Park Improvements | Coastside State Parks Association

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.

Pigeon Point Light Station Restoration

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. 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.

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!

Replacing the Fog Signal building roof at Pigeon Point Lighthouse

The historic Fog Signal building at Pigeon Point protects the invaluable Fresnel lens, serves as a museum, and, of course, houses the old foghorn. The extreme winter storms this year damaged the roof shingle by shingle until leaks began to develop. The rangers asked for help in replacing the roof and CSPA was able to provide 100% of the funding. In October, a brand-new high-quality roof was completed which will protect the building for decades to come.

An example of an interpretive sign at Año Nuevo.

Año Nuevo State Park

With the accessible trail from the Marine Education Center and nearby parking lot to the nature preserve completed, park staff members are developing a new interpretive center at the entrance to the nature preserve. This multi-year project entails design, permitting, construction and interpretive panels.

In 2020, CSPA is funding the installation of two trail bridges to cross seasonal streams between Bight Beach and the North Point overlook.

Pole bridge installed over failing levée. Photo: CSPA archives

Pescadero State Beach and Marsh

CSPA funded the repair of a failing levée by installing a pole bridge. The project was completed early in 2020 and re-opens the Audubon Trail after three years of closure.

Half Moon Bay SB

A planned project to develop an education facility at Francis State Beach has been put on hold due to COVID-19 and the anticipated resource constraints over the coming months.

Fog Signal Building before restoration work started. Photo: CSPA archive.

Pigeon Point Light Station SHP

CSPA funded an architechural firm that specializes in historic restoration projects to assess the work necessary to preserve and restore Pigeon Point’s Fog Signal Building. Restoration work started early in April 2020 to restore the exterior of the building including restoring function to windows and stabilizing the exterior fog horns.

Future plans will focus on restoration of the top of the tower.

The Butano road bridge before construction began.

Butano State Park

The bridge connecting the park entrance to the campground had become unsafe and CSPA funded the replacement of the bridge decking and realignment with the connecting roadway.