California State Parks is testing a new way to get people who rarely visit state parks onto its beaches and trails: letting local nonprofits bring them in for free, with guides and gear.
The department has signed Community Access Agreements with Friends of Santa Cruz County Parks and with two San Diego groups, Outdoor Outreach and Un Mar de Colores, State Parks said Oct. 22. The pilot, which the department calls the first of its kind, was made possible by Assembly Bill 1150 of 2023 and lets eligible nonprofit and tribal organizations provide free access along with interpretive and visitor services in state parks.
Un Mar de Colores used its agreement to bring about 100 participants to surfing, environmental education and community events across five state beaches, including San Elijo and Carlsbad, where cohorts of about 12 to 15 students paired lessons with surf sessions. The participants were mainly Latino, Indigenous and immigrant youth from low-income families across San Diego County and the border region. All were visiting state parks for the first time, and for nearly all it was their first time surfing, State Parks said. The group provided transportation, gear and bilingual instruction.
"This agreement opened five state beaches to young people who had never visited them before," said Mario Ordoñez-, executive director of Un Mar de Colores. "When a child who once feared the water ends the day laughing in it, you see what public access really means."
Since July 2025, Outdoor Outreach has taken more than 200 youth from underserved San Diego communities hiking, camping, surfing, paddleboarding and kayaking at Cardiff, Carlsbad and Silver Strand state beaches, Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve and the Tijuana Estuary. In the group's surveys, 75% of participating youth said they lacked transportation to outdoor spaces, 44% said they did not know about green spaces near their homes and 13% said their local parks felt unsafe.
In Santa Cruz County, Friends of Santa Cruz County Parks led four guided family hikes for 64 people at Manresa, Seacliff and Sunset state beaches and The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park. About 94% were first-time visitors, including families referred through ParkRx Santa Cruz County from the Pajaro Valley, Live Oak and the San Lorenzo Valley. A trained high school volunteer helped lead each hike.
"I hope every program participant leaves with the feeling that these are their state parks and that this is where they live," State Parks Director Armando Quintero said.
The pilot runs through Jan. 1, 2029. State Parks will publish annual reports on the agreements, and a final report to the Legislature is due Dec. 31, 2028.
State
Lisa Calderon
State Assembly Member · Democrat
Named once in this story.
Portrait: Official portrait
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