The chain-linked fences are down and the popular coastal pathway lining the north end of San Clemente has reopened following a two-month closure due to landslide damage and work to hold the hillside off the nearby railroad tracks.
The bridge at Mariposa Point connecting the northern section of trail to the rest of San Clemente, however, remains closed indefinitely, city officials said.
“Long-term solutions for this area will require additional repair and improvements,” officials said in an announcement. “The timeline for restoring this important Beach Trail connection is unknown.”
The North Beach pathway officially opened back up to the public on Tuesday, April 16, with workers taking the final pieces of fencing down on Wednesday morning as users started trickling in to enjoy the dirt path, a popular place for walkers, joggers and bikers who enjoy the scenic seaside views.
Mountain biker Derek Erbe heard the trail had reopened and headed down early Wednesday to check the surf as a new swell showed up.
“We’ve been bummed because it’s closed, it’s great that it’s open now,” he said. “I was hoping the bridge would be put back together, but maybe not.”
A landslide in January sent debris onto the bridge, destroying the middle section, a fix that will likely cost millions of dollars.
The damage also lead to the construction of a 200-foot-long, 15-foot tall catchment wall along the trail by the Orange County Transportation Authority due to the debris threatening the tracks. The beach trail closure for the past month was to give workers room to work on installing the wall.
The trail is an important connector not just for everyday users; lifeguards and emergency responders use the bridge to access the north end of town. When tides are high, the nearby beach is impassable as water covers sand and slams onto rock boulders lining the railway.
Mayor Victor Cabral said the next step is figuring out whether to fix the bridge or keep the pathway at that location at the same level as the rest of the trail, which would be easier to get a permit for through the California Coastal Commission. To do a bridge, the city could only get a five-year permit.
Extending the dirt pathway would also cost of a few hundred thousand dollars verses a few million dollars.
“It may be our only option,” Cabral said. “We’ll figure out the solution.”
Erbe said he wonders how much revenue the city is losing with the trail closed. Many people use the North Beach parking lot as a start point to take the path down to the pier, where they may visit shops and restaurants.
“Just for us to be able to walk down, go to the pier and eat dinner and spend money,” he said of why it might be worth spending the money on the bridge. “I know they are losing a lot of revenue because you don’t have people parking and paying and walking down to eat and drink and have a good time.”
The trail bridge has been closed in the past; the longest prior stint was in 2019 when another larger landslide damaged the wooden structure. The pathway was closed then for seven months for repairs.
The 2.3-mile beach path was created in 2007, stretching from North Beach to Calafia State Beach, offering an ocean view up to the Dana Point Headlands and down to the San Clemente Pier and beyond.
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