TOP, the trail’s view corridor includes the Channel Islands. ABOVE, family friendly and free. Franklin Trail is perfect for anyone wanting a quick trip to the wilderness.
expressed a willingness to have a new public pathway constructed through their land. The short physical length of the first phase belies the great effort required to resurrect the Franklin Trail. Permitting took longer and cost more than anticipated. Construction itself became a much more expensive animal when retaining walls, fencing through private property, and a 65-foot bridge were needed to turn lines on paper into a wide and welcoming 2.25-mile line in Carpinteria soil. Santa Barbara County First District Supervisor Salud Carbajal compared the trail to “The Little Engine that Could,” noting that countless obstacles were surmounted to connect the public to its mountains. The Land Trust of Santa Barbara County partnered with Friends of Franklin to raise the nearly $800,000 required to complete phase one. Community donations played a significant role in making the project possible. The new trail is serving its funders well. On opening weekend, the freshly cut walkway pulsed with eager hikers who exchanged frequent greetings with friends and neighbors crossing their paths. Congestion has thinned, now that the trail is past its infancy, but Carpinterians of all ages, ethnic groups, and interests are still putting their new resource to good use. And while the first phase tried the patience of everyone involved, the second phase should open more quickly than anyone anticipated. Friends of the Franklin Trail expects the public to be hiking the next three-mile segment, which winds through the Rancho Monte Alegre property to the connection point with the historic Franklin Trail route in the Los Padres National Forest, sometime in the next year. ◆ For more information or to donate, visit franklintrail.org.
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