail leading to a picnic area, and ultimately the staircase.

The original scope of the grant was to include repairs to the bottom portion of then existing wooden stairway. Unfortunately, winter storms further damaged the stairway, and it was deemed not feasible to repair. Due to the complexity of design, permitting and construction, the cost to replace the stairs was significantly higher than the original estimate and that project was scrapped due to funding.

While sources of funding were explored, the staircase continued to decline and it was decided that ultimately, any new staircase could not be built in the same location. New engineering and design plans would need to be explored for an alternate staircase location.

Unfortunately, there was no immediate funding available to get the ball rolling. This is where CSPA came in. With your help as a supporter, CSPA donated more than $60,000 to fund the complicated design plans to build a new, sustainable and permanent staircase in an existing gully just south of the parking area, which has become the de facto trail since the stairs became unusable. The new design is safer, lower angle, and more attractive.

There is good news. After significant work and multiple revisions, the final drawings with all technical data is now complete as of March 2025. This is a significant step in the right direction. 

What’s next? Now that the drawings have been finalized, they will now go through the permitting process. Supervising Ranger Barbara Morris has said that this process could take upwards of a year to get through all the channels. Then construction can begin which will ultimately be the quickest part of the project. The funding for the actual construction has been secured thanks to the Coastal Conservancy.

We have a long way to go until visitors can access the north section of Montara Beach safely. But we are thrilled that the CSPA funded part has been completed and the next phase of this process can begin. We look forward to the day where we can bring our big scissors to the top of the staircase and cut the tape on this important park improvement! We hope you’ll join us then!

– Bill Murray, Coastside State Parks Association Board President