ARTICLE 6. California Recreational Trails [5070. - 5077.8.]

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC 6.

in effect

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5070. Section 5070.

This article shall be known and may be cited as the California Recreational Trails Act.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5070.3. Section 5070.3.

Unless the context otherwise requires, the following definitions shall govern construction of this article: (a) “Affirmative access area” means an area of already existing disability access improvements along a heritage corridor. (b) “Heritage corridor” means a regional, state, or nationwide alignment of historical, natural, or conservation education significance, with roads, state and other parks, greenways, or parallel recreational trails, intended to have guidebooks, signs, and other features to enable self-guiding tourism, and environmental conservation education along most of its length and of all or some of the facilities open to the public along its length, with an emphasis on facilities whose physical and interpretive accessibility meet “whole-access” goals. (c) “Heritage corridors access map” means a 1:500,000 publicly distributed map combining listings and locations of parks, trails, museums, and roadside historical and natural access points, including disability and interpretive access data, along designated heritage corridors. (d) “Plan” means the California Recreational Trails System Plan. (e) “System” means the California Recreational Trails System. (f) “Whole-access” means a general level of trail and human accessibility that includes not only disabled persons but all others making up the “easy-access” majority of the public. This level of accessibility may also benefit from amplified concepts of natural terrain accessibility and cooperation with volunteer and nonprofit accessibility groups.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5070.5. Section 5070.5.

The Legislature hereby declares that it is the policy of the state to: (a) Increase accessibility and enhance the use, enjoyment, and understanding of California’s scenic, natural, historic, and cultural resources. (b) Encourage hiking, horseback riding, and bicycling as important contributions to the health and welfare of the state’s population. (c) Provide for the use of recreational trails by physically disabled persons, the elderly, and others in need of graduated trails with special safety features, particularly in conjunction with heritage corridors. (d) Increase opportunities for recreational boating on designated waterways. (e) Increase opportunities for use of recreational vehicles in designated areas and trail corridors pursuant to Chapter 1.25 (commencing with Section 5090.01). (f) Provide for the development and maintenance of a statewide system of recreational and interpretive trails, including heritage corridors. (g) Increase the recreational and educational use of public roads by developing guides, maps, and other interpretive materials concerning significant historical, agricultural, scenic, and other resource areas. (h) Encourage the development by cities, counties, districts, and private groups of recreational and interpretive trails, including heritage corridors.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5070.7. Section 5070.7.

The director shall cause to be prepared a comprehensive plan for the development and operation of a statewide system of recreation trails. The plan, which shall be titled the California Recreational Trails System Plan, shall do all of the following: (a) Assess the present and future demand for trail-oriented recreation uses. (b) Recommend an integrated and interconnecting system of trail routes designed to provide a wide range of recreational opportunities and to ensure access and linkage to scenic, natural, historic, and recreational areas of statewide significance. (c) Recommend priorities for funding to improve and expand nonmotorized natural surface trails, trail networks, greenway corridors, and other nonmotorized infrastructure that promote either new or alternate access to parks, waterways, outdoor recreational pursuits, and forested or other natural environments.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5071. Section 5071.

The plan shall contain, but shall not be limited to, the following elements: (a) Pedestrian trails. (b) Bikeways. (c) Equestrian trails. (d) Boating trails. (e) Trails and areas suitable for use by physically disabled persons, the elderly, and others in need of graduated trails, especially along designated heritage corridors. (f) Cross-country skiing trails. (g) Heritage corridors.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5071.3. Section 5071.3.

For each of the elements specified in Section 5071, the plan shall: (a) Set forth the role of state government in providing increased opportunities associated with that particular recreational use. (b) Describe specific policies, standards, and criteria to be followed by the department and other participating public agencies in acquiring, developing, operating, and maintaining land and water trails and areas as part of the system. (c) Specify standards and criteria to be followed by the department and other participating public agencies in providing facilities such as overnight camps, hostels, rest areas, access points, corrals, launching ramps, staging areas, and parking areas to complement trail routes and areas. (d) Identify, on a statewide basis, the general location and extent of trail routes, areas, and complementary facilities to be included within the system. (e) Describe new and revised state policies, programs, and other actions of the executive and legislative branches required to assure orderly development of the system. (f) Recommend to federal, regional, and local agencies and to the private sector actions which will assist and complement state efforts to implement the system.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5071.5. Section 5071.5.

