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Long-awaited trails open in Fullerton’s West Coyote Hills

May 14, 2023

Fullerton residents on Saturday explored part of West Coyote Hills long inaccessible to visitors.

The city celebrated the opening of the first two miles of new trails planned through the 72-acre Robert Ward Nature Preserve, on the eastern edge of the 510-acre West Coyote Hills.

Chevron-Pacific Coast Homes completed the trails, which are being called the Initial Trails, as part of its agreements to develop portions of West Coyote Hills. More trails and an interpretive center are also planned in the future.

Since releasing its proposal years ago for building communities on about half of the 510-acre former oil field, Chevron has made the property available for purchase for preservation as open space. The city concentrated its efforts and secured enough grants and funding to acquire 24.1 acres on the east side of North Gilbert Street to preserve everything up to the nature preserve it has owned since the 1980s.

Saturday was also a celebration of the land acquisition.

Liberty Cortez, left, and Julia Burdick, keep shaded as they check out the new part of West Coyote Hills, the Robert Ward Nature Preserve, after a ribbon cutting in Fullerton on Saturday, May 13, 2023. “We love the colors and all the trees,” they said of the two-mile trail. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Cheryl and Robert Navarro, leave the just opened Robert Ward Nature Preserve in Fullerton on Saturday, May 13, 2023 with dogs Winnie, left, and Dexter, after discovering that dogs are not allowed on the trail. They said signs don’t make it obvious. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A mountain biker takes on the new Robert Ward Nature Preserve two-mile trail in Fullerton on Saturday, May 13, 2023. A sign warning bicyclists to “watch downhill speed,” contradicted other signs saying bicycles are prohibited.(Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A metal sculpture in the newly opened Robert Ward Nature Preserve in Fullerton on Saturday, May 13, 2023, depicts a man and his sheep-herding dog with a historic explanation of the areas Basque heritage. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Hikers stop along the Robert Ward Nature Preserve’s newly opened two-mile trail in Fullerton’s West Coyote Hills on
Saturday, May 13, 2023. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Flowering plants offer hikers a colorful treat along the new, first two-mile stretch of the Robert Ward Nature Preserve in Fullerton’s West Coyote Hills on Saturday, May 13, 2023. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Flowering plants and pollinators are seen along the new, first two-mile stretch of the Robert Ward Nature Preserve in Fullerton’s West Coyote Hills on Saturday, May 13, 2023. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Vividly colored lush landscape is seen along the newly opened Robert Ward Nature Preserve in West Coyote Hills. Fullerton celebrated the opening of the trail’s first two miles on Saturday, May 13, 2023. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A plaque recognizing the area’s gnatcatcher, is one of several educational signs along the new, first two-mile stretch of the Robert Ward Nature Preserve in Fullerton’s West Coyote Hills on Saturday, May 13, 2023. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A sign at the entrance to the new, first two-mile stretch of the Robert Ward Nature Preserve in Fullerton’s West Coyote Hills, greets visitors on Saturday, May 13, 2023. It explains that no dogs, bicycles or horses are allowed. Many people missed this message. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Officials cut the ribbon to the Robert Ward Nature Preserve in West Coyote Hills, celebrating the opening of the trail’s first two miles in Fullerton on Saturday, May 13, 2023. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A hiker, middle, is enveloped in the vividly-colored, lush landscape in Fullerton on Saturday, May 13, 2023.The city celebrated the opening of the first two miles of the Robert Ward Nature Preserve in West Coyote Hills. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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“This welcome opening of the West Coyote Hills Trails has been a collaborative partnership between the city of Fullerton, advocacy groups and our local state representatives,” Mayor Fred Jung said in a statement.

The two miles of wide dirt paths feature wooden trail fencing, interpretive signs sharing the history and wildlife of the area and benches for taking breaks.

“It’s an awesome trail,” said 22-year resident Asghar Tavana at Saturday’s ceremony.

“The community has fought to save this open space for a very long time. Through the hard work and dedication of everyone involved, we finally have a beautiful new recreation area in the heart of north Orange County,” Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva, who helped secure funds, said in a statement.

Robert Hayden, of the group Open Coyote Hills, had a sneak peek of the trails while they were being constructed and said children are going to love a sculpture tucked away along one of the paths. It is of a shepherd and his dog, and Hayden said the pup is just the right size for a child looking to sit. Oh, and the dog’s name is Buzz.

Hayden said when you are in the preserve you often don’t see any of the homes nearby, which in urban Fullerton, “that’s pretty neat.”

Hayden and Open Coyote Hills have long been supporters of a housing development if it would also preserve and open up parts of West Coyote Hills to recreation. With the oil operations, residents haven’t had access to some of these areas since the city’s early days, he said.

Another group, Friends of Coyote Hills, is still trying to prevent any development of the rolling hills and is advocating for the purchase of the property on the western side of North Gilbert Street. The Rivers and Mountains Conservancy is taking proposals now for reviewing a recent appraisal of the fair market value of the remaining 480-plus acres.

“This exciting event validates our continuing work toward securing additional funding to acquire the remainder of the West Coyote Hills property and preserve it as accessible natural open space as well,” said Senator Josh Newman, who helped get the appraisal.

At the same time, as it has said it would be open to the acquisition of more property and has cooperated with the appraisal, Chevron is also moving forward with pursuing its development plan.

“Coyote Hills is really this oasis of open space,” said Angela Lindstrom with the Friends group. She called the couple miles of trails opened Saturday, “a good start. … It is really a great resource for all of this area.”

Whatever the future of the West Coyote Hills area, Hayden said, “this is the one thing that we will come together and celebrate, the opening of these trails.”

Staff photographer Mindy Schauer contributed to this report.

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Long-awaited trails open in Fullerton’s West Coyote Hills

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