Eleven Organizations Formalize Agreement to Create ‘Bay to Sea Trail’ Across the Peninsula

Public agencies and private nonprofits commit to connecting San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean for recreational use

Palo Alto, Calif. – May 13, 2020 — Eleven public agencies, municipalities and private nonprofit organizations that manage and protect open space in the Bay Area have formalized an agreement to collaborate on creating a Bay to Sea Trail across the Peninsula for public use. The target date for completion of the project is 2037. (See the complete list of partners below.)

Simple overview map of potential Bay to Sea Trail route — Proposed Bay to Sea trail route, from the SF Peninsula to the Pacific.

The Bay to Sea Trail is envisioned as an approximately 40-mile trail that will connect people from across the region and beyond to open space and other regional trails on the Peninsula. This multi-use trail – for walkers, hikers, bikers and equestrians – will connect the San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean.

“The COVID-19 pandemic, with its ongoing shelter-in-place mandates, has underscored just how crucial access to nature is for everyone’s physical and mental well-being,” said Rachael Faye, public access program manager for Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST), one of the key organizers of the effort. “So we’re pleased to share the good news that a connected trail across the Peninsula – long a dream of many – will actually happen. When completed, the Bay to Sea Trail will provide an extraordinary recreational opportunity in the Bay Area. It will connect communities and transit hubs to provide unprecedented open space access for all.”

The Bay to Sea Trail will connect the existing San Francisco Bay Trail to the California Coastal Trail. The exact course it will follow across the Peninsula is still being studied and will likely incorporate many previously established trails and open space preserves – such as Midpen’s Ravenswood Preserve and Cowell Ranch State Beach.

Next steps in the long-range planning for the project include development of a feasibility study to establish project priorities, funding needs and phasing across the 40-mile stretch. The planning process will include future opportunities for community input and support. Project completion will depend upon significant funding over time from a variety of public and private sources to be determined.