After years of delay partly caused by local concerns about traffic and environmental impacts, a new trail network is set to open this weekend at a national monument near Davenport. 

The hiking and mountain biking trails at Cotoni-Coast Dairies, a unit of the California Coastal National Monument, will consist of three loops totaling about 9 miles. From a parking lot and trailhead on Cement Plant Road near Highway 1, the paths wind uphill through meadows, chaparral, creeks and a forest of redwoods and douglas firs. Views of the Pacific Ocean are plentiful.

The federal Bureau of Land Management, or BLM, which manages the site, is planning a guided hike Friday, and the trails will fully open Saturday...At an Aug. 9 pre-opening celebration, State Senator John Laird called it a “victory and achievement” to protect the area in perpetuity and said he looked forward to riding his mountain bike on the trails. Santa Cruz County Supervisor Justin Cummings said it was important to balance access, environmental protection and residents’ concerns to “have something that works for everyone.”

Read the full article here: Cotoni-Coast Dairies trails set to open Saturday for hiking, biking - Santa Cruz Local