Rancho Guadalupe Dunes Road Construction Starts February 1

This construction project will restore vehicle access to the beach parking lot in the Park. The lot has been inaccessible since the road was washed out by a storm last March. Visitors to the Park have had to walk approximately ¾ mile across the sand to visit the beach, and to their credit, many fishermen, surfers, and families have made that trek. But for those that can’t make the walk, the drive to the beach has been sorely missed.

Souza Construction, Inc., from San Luis Obispo, was selected to construct the road. The project will take approximately three to four (3-4) weeks. The PARK WILL BE CLOSED DURING CONSTRUCTION and will reopen as soon as construction is complete. Construction is timed to be completed before the start of Snowy Plover nesting season on March 1, 2012. During the nesting season, dune areas are off limits, but the beach itself is open to visitors for fishing, surfing, picnicking, hiking or simply lying in the sun and listening to the surf.

Towards the southern end of an 18-mile stretch of dunes along California’s central coast, Rancho Guadalupe Dunes County Park is an extraordinarily scenic conservation area with expansive views of the west coast’s highest dunes and the Santa Maria River estuary; it is home to several species of threatened or endangered plants and animals, and is an ideal area for hiking in the beach, photography, landscape art, birding, wildlife observation, or restoring one’s peace of mind. The Mayor of the City of Guadalupe, Lupe Alvarez stated, “We are extremely pleased that the County has pushed forward on this project and we look forward to additional visitors coming through our city.”

Rancho Guadalupe Dunes is located at the west end of Santa Maria’s Main Street, now named the Clarence Minetti Memorial Road, just two miles from scenic Highway 1 and the town of Guadalupe.

Check www.sbparks.org for more information, or call the general information line at (805) 343-2354.