IF YOU WANT TO SEE MORE STATE PARK “TRAILS ON HOMER SIDE OF THE BAY”, PLEASE SEND AN EMAIL TO SUPPORT COTTONWOOD EASTLAND TRAILS TO: cottonwoodeastland@gmail.com
Deadline for public comments 08/15/22
To get these trails on this side of the Bay approved and accessible from East End road we must go thru State Park procedure and get public comments regarding this proposed public trail in Cottonwood Eastland (within Kachemak Bay State Park). This proposed trail allows access into the park from East End Road instead of Elmers Way!
Please submit your positive comments to: cottonwoodeastland@gmail.com
MORE INFO: Comments are being solicited specifically about the location of the proposed section of trail within the State Park boundary, and we are asking for input because it is public property and the public has a right to comment on where trails are located within the State Park. Also Cottonwood Eastland needs a trail that gets people into the park from a different location than Elmers Way, and this is a proposed solution that would connect to a parking area on East End Road. See the map below and if you have any concerns or questions or supportive positive comments about the location of this proposed public trail please submit your comments to: cottonwoodeastland@gmail.com (note: all names will be kept confidential). Deadline for public comments 08/15/22
Rough trail layout has been completed for a trail that goes from East End Road MP 17.4 parking area down through DNR land to the Park boundary over to the current social trail junction down to Green’s Road. The total distance (of the trail shown here) from the East End parking lot to Greens Road is 2.3 miles. If approved this would allow public access to State Park trails from east End Road.
All portions of this route layout took into consideration the importance of this trail as an arterial route. The entire layout could be constructed to a standard that would allow multiple (non motorized) user groups access, including hikers, mountain bikers and equestrians. The entire route is as far south from Elmers Way as is practical and is significantly further from the Ratone/Elmer’s Way road junction than the trail plan indicated in the Kachemak Bay State Parks Management Plan.
For more detailed information about proposed trail, see below this image
Cottonwood Eastland /Kachemak Bay State Park proposed public trail
Trail from State Park Boundary (south end of DNR parcel) to Social Trail Junction (waypoint): This area crosses through a burned area for about a mile, with the remaining 0.8 miles passing through a series of small meadows and patches of intact forest. The routing is significantly further from the Ratone/Elmer’s Way road junction than the trail plan indicated in the Kachemak Bay State Parks Management Plan.
Social Trail Junction (red waypoint) to Green’s Road This section of trail can be best described in three parts: 1) the initial descent from the meadow, 2)the steeper section down the slope, 3) flat, bottom portion of the trail. The initial descent follows the existing social trail. At the waypoint the original social trail begins to descend more abruptly, following the fall line. This section of trail is not considered sustainable and needs rerouting. The proposed re-route utilizes a series of broadly shaped climbing turns to descend the hillside. The bottom section of the proposed re-route avoids the mucky area.