Hikers in a new, massive national monument in Santa Cruz County are not likely to have extremely close encounters with cattle grazing in the area, thanks to a program that’s outfitting cows with solar-powered collars designed to deter them from people.
The 5,800-acre Cotoni-Coast Dairies, part of the California Coastal National Monument north of Santa Cruz, opened on Aug.16. The parkland has wildflowers, trees and great vistas of the Pacific Ocean; it’s also home to grazing cows wearing black solar-powered collars that keep them off hiking trails.
The collars, which have lights and pulses that direct the cattle, are part of a new partnership between the federal Bureau of Land Management, which runs Cotoni-Coast Dairies, and a New Zealand-based company called Halter.
“It’s all controlled like a cellphone,’ said Philip Oviatt, a public affairs officer for BLM. “There’s no fencing. Radio towers provide Wi-Fi-type access to guide the cows when needed.”
The process is working: “It solves our big challenge of cows and people interacting,” Oviatt said.
On a recent afternoon visit, a dozen cows were not on a trail, but in a corral where they would spend the night. A large sign in front of the corral explained the halter virtual fencing collar program: “You’re getting a glimpse of a modern ranching tool in action: virtual fencing. The cattle you may see are guided by solar-powered collars, keeping the trail clear and safe for everyone to enjoy.”
Avoiding the cows means visitors can focus on the views at the new park, which is 12 miles north of Santa Cruz next to the small town of Davenport.
Stopping along the Hawk Trail overlooking the ocean, hikers Mark Gordon and Laura Stampleman were impressed with the newly built trails.
“This is an amazing achievement,” Gordon, 85, of Santa Cruz.
“The view is astounding,” said Stampleman, 76, of Aromas.
Cotoni-Coast Dairies is named both for an indigenous Ohlone tribe and the dairy farms established there in the 19th and 20th centuries. Today the cattle grazing there are raised for beef.
It was 72 degrees recently in the park when happy hikers enjoyed clear skies and light breezes.
“What a lovely afternoon,” one woman called out as she walked downhill with two poles for balance.
Oakley Ussat, 25, of Santa Cruz, standing at the top of a hill with a view to the ocean below, said, “I saw a whale spouting” and raved about hawks in the sky and sticky monkey flowers in bloom.
Although close to the Pacific, the newly opened portion of the park is in brushy hills east of State Route 1, not oceanside. On a clear day, it’s easy to see surfers a half mile away at Davenport Landing Beach.
Amenities at the new park include 8.5 miles of hiking trails, picnic benches, restrooms and parking for 62 vehicles. Visitors should bring their own drinking water.
To reach the trails from the newly built North Trailhead parking lot, visitors can hike, or in some instances, ride bicycles. Dogs on leashes are allowed on some trails.
The new parkland opened after many years of planning involving many volunteers. According to the Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Stewardship, the land was used for timber harvesting and dairy farming from the 1800s to the 1960s. Public outcry ended plans for a nuclear facility and residential development into the 1990s. It was purchased by the Trust for Public Land for conservation in 1998 and later transferred to the Bureau of Land Management. In 2017, it was designated part of the California Coastal National Monument.
The new trails are funded, built and maintained through a partnership between BLM and SCMTS, which regularly hosts volunteer field work.
Plans for Cotoni-Coast Dairies call for 18 miles of additional trails, including equestrian trails. A second parking lot is expected to open south of Davenport in a few years.
Cotoni-Coast Dairies is open from sunrise to sunset daily. The parking lot is at 1 Cement Plant Road, Davenport. Visit santacruztrails.org or blm.gov/cotoni-coast-dairies for more information.