In the preparation of an update to the plan, the director shall actively seek participation of other units of state government and of appropriate federal, regional, and local agencies.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5071.7. Section 5071.7.

(a) (1) In planning the system, the director shall consult with and seek the assistance of the Department of Transportation. The Department of Transportation shall plan and design those trail routes that are in need of construction contiguous to state highways and serve both a transportation and a recreational need. (2) The Department of Transportation shall install or supervise the installation of signs along heritage corridors consistent with the plan element developed pursuant to this section; provided, however, that it shall neither install nor supervise the installation of those signs until it determines that it has available to it adequate volunteers or funds, or a combination thereof, to install or supervise the installation of the signs, or until the Legislature appropriates sufficient funds for the installation or supervision of installation, whichever occurs first. (b) The element of the plan relating to boating trails and other segments of the system which are oriented to waterways shall be prepared and maintained by the Division of Boating and Waterways within the Department of Parks and Recreation pursuant to Article 2.6 (commencing with Section 68) of Chapter 2 of Division 1 of the Harbors and Navigation Code. Those segments shall be integrated with the California Protected Waterways Plan developed pursuant to Chapter 1278 of the Statutes of 1968, and shall be planned so as to be consistent with the preservation of rivers of the California Wild and Scenic Rivers System, as provided in Chapter 1.4 (commencing with Section 5093.50). (c) Any element of the plan relating to trails and areas for the use of off-highway motor vehicles shall be prepared and maintained by the Division of Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation pursuant to Chapter 1.25 (commencing with Section 5090.01). (d) In planning the system, the director shall consult with and seek the assistance of the Department of Rehabilitation, representatives of its California Access Network volunteers, and nonprofit disability access groups to ensure that adequate provision is made for publicizing the potential use of recreational trails, including heritage corridors by physically disabled persons.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5072. Section 5072.

Upon preparation of an update to the plan, the director shall hold at least four public hearings in different geographical regions of the state to solicit views of the public and interested private groups and governmental agencies on the goals, policies, and proposals of the update to the plan.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5072.7. Section 5072.7.

Following an update of the plan as provided in Section 5073, all state agencies and departments whose operations are affected by, or related to, the goals, policies, and proposals of the update to the plan shall use the update to the plan as a guide in their operations.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5072.8. Section 5072.8.

(a) The Recreational Trails Fund is hereby created. Moneys in the Recreational Trails Fund shall be available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to the department for competitive grants to cities, counties, districts, state and federal agencies, federally recognized California Native American tribes, nonfederally recognized California Native American tribes included on the contact list maintained by the Native American Heritage Commission, and nonprofit organizations with management responsibilities over public lands to acquire and develop recreational trails. (b) The Controller shall promptly transfer all money received by the state from the federal government as allocations from the National Recreational Trails Trust Fund pursuant to the Steve Symms National Recreational Trails Fund Act of 1991 (P.L. 102-240) and deposited in the Federal Trust Fund, to the Recreational Trails Fund. The money in the Recreational Trails Fund shall be available to the department for expenditure, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for grants pursuant to subdivision (a), in accordance with the Steve Symms National Recreational Trails Fund Act of 1991. Seventy percent of the money received by the state from the federal government and transferred to the Recreational Trails Fund pursuant to this subdivision shall be available only for nonmotorized recreational trails with at least one-half of that amount available only for grants to cities, counties, districts, federally recognized California Native American tribes, nonfederally recognized California Native American tribes included on the contact list maintained by the Native American Heritage Commission, and nonprofit organizations for the acquisition and development of new nonmotorized recreational trails and the reconstruction or relocation of existing nonmotorized recreational trails. (c) The department shall prepare and adopt criteria and procedures for evaluating applications for grants, which, at a minimum, shall include certification that the project is consistent with the applicant’s general plan or the equivalent planning document, complies with the California Environmental Quality Act (Division 13 (commencing with Section 21000)) and other environmental protection laws and regulations, and is not required as a mitigation measure as a condition for a permit or other entitlement. The department shall forward to the Director of Finance for inclusion in the Governor’s Budget of each fiscal year all projects that are recommended for funding and those projects shall be contained in the Budget Bill for that fiscal year. (d) A grant shall not be made from the Recreational Trails Fund to an applicant unless the applicant agrees to both of the following conditions: (1) To maintain and operate the property acquired, developed, rehabilitated, or restored with the funds in perpetuity. With the approval of the department, the applicant or its successors in interest in the property may transfer the responsibility to maintain and operate the property in accordance with this section. In the case of lands not held in fee by the applicant (limited tenure projects), perpetuity shall be in accordance with the tenure or for the length of time sufficient to provide public benefits commensurate with the type and duration of interest in land held by the applicant. (2) To use the property only for the purposes of the grant and to make no other use, sale, or other disposition or conversion of the property except as authorized by a specific act of the Legislature and the property shall be replaced with property of equivalent value and usefulness as determined by the department. The property acquired or developed may be transferred to another public agency if the successor agency assumes the obligations imposed under this chapter. (e) All applicants for a grant pursuant to this section shall submit an application to the department for approval. Each application shall include in writing the conditions specified in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subdivision (d). (f) The department, before dispersing a grant pursuant to this section on or after January 1, 2024, shall have a mechanism in place to recover a grant spent outside the terms of the recipient’s grant agreement.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5073. Section 5073.

