After six years of fundraising, design, permitting and construction, The Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County held a ribbon cutting ceremony at the Pismo Preserve on Thursday, January 16th, and will open the trails to the public on Saturday, January 25th.

The Preserve’s 11 miles of multi-use trail will be accessible to hikers, mountain bikers and equestrians from 6am – 7pm daily (6am – 9:30pm March through October). The gated property will lock at closing time every evening and overnight parking or camping is prohibited.

land conservancy pismo

Despite having 54 parking spots in the new parking lot, The Land Conservancy expects heavy use during opening weekend and will run a shuttle from Pismo Beach City Hall this Saturday and Sunday only. Biking onto the property is also encouraged.

Three horse-trailer parking spaces will be reservable on a twice-daily basis through a free online reservation system. Equestrians are encouraged to visit http://lcslo.org/pismohorseparking for more details.

The Pismo Preserve grand opening comes almost six years after The Land Conservancy raised $12 million in a whirlwind campaign to purchase the 880-acre property. Despite some set-backs and unexpected delays, the theme at the ribbon-cutting event was a celebration of “doing things right the first time.”

Community leaders, state officials, local business owners, and volunteers braved the fast and intense storm that descended on the Central Coast just as speakers addressed the crowd.

Everyone in attendance had contributed in different and significant ways to make the project possible.

Speakers included representatives from the Northern Chumash, the Wildlife Conservation Board, State Coastal Conservancy, City of Pismo Beach, County Board of Supervisors, and children from The Land Conservancy’s Learning Among the Oaks Program.

As Kaila Dettman, Executive Director of The Land Conservancy spoke over howling winds and pelting rain, she noted “I think the storm is fitting – it will wash away the construction dust, water our grasslands, and welcome a new era for the land and for our community.”

To make a tax-deductible charitable donation to support the Pismo Preserve individuals and businesses can make an online donation on The Land Conservancy’s website at www.LCSLO.org or call Kaila Dettman, Executive Director, at 805-544-9096.

The Pismo Preserve was purchased by The Land Conservancy in 2014 with outstanding support from the community. It will be a phenomenal public park for hikers, mountain bikers and equestrians with high-quality single-track trails, beautiful panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean, and stunning oak-studded canyons.

The Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County is a community-supported local nonprofit land trust working to conserve and care for the diverse wildlands, farms, and ranches of the Central Coast, connecting people to the land and to each other. The land trust helps to protect drinking water sources, prevent poorly planned development, restore wildlife habitat, promote family farmlands and ranches in our region, and connect people of all ages and backgrounds to the land. The Land Conservancy leads collaborative efforts which have resulted in the permanent protection over 20,000 acres of land in San Luis Obispo County.