After two months of moving dirt, a group of volunteers put the finishing touches this week on a trail restoration project in San Rafael’s China Camp State Park.
The Turtle Back Trail, a 0.7-mile loop along the marsh of San Pablo Bay, benefited from more than 800 hours of work by 30 volunteers. The project, part of the park’s annual trail maintenance plan, cost $20,000.
“The aesthetic results of the hard labor by our volunteers is impressive,” said Martin Lowenstein, executive director of Friends of China Camp, the nonprofit that maintains the park. “You just have to come and see it for yourself.”
Turtle Back is one of two accessible trails at the park designed to Americans with Disabilities Act standards, Lowenstein said.
That means it’s a little wider than most trails and it’s relatively flat and easy to walk. It’s reserved for hikers, walkers, joggers and wheelchair users only. Bikers and equestrians are not allowed, making it a popular trail for seniors, those with disabilities and educational tours for groups of children, Lowenstein said.
It’s been years since the dirt and gravel path had seen a major facelift, Lowenstein said.
“It was rutted,” he said. “It was no longer sloped properly due to years of erosion and rain runoff.”
The Friends of China Camp board ordered a trail assessment in December and got the clearance from California State Parks to do the work.
Joyce Abrams, a board member and trail maintenance manager, rallied a group of volunteers.
“We’ve been operating loaders, tractors, compactors and a variety of heavy equipment,” Abrams said.
Abrams said she’s been a San Rafael resident since 1976, but it wasn’t until after she retired and sought out volunteer opportunities around 2012 that she discovered China Camp.
“I got involved in fundraising and now I’m pretty much here every day,” she said.
Abrams said she’s made new connections through volunteering and recognizes how trails, such as Turtle Back, are beloved by the community.
“It’s a very popular trail,” she said. “I hope once this is done that it’s used more.”
San Rafael resident Marylin Bagshaw, who also volunteers at the park, said she’s excited.
“It’s really the only trail in China Camp that is safe for those who have a handicap or for us seniors,” she said. “Many of us in that category can’t find room on the other single-track trails with the bikers.”
China Camp State Park, a former Chinese fishing camp, has a 152-year history on San Pablo Bay. Today, the park welcomes more than 260,000 annual visitors.
Lowenstein said Friends of China Camp will host a trail dedication ceremony in August.
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July 11, 2020 at 08:52AM
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China Camp volunteers complete Turtle Back Trail restoration - Marin Independent Journal
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