(a) On or before January 1, 2024, the director shall prepare and provide to the Legislature a full update of the plan. (b) Following the update to the plan pursuant to subdivision (a), the director shall periodically review, revise, and update the plan and provide a copy of the update to the Legislature. (c) Every three years following an update to the plan pursuant to this section, the director shall submit a report to the Legislature describing progress in carrying out the plan and recommending additional routes or other modifications in the system as the director determines are necessary or desirable. (d) A report or plan submitted to the Legislature pursuant to this section shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code. (e) Following an update to the plan pursuant to this section, the department shall post the plan on the department’s internet website.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5074.1. Section 5074.1.

The director shall be responsible for planning and for the orderly development and operation of the system. The director shall encourage other public agencies to acquire, develop, and manage segments of the system which are outside of the exterior boundaries of state park system units, and other areas under state jurisdiction. The director may enter into contractual agreements under which responsibility for state trail development and operation may be carried out by other public agencies.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5074.3. Section 5074.3.

(a) The right of eminent domain may not be exercised to acquire property, any interest in property, or use of any property for the trails contemplated pursuant to this article. (b) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (a) of this section, the director may, pursuant to Section 5006, replace property or interests in property through the exercise of eminent domain whenever a trail, or a portion thereof, has been acquired through the exercise of eminent domain by another public entity; provided, that the property to be acquired is in the immediate vicinity of the property being replaced, and the director may, pursuant to Section 5006, acquire property or interests in property through the exercise of eminent domain for trails established pursuant to this article in hardship cases as determined by the department. Acquisitions pursuant to this section shall be funded by moneys appropriated as provided in Section 5075.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5074.5. Section 5074.5.

The location of a route or complementary facility of the system across lands under the jurisdiction of a federal agency shall be by contractual agreement between the director and the appropriate federal agency. The director may enter into such agreements, and, subject to the provisions of Section 5075, may expend funds in order to participate with federal agencies in the development and operation of state trail routes across federal lands. The director may exercise similar authority with respect to segments of the system which cross other public lands.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5074.7. Section 5074.7.

If lands included in the system are outside the boundaries of areas administered by public agencies, the director may enter into agreements with private landowners in order to develop and manage such lands as part of the system. The director may accept fee title, easements, or an appropriate lesser interest in private lands for purposes of the development and maintenance of trails designated as part of the system.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5075. Section 5075.

No funds, whether derived from gift, donation, grant-in-aid, or other source, shall be used by the director for state acquisition of private property in connection with the system unless appropriated by the Budget Bill.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5075.3. Section 5075.3.

