Bridge to Everywhere - Rio Park and CAWD Bridge Trail Project
Vision for a New Public Access Trail at the CAWD River Bridge Crossing
The CAWD Bridge location is an ideal connection point to link trail networks South of the Carmel River to trails North of the River in the City of Carmel-by-the-Sea.
CAWD is working on plans for a new walking trail connection between Carmel-By-The-Sea and the State Park and Regional Park lands south of the Carmel River. The new trail would cross along the edge of the Mission baseball fields and over the Carmel River at the location of an existing bridge owned by CAWD.
CAWD is seeking grant funding for this project and to partner with the following entities:
- City of Carmel-By-The-Sea
- Diocese of Monterey
- California State Parks
- Monterey Regional Park District
- Big Sur Land Trust
The following graphics show how the CAWD Bridge Location is a key connection point for existing trails North and South of the Carmel River.
Benefits of a New Trail Connection Include:
1. More public access to the Palo Corona Regional Park and the State Parks Wildlife Preserve.
2. Public outreach education for Steelhead Migration at the CAWD River Bridge Crossing.
3. Creating new legitimate public use of existing open space.
Upgrades to the existing CAWD Carmel River Bridge would allow it to be used by the public. Property downstream of the bridge is owned by CAWD and the City of Carmel-By-The-Sea and could be converted into a park.
In order for the bridge to be utilized by the general public it would need to be upgraded structurally and modified to provide ADA compliance.
Once the trail crosses over the Carmel River it would extend to an old paved road that was previously the access road to the CAWD Wastewater Treatment Plant.
