Miller County Park Trails

Miller County Park is located at 16798 Kings Creek Road near the community of Boulder Creek in unincorporated Santa Cruz County. The park consists of approximately 410 acres across three contiguous parcels (APNs 085-152-05, 085-153-03, and 085-092-08) owned by the County of Santa Cruz and subject to a conservation easement held by Save the Redwoods League. The existing landscape consists of mature redwood forest and riparian habitat adjacent to Kings Creek. The property also includes approximately 2.5 miles of informal trails and an established parking area. The park is currently underutilized, and the existing trail system is in poor condition and in need of maintenance and rehabilitation. The purpose of the project is to improve public access, visitor safety, trail sustainability, and resource protection by formalizing and renovating the existing trail network. The project includes rehabilitation and formalization of the approximately 2.5-mile trail network. Improvements include abandonment and restoration of approximately 1 mile of degraded and unsustainable trail segments. Approximately 1.8 miles of new trail segments will be constructed to replace and bypass the abandoned trail sections while maintaining connectivity within the trail network and improving trail sustainability. The project also includes installation of wayfinding signs, maps, and interpretive displays. Trail improvements may include minor grading (approximately 200 cubic yards), tread improvements, drainage improvements, erosion control measures, revegetation, and related site improvements necessary to support trail construction and restoration activities. The project constitutes minor alterations to existing public facilities involving negligible expansion of use and is therefore exempt pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15301 (Existing Facilities). The project also includes minor alterations to land associated with trail rehabilitation, trail reroutes, restoration activities, drainage improvements, erosion control measures, and revegetation. The project does not involve removal of healthy, mature, or scenic trees and is therefore exempt pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15304 (Minor Alterations to Land). All project activities will be conducted in a manner consistent with the Miller Property Conservation Easement. No healthy, mature redwood trees will be removed as part of the project. The project is limited to trail rehabilitation, trail reroutes, restoration of abandoned trail segments, signage, and associated trail improvements. Future Park improvements not described herein are not included as part of this project. These improvements will enhance trail sustainability, reduce erosion, sedimentation, water quality, and other resource impacts associated with degraded and unsustainable trail segments, and improve public access within an existing county park.