In specifying criteria and standards for the design and construction of trail routes and complementary facilities as provided in subdivisions (b) and (c) of Section 5071.3, the director shall include the following: (a) The following routes shall be given priority in the allocation of funds: (1) Routes which are in proximity or accessible to major urban areas of the state. (2) Routes which are located on lands in public ownership. (3) Routes which provide linkage or access to natural, scenic, historic, or recreational areas of clear statewide significance. (4) Routes which are, or may be, the subject of agreements providing for participation of other public agencies, cooperating volunteer trail associations, or any combination of those entities, in state trail acquisition, development, or maintenance. (b) Where feasible, trail uses may be combined on routes within the system; however, where trail use by motor vehicles is incompatible with other trail uses, separate areas and facilities should be provided. (c) Trails should be located and managed so as to restrict trail users to established routes and to aid in effective law enforcement. (d) Trails should be located so as to avoid severance of private property and to minimize impact on adjacent landowners and operations. The location of any trail authorized by this article shall, if the property owner so requests, be placed as nearly as physically practicable to the boundary lines of the property traversed by the trail, as such boundary lines existed as of January 1, 1975. (e) Insofar as possible, trails should be designed and maintained to harmonize with, and complement, established forest, agricultural, and resource management plans. No trail, or property acquisition therefor, shall interfere with a landowner’s water rights or his right to access to the place of exercise of such water rights. (f) Trails should be planned as a system and each trail segment should be part of the overall system plan. (g) Trails should be appropriately signed to provide identification, direction, and information. (h) Rest areas, shelters, sanitary facilities, or other conveniences should be designed and located to meet the needs of trail users, including physically handicapped persons, and to prevent intrusion into surrounding areas. (i) The department shall erect fences along any trail when requested to do so by the owner of adjacent land, or with the consent of the owner of such land when the department determines it will be in the best interests of the users of the trail and adjoining property owners, and shall place gates in such fences when necessary to afford proper access and at each point of intersection with existing roads, trails, or at used points of access to or across such trail. The department shall maintain such fences and gates in good condition. (j) A landowner’s right to conduct agricultural, timber harvesting, or mining activities on private lands adjacent to, or in the vicinity of, a trail shall not be restricted because of the presence of the trail.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5075.4. Section 5075.4.

No adjoining property owner is liable for any actions of any type resulting from, or caused by, trail users trespassing on adjoining property, and no adjoining property owner is liable for any actions of any type started on, or taking place within, the boundaries of the trail arising out of the activities of other parties.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5075.5. Section 5075.5.

The director shall prepare a guidebook or guidebooks, including trail maps, describing the system. The guidebook, or guidebooks, shall include information regarding the responsibility of trail users and shall specify rules and regulations for trail use, including measures designed to prevent trespass and damage to public and private property. The director may prepare a combined heritage corridors and accessible trails guidebook. However, the director shall prepare no guidebook or guidebooks of heritage corridors until such time as he determines that the department has available to it adequate volunteers, funds, or a combination thereof, to prepare such guidebook or guidebooks, or until such time as the Legislature appropriates funds sufficient to prepare the guidebook or guidebooks, whichever occurs first.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5075.7. Section 5075.7.

Each study of potential trail routes for inclusion in the system shall include an evaluation of the impact of the proposed trail route on adjacent landowners. In conducting studies of potential trail routes for inclusion in the system, the director shall give priority to the following: (a) A trail route linking state parks, federal recreation areas, and other areas of statewide or national significance located in coastal areas. (b) A trail route through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta linking scenic and recreation areas of the San Francisco Bay area with state and federal recreation areas in the Lake Tahoe Basin. (c) East-west trail routes for nonmotorized use linking the state coastal trail route with the existing Pacific Crest Trail. (d) Trail routes designed principally for boaters along the following waterways: (1) Eel River in Humboldt, Mendocino, and Trinity Counties. (2) Smith River in Del Norte County. (3) Russian River in Sonoma and Mendocino Counties. (4) Big River in Mendocino County. (5) Albion River in Mendocino County. (6) Navarro River in Mendocino County. (7) Feather River from Thermalito Afterbay to mouth. (8) Sacramento River from Keswick Dam to mouth. (9) American River from Folsom Dam to mouth. (10) South Fork of American River from Coloma to Folsom Lake. (11) Tuolumne River from O’Shaughnessy Dam to New Don Pedro Reservoir. (12) Stanislaus River from the Stanislaus Power House to Melones Reservoir. (13) Colorado River from Needles to the international boundary. (e) A hiking, bicycling, and horseback riding trail route along the San Joaquin River from Friant Dam to State Highway Route 99.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5075.8. Section 5075.8.

