Investing in Park Infrastructure
SAGE Trail Alliance has been maintaining the trails on, around and down the Elings Mesa for decades. Our staff knows the park intimately, through the hours spent working, or from having recreated on the land while growing up in the area. In June of 2023, we were commissioned by Elings Park to construct a new trail in the northwest quadrant of southern half of the park. Designed as a more gradual climb route than the other trails in the area, the Santa Barbara Foundation Trail has been well used since its opening in July, and is the first piece of new trail in the park in more than a decade. Shortly after, in the late Fall of 2023, a new trail in the North East corner of Elings Park South was commissioned. Named after the Adams Foundation that funded a majority of the project, the goal was to create a hard surfaced path suitable for use by a wide range of abilities from joggers to wheelchairs.
Our work in Parma Park is the result of a newer, but equally promising relationship between SAGE and the City of Santa Barbara’s recreation department. The Parma Park Sustainable Trails Project started in April 2023 and runs through February 2024, encompassing the creation of about 3 miles of new trail, maintenance of the entire existing trail network, and installation of an accessible trail on the park’s west side. Phase one, located to the west of the Stanwood Drive entrance is complete now and open to the public. Phase two is ongoing as of early 2024, with an expected completion date of early spring 2024.
These projects highlight the restorative works being undertaken at both Elings and Parma Parks, where thousands of native plants are being planted by the Botanic Garden and the City, respectively, to remediate the acres of open space dominated by invasive species. Our philosophy of design prioritizes trail construction that highlights the beauty of native plants and trees while minimizing disturbance. We know that the path of least resistance is not always the least destructive and take this into account when building in our area’s sensitive ecosystems.