Overview
- Peninsula Open Space Trust bought the 238–245 acre San Gregorio Ranch for $10 million and announced it will donate the land to California State Parks after raising more than $16 million for the purchase, site improvements and an endowment.
- The parcel will open to the public on July 29 as an extension of San Gregorio State Beach, increasing the state beach’s size by over 50% even though formal transfer of ownership to the state will be completed later.
- California State Parks will apply its standard rules at the newly opened area, which means nudity will no longer be allowed and rangers will first educate visitors about the policy before issuing citations.
- Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks will run day-to-day visitor services and collect an $8 vehicle fee while state park staff will patrol and maintain oversight; daily hours are 8 a.m. to sunset and dogs are banned from the beach but allowed on leash on trails and in parking and picnic areas.
- The acquisition secures dunes, marsh, prairie and a three-acre pond that support species such as the California kingsnake and red-legged frog and links to the planned California Coastal Trail, a long-term conservation and public-access goal.