The California Coastal Trail Association is a growing alliance of Trail stakeholders – the public, local government, State agencies, NGOs, and business – working together to promote, support, manage and complete the California Coastal Trail.

Carpinteria

Includes Coastal Trail in Economic Development Plans

Caltrans

Partnering with the CCTA

Promoting the California Coastal Trail

With Media Events

CCTA Awards Program

COMING SOON

1st Annual California Coastal Trail Conference

Get Connected

With the Statewide California Coastal Trail Signage Program

In 2013, Coastwalk California, with help and funding from the State Coastal Conservancy, launched the California Coastal Trail Association (CCTA). The Association will work to develop a collaborative network of cities, counties and other agencies that own a strand of the California Coastal Trail. Coastwalk has also received technical assistance from the National Park Service for this project. This network will share Trail information and resources, working together to ensure that the Trail has the wherewithal and plans needed to realize its completion. This step is absolutely necessary not only to manifest the vision of a continuous unbroken trail, but also to ensure the long term protection of California’s coastline.

The Association will bring together everyone who owns a segment or has a stake in the CCT— cities, counties, local agencies, land trusts and other stakeholders. Join our partners in making the California Coastal Trail the world class destination it will ultimately to be!

   State Coastal Conservancy    California Coastal Commission

    Caltrans     California State Parks

County and City Governments – Land Trusts & Coastal NGOs

Join the Team! Become a Member!

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Latest News

MoJo Coastwalk Expedition

Summer 2016

The CCTA holds the Great MoJo Coastwalk Expedition, a hike by two young women along the entire CCT from Oregon to Mexico to publicize the California Coastal Trail and to gather content for the Coastal Conservancy’s upcoming “web app”.  MORE

About the California Coastal Trail Association

CCTA Purpose
  • Expand awareness and use of the CCT
  • Promote tourism and economic development related to the CCT
  • Help CCT owner/managers with information, mapping and support so they can be successful in funding, completing, managing and promoting their trail segment
  • Link together coastal NGOs and the pulbic

CCTA Plans
  • Promote tourism and publicize the CCT as a destination
  • Showcase the trail to the public on web sites, social media, and general publicity
  • Provide maps and trail resources for the public, promoting its use
  • Feature individual community events, businesses and destination points in its Association promotions
  • Develop “apps” and web resources to provide public information about the CCT
  • Seek and identify funding sources for Trail projects and completion

Member Benefits
  • An annual CCT conference for information sharing, staff education, and development of regional strategies
  • Information and mapping tools for CCTA members to track CCT progress in local areas
  • Facilitate collaboration between public agencies
  • Identify funding sources and enable CCT owner agencies to act as a coalition
  • Provide CCT best practices information, permitting resources and staff education resources
  • Connect stakeholder groups with local government to facilitate public support and Trail promotion
  • plus much more….

Secretary Laird Briefing

July 2015

CCTA Executive Director Una Glass, met with California Resources Secretary John Laird in July to brief him on CCTA progress.  The Secretary is a huge fan of the Coastal Trail and keeps a close eye on its progress.

New CCT Committee

July 2015

A dynamic new statewide committee on the California Coastal Trail was launched in July.  Spearheaded by Caltrans leadership the committee brings together the Coastal Commission, The Coastal Conservancy, State Parks and the CCTA.

CCT Apps & More

June 2015

Be on the lookout for lots of new technology on the California Coastal Trail! The Coastal Conservancy, in collaboration with the CCTA and Coastal Commission is working on a CCT App to provide the public with maps, trail information and more.  The CCTA is also working on mapping tools to help with public engagement in the CCT planning process and the Coastal Commission has a new App that will guide the public to beach access points along the coast.

About the California Coastal Trail

The California Coastal Trail – a magnificent trail stretching from Mexico to Oregon – was mandated by Proposition 20 in 1972. That Proposition provided that “a hiking, bicycle, and equestrian trails system shall be established along or near the coast” and that “ideally the trails system should be continuous and located near the shoreline.” The Coastal Act of 1976 required local jurisdictions to identify an alignment for the California Coastal Trail in their Local Coastal Programs.

The California Coastal Trail will be a braided network of interconnecting trails and routes spanning California’s entire coast. Some strands of the braid will be improved multi-use trails open to hikers, bicyclists, equestrians, and mobility challenged users. Some strands will be light use, especially in sensitive habitats. Some will be rugged wilderness paths, others unimproved routes along beaches and yet others paved bicycle pathways.

The Trail provides for many types of uses depending on location — hiking, backpacking, walking, cycling, skating, equestrian. In some regions it is both a recreational and a transportation trail. Its variety is what makes it so wonderful. It is a tremendous asset to the people of California and the CCTA’s aim is to encourage its use and to provide resources that make it a richer experience and more accessible for everyone.

The California Coastal Trail is owned by well over one hundred jurisdictions – county regional parks, cities, port authorities, State Parks, and land trusts – just to name a few.  It is absolutely necessary to the Trail’s success that there be a forum for all Trail owners and stakeholders to collaborate, share information and pool resources. That forum is the CCTA.