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China Camp State Park B - E; *** ; 4+ miles MORE INFO MAP
Another problem shown in the picture is the slope, which
is a bit more than 8% (ADA) in some places. A third drawback is the
frequency of trail bikers. That said, this is a very rewarding trail
that most wheelchair users will find well worth its faults. It wanders
out across grassy slopes with views over the marsh and San Pablo Bay
in the distance, We made another visit on a dry January Sunday, and tried Shoreline Trail south of Miwok Meadows. That day the path was too muddy and eroded to use. Maybe in summer? The Miwok Fire Trail is very steep, so we did not get far on it either, but Bullet Hill Trail B; *** 0.2 mile, a level dirt path linking Shoreline Trail to San Pedro Road, was passable in spite of some uneven spots.
On yet another hike, in August, we crossed the road to follow the Turtle Back Trail, B; *** ; 0.4 mile?, which encircles the eponymous knob, overlooking the marsh and San Pablo Bay. It's a good choice for solitude, since bikes are not permitted. A trailhead sign advertises this as wheelchair accessible, and it almost qualifies: it is smoothly surfaced, even the boardwalk sections, and wide enough. But some climbs are greater than 8%, and almost the whole distance has significant transverse slope. This, in addition to making a manual chair user's life harder, creates some scary place where the trail, cut into very steep hillsides, slopes toward the precipice. Other trails in China Camp Park may also be usable. I look forward to going back to find out. Details: Take the North San Pedro Road exit from
Highway 101 and go east into the park. The Back Ranch Meadows Campground
is the first turnoff to the right. Parking fee is $5, Accessible flush toilets and van-accessible parking are provided at the very pleasant walk-in Back Ranch Meadows Campground, where the two sites closest to the parking area are designated ADA. There are even roll-in showers; the one I looked at was clean and spacious andhad a built-in drop-down bench. Unfortunately these two campsites are also situated where foot traffic is heavy. Number Two is between the rest of the campground and the parking lot, and is guaranteed to have lots of passers-by. Number One has Shoreline Trail next to it, but is otherwise better secluded. Both are large and level and pleasantly shaded. Camping fees ($25 or $20, depending on the season) are halved with a Disability Permit. No park maps were available at the trailhead, and finding your way might be difficult without one. In case you want to start at Miwok Meadows, be warned that the parking lot there is closed to the public, and San Pedro Road's shoulder is a bit narrow if you need to let down a ramp or lift. A more egregious problem: the supposedly accessible toilet at the picnic area there has no grab bars. I saw no benches along China Camp's trails. Only service dogs are permitted on them, due to concerns for wildlife. |
The
map of China Camp Park shows a mile of Shoreline Trail
B; *** ; 1+ mile, from the campground to its junction with Miwok
Fire Trail, as wheelchair accessible, but I'm sorry to say that this
very appealing stretch of trail has one important drawback, shown in
the photo: in several places where erosion has been a problem, they've
"cured" it by laying large uneven cobblestones which give
any wheelchair a jolting ride. Most of these spots are less than ten
feet long, but the one shown is about 20 feet long, and rough.
then up a ravine under oak, bay and madrone trees. Except for the cobblestones,
the surfacing is smooth fine gravel that should befine after a rain,
and the path is wide enough to allow the many bicyclists to pass easily,
but narrow enough to let you feel close to nature.When we visited on
a mid-November Saturday a group of deer watched us placidly from about
twenty feet off the trail, and a friendly bicyclist told us we'd just
missed seeing a flock of wild turkeys, who possibly were taking no chances
on being invited to dinner that Thursday.
We
also explored the part of the Bayview Trail B-C;
*** ; 1 mile that loops out from and back to the campground,
climbing over a low ridge. This pretty trail is only moderately steep,mostly
smooth dirt, but has eroded spots and occasional rocks and roots, such
that most people will need some assistance, and it would likely be muddy
after a rain.
reduced
by half for California Disability Permit (or park along San Pedro Road
to pay nothing).