Photo credit: Santa Susana Trails Plan website.

Santa Clarita Valley residents and visitors will be able to enjoy 67.5 miles of an expanded network of multi-use trails and trail-related facilities, such as equestrian and outdoor leisure and sports, following approval Tuesday of the Santa Susana Mountains Trails Plan – Phase II, by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

The adoption of the Santa Susana Master Plan will add a potential of 57.8 miles to the existing 9.7 miles and integrate them to a total of 67.5 miles of multi-use trails. The planning process took almost two years, including the community outreach and engagement of 62 public agencies, community groups, and non-profit organizations.

The support from Fifth District Supervisor Kathryn Barger secured the resources to make available multi-use trails, including equestrian, hiking, and mountain-biking in a 22-square-mile area located in the scenic Santa Susana Mountains in the Stevenson Ranch community.

The County’s commitment and strong partnerships ensure that new and future trails are not compromised by future development.

Following Board approval, the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation will begin implementing Phase II of the regional trail network. The plan will act as a framework to encourage and promote new multi-use trails in the designated area, improve connectivity with neighboring jurisdictions, as well as recommend improvements to existing trails.

“I’m a strong advocate for improving outdoor recreational opportunities for residents and visitors in my District,” Fifth District County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said. “I am excited that more than 67 miles of trails will be available for families to enjoy, and in turn improve the quality of life in the Santa Clarity Valley”.

The approved plan has two central goals:
– Provide a roadmap for a comprehensive multi-use trail system connecting user groups and local populations to desired recreation destinations and experiences.
– Develop a trail system that supports recreational activity to accommodate the population increase anticipated in the Santa Clarita Valley Planning Area through 2035.
– The approved plan does not include planned trails in proximity to the Santa Susana Field Lab as originally proposed, due to health-related concerns expressed during the public comment period regarding the ongoing cleanup efforts. “I firmly believe in taking public input into consideration,” Supervisor Barger said.

“We appreciate the support of Supervisor Barger, whose office has been heavily involved throughout the process in identifying developers, trail-user groups, property owners and members of the community whose input is critical to the success of this plan,” said John Wicker, director of the Department of Parks and Recreation. “The Santa Susana Master Plan will act as a framework to promote multi-use trails. Our strong partnerships will help secure future trails that will be loved by the public for decades to come.”