Opening New Lands to the Public, the Right Way
From The Wildlands Conservancy’s Preserve Managers and Regional Directors
Estero Americano Coast Preserve, photo by Elba Mora
The Wildlands Conservancy believes the best way to protect nature is to ensure people enjoy it — with love, thoughtfulness, and a commitment to its long-term care. That belief guides everything we do as we work to provide well-managed, free public access to the lands we’ve protected.
Today, our team is preparing to invite the public into four extraordinary places: Estero Americano Coast Preserve, Eel River Canyon Preserve, Rana Creek Preserve, and Enchanted Rocks Preserve. Together, these sites will soon offer people free access to places that have been off limits and allow them to explore rugged canyons, desert mesas, quiet estuaries, and sublime interior ecosystems.
This work involves far more than building a trailhead. It requires careful navigation of complex planning, resource studies, and permitting processes in close collaboration with Tribal communities and neighbors. We strive to frame the best possible outdoor experience and to ensure that access is safe and sustainable.
At Estero Americano Coast Preserve, we’re preparing for public hiking access this November. While this beautiful coastal property has been in our care for several years, public access has remained extremely limited. With an approved Coastal Development Permit now in place, we’re improving infrastructure and restoring habitat. We’re also cooperating closely with neighbors through a newly formed working group that’s helping shape a shared vision for managing public use to this prized part of the Sonoma Coast.
In the mountains of the North Coast, the Eel River Canyon Preserve protects a wild, rugged stretch of the Eel River. Planning and permitting work is now underway for public access, and in the meantime we are offering guided experiences to connect local communities and stakeholders with this spectacular canyon landscape. The Preserve will also anchor a future segment of the Great Redwood Trail, a multi-use trail corridor that will span hundreds of miles across Northern California.
At Rana Creek Preserve in Monterey County, we’re honored to be working alongside the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County to plan for co-stewardship of the Preserve. We’re underway on planning work that will set the stage for permitting to build trails and a group campground that will invite visitors to experience the spectacular reaches of the upper Carmel Valley. We’re collaborating with community partners to prioritize outdoor education — creating opportunities for young people to engage through place-based science, cultural learning, and immersive exploration. To deepen community connection and care for the land, we’re launching a docent program this spring focused on stewardship and visitor engagement.
Nestled in central Oregon, Enchanted Rocks Preserve offers awe-inspiring desert vistas, striking geologic features, and a rare sense of wildness. We're building essential infrastructure to support public access to the Wild and Scenic John Day River and the heart of the 14,000-acre preserve. At the same time, we're planning ecological restoration, addressing invasive species, building local partnerships, and leading limited guided tours that preview our broader vision.
Much of this work is made possible by public agency programs, but essential pieces — especially at Estero Americano Coast and Enchanted Rocks — must be privately funded. From vault toilets and Ranger Stations to interpretive signage and habitat restoration, there are opportunities to invest in opening these preserves. With decades of experience, we’ve seen what responsible public access can do: it connects people to wild places, inspires stewardship, and helps communities and ecosystems thrive together.
Thank you for helping us do this the right way — for the people who visit today, and for generations still to come.
“The Wildlands Conservancy is doing this the right way—building access slowly, listening to the community, and making sure the land is ready before opening the gates. That kind of integrity matters.”
— Carol Hart, Director, Great Redwood Trail Agency