(a) The department may convene a planning task force in order to facilitate the development of a comprehensive plan for the San Joaquin River Parkway. The task force shall include, but not be limited to, a representative of the following entities: (1) State Lands Commission. (2) Department of Parks and Recreation. (3) Department of Fish and Game. (4) State Reclamation Board. (5) County of Fresno. (6) County of Madera. (7) City of Fresno. (8) Fresno County and City Chamber of Commerce. (9) Fresno Sand and Gravel Producers. (10) San Joaquin River Property Owners Association. (11) Upper San Joaquin River Association. (12) San Joaquin River Parkway and Conservation Trust. (13) San Joaquin River Committee. (b) The plan shall be submitted to the Legislature not later than June 1, 1991.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5076. Section 5076.

In developing the open-space element of a general plan as specified in subdivision (e) of Section 65302 of the Government Code, every city and county shall consider demands for trail-oriented recreational use and shall consider such demands in developing specific open-space programs. Further, every city, county, and district shall consider the feasibility of integrating its trail routes with appropriate segments of the state system.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5077.2. Section 5077.2.

In addition to utilizing criteria and standards for the design, interpretation, and implementation of heritage corridor routes and complementary facilities, as provided in subdivisions (b) and (c) of Section 5071.3 and paragraphs (1), (2), (3), and (4) of subdivision (a) of Section 5075.3, the director shall include in the plan required by Section 5070.7 the following routes which shall be given priority for designation as heritage corridors: (a) Routes which connect urban areas with the cross-section of landscape provided in parks and recreation and outdoor resource areas in California. (b) Routes incorporating existing and planned facilities for ready accessibility for physically disabled persons utilizing coordinated accessibility to several areas and experiences such as trails, water, visitor centers, campsites, parking, and rest rooms. (c) Existing and planned scenic highways. (d) Looping routes radiating out of centers of population to allow optimum use. (e) Routes nominated by local governmental jurisdictions and local volunteer groups. (f) Routes providing access to the maximum number of recreational trails and other recreational facilities. (g) Routes intended to direct the public away from areas where trespass or damage to public or private property or natural resources is likely.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5077.5. Section 5077.5.

(a) Because of California’s unique potential to encourage initial stages of a nationwide heritage network, the following northern California portions of an eventual nationwide heritage network are hereby designated as heritage corridors: (1) The California Pioneer and Goldrush Heritage Corridor as the western end of the Transcontinental Historic Heritage Corridor, from San Francisco Bay via the North Lincoln Highway, Highway 40, and present Interstate 80 to Sacramento, Truckee, and the Nevada border. (2) The Tahoe Pacific/Farms & Forests State Heritage Corridor, as the alternate western end of the Transcontinental Scenic Heritage Corridor, to extend from Fort Bragg to the Pacific Crest along Highway 20, Interstate 80, and south along Highway 89 to South Lake Tahoe and the Nevada border. (3) The North Central California Coast Heritage Corridor from the San Mateo County Line to Patrick’s Point State Park in Humboldt County. (b) In order to assist establishment and public involvement with the heritage corridors established in subdivision (a), the director and affected state agencies shall work with nonprofit disability access groups in producing a heritage corridors access map, as defined in Section 5070.3, to be called the North Central California Heritage Corridor Trails and Disability Access Map.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5077.6. Section 5077.6.

Because of its clear function as the interpretive highway of the Gold Rush, and because of outstanding efforts of public agencies and the private sector to increase accessibility to physically disabled persons along parts of its route, State Highway Route 49 is hereby designated as a heritage corridor, including all sections which link the Counties of Sierra, Nevada, Placer, El Dorado, Amador, Calaveras, Tuolumne, Mariposa, and Madera, known collectively as California’s Gold Country, and shall be recognized by the Department of Transportation and officially known as the Golden Chain Highway.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5077.7. Section 5077.7.

Because of the unique beauty and natural resources of the northern California coast, the desire of many Californians to visit the area, the heavy dependence of the area on the recreation and tourism economy, the recent improvements in access for disabled persons by state and local agencies and nonprofit groups in the area, and the recent increase in available information on access for disabled persons in the area, State Highway Route 1 from the Golden Gate Bridge to Route 101 near Leggett and State Highway Route 101 from that point to the Oregon state line is hereby designated as the Coast Highway Heritage Corridor.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5077.8. Section 5077.8.

In order to promote disability access along the heritage corridors, the director shall recognize the South Yuba Independence Trail South Yuba Project as one of California’s primary wheelchair wilderness and backpacking trails.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026