Coastwalk is offering 21 walks in all 15 coastal counties between May and September this year. The emphasis is on hiking adventures in the context of the coast’s natural and human history.

Following as much as possible the route of the California Coastal Trail (a work in progress), hikers will pass through ancient forests and along pristine beaches as well as through coastal towns and open areas that have been damaged—lightly or severely—by human activity. Occasionally, restoration work in progress will be visible along streams, wetlands, and bluffs.

Knowledgeable local guides will be along on many of the trips and will join the hikers for evening meals, which Coastwalk volunteers will provide. Hikes range from easy strolls to challenging backpacks. Except for the backpack trips, only a daypack need be carried; other gear goes by van. The walks are planned and managed entirely by Coastwalk volunteers.

Coastwalk is a nonprofit organization that works to educate Californians about their coast, build support for its protection, and help complete the California Coastal Trail, which eventually will run the entire length of the state’s 1,100-mile coast. This year’s offerings include:

In Del Norte County, June 16–22, hike six days along 40 miles of Coastal Trail, along beaches, through virgin redwood groves, on abandoned historic roads, and to Lake Earl. On the shore of this lake, a great example of foolish building in an inappropriate location can be studied. Years ago, streets were put in across hundreds of acres for what was to be the Pacific Shores subdivision—without regard for the lack of adequate water or septic system capacity. Part of the subdivision lies below the high water line of the lake.

In Sonoma County, a six-day hike along a rugged shoreline has been scheduled for June 8–13, and a four-day family walk, rated light to moderate, for July 17–20. Trekkers need good knees and hips for the first one; for the second one adults must be accompanied by at least one child aged six or older.

In Santa Barbara County, July 28–August 6, hikers will pass fantastic rock formations, gooey tar seeps, and long, isolated beaches. The trek covers 20 miles along the shore, from Gaviota State Park to the University of California at Santa Barbara, with some scrambling over wet rocks required in areas that offer public access to the beach only during low tide. Hikers will hear how environmental groups have organized around the goal of saving this dramatically beautiful shoreline area as a national seashore, and how land trusts and state agencies are looking for ways to keep the area open.

In San Diego County, July 14–20, first-time Coastwalkers are likely to be surprised many times over. Between Imperial Beach and the border fence the Coastal Trail route passes through the Tijuana River National Estuarine Reserve and into Border Field State Park, at the southwesternmost tip of the United States. Here walkers will be able to see what has been accomplished by a multiagency binational task force that has been working for many years to restore this important wetland to health. Participants will also see what the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Border Patrol are about to build along the border: a second fence and a road. This project requires enormous earthmoving, which would inevitably destroy restoration work in the reserve.

Geologists and oceanographers speak of the California coast as “the collision coast.” Any Coastwalker will realize that term can refer to more than the two tectonic plates that scrunch against each other here. Those willing to subject their Vibram soles to a beautiful stretch of trail are bound to come away with a new understanding of their coast, the many forces that shape it, and why Californians continue to fight passionately for its preservation.

—Richard Nichols