Closures coming to popular SLO County trail as part of $1.2 million in upgrades
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- State Parks will close Washburn parking and boardwalk for $1.2M reconstruction project.
- Project to meet U.S. accessibility rules with new boardwalks, trails, seating and parking.
- Parks expect Quincon to finish the project sometime in April, dates subject to change.
Portions of a popular North Coast trail will be closed starting Wednesday or Thursday as a $1.2 million renovation project gets under way.
To assure safety for pedestrians and crews, State Parks will close some walking/hiking locations on the San Simeon Creek Trail along the northern edge of Cambria, such as the Washburn Day Use parking lot and a boardwalk that starts there, Dan Falat told The Tribune on Monday.
He’s district superintendent for the parks department’s San Luis Obispo Coast District.
The project will affect areas adjacent to and just south of the main Hearst San Simeon State Park campgrounds on San Simeon Creek Road.
Washburn is part of Hearst San Simeon State Park off Highway 1, just north of Cambria. It’s known for its boardwalk, rustic camping facilities, free parking, trail into the hills, ecologic diversity, picnic spots, pebbly beach, driftwood, surf fishing and spectacular views of the sea and the surrounding meadows and Santa Lucia range.
The San Simeon Creek Trail includes riparian woodland, grassland, seasonal wetland, coastal scrub and part of Cambria’s rare native Monterey pine forest. It can be accessed from the main campground, too.
The reconstruction project, by Quincon Inc. construction firm from Grover Beach, will include some walking trail and boardwalk areas that stretch from the Pacific shore and the Washburn parking lot to the southern inland end of the wetland, according to Falat and a news release.
The existing southern boardwalk will be replaced as part of the project, he said.
Improvements planned for the project include reconstructing boardwalks, compacted aggregate trail surfaces, seating areas, interpretive areas and the parking lot itself to meet federal accessibility guidelines for outdoor developed areas.
“This project will provide for the health, inspiration and education of park visitors, regardless of their abilities, by helping to preserve the state’s extraordinary biological diversity, protecting its most valued natural and cultural resources and creating opportunities for high-quality outdoor recreation,” the release said.
“The trail closure will begin after the first boardwalk section work has been completed,” Falat said, adding that, as usual, all closures and dates are subject to change due to weather or other factors.
With those caveats, the release said, State Parks expects Quincon to finish the project sometime in April.
This story was originally published December 17, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
