Tourism19 September, 20262 min read
Wildlands Conservancy To Buy Wild Cherry Canyon With $42 Million State Deal
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Wild Cherry Canyon covers about 2,060 acres near Avila Beach. A $42 million state grant funds the acquisition and permanent protection.
Coastline to Open
A $42 million conservation deal will allow the Wildlands Conservancy to acquire Wild Cherry Canyon, a 2,060-acre property above Avila Beach in San Luis Obispo County, turning a long-closed buffer around the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant into a nature preserve.
“For decades, 2,060 acres of California’s Central Coast remained closed to the public as a buffer around the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant.”
The land is owned by Eureka Energy, a subsidiary of Pacific Gas and Electric Company, and the state agreed to provide $42 million through the State Coastal Conservancy to proceed with the purchase.
The San Francisco Chronicle reported the preserve is expected to open to the public within five years, while guided tours could begin as early as next year.
The plan calls for trails and campsites while protecting Native American cultural sites, and the property sits at the southeastern end of the larger Diablo Canyon Lands between Avila Beach and Port San Luis.
Tim Duff, project manager at the Coastal Conservancy, said, “We are excited about the opportunity to establish public access here. This scenic access is what we call absolutely world class.”
Trails, Timing, and Scale
The Wildlands Conservancy executive director Frazier Haney said protecting Native American cultural sites would be among the organisation’s priorities, including sites connected to the yak tityu tityu yak tiłhini Northern Chumash Tribe. The plan is to build a five- to six-mile loop trail at Wild Cherry Canyon, which would be the first part of an eventual 20-mile coastal trail across the Diablo Canyon Lands. The broader Diablo Canyon Lands cover part of the Irish Hills, with rugged cliffs above sandy beaches and tide pools, and some peaks rise to about 1,500 feet.
The three major properties around Diablo Canyon could eventually form about 12,000 acres of preserved open space extending from Montana De Oro State Park in the north to Avila Beach in the south and running along 14 miles of coastline. Haney said, “Once you get up on these hills, this is as beautiful as the California coast gets anywhere.”
Nuclear Debate and Access
The conservation effort is tied to the future of the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant, which had been scheduled to close in 2025 but was extended by Gov. Gavin Newsom and the California Legislature because of electricity demand.
“The plant is now scheduled to run until 2030, although another extension is under consideration.”
The plant is now scheduled to run until 2030, although another extension is under consideration, and state officials required PG&E to help permanently protect the surrounding lands and eventually provide public access as a condition for temporarily continuing operations.
The acquisition follows nearly two decades of attempts to conserve Wild Cherry Canyon, with disagreements over the price and competing plans delaying earlier efforts before the dispute was settled.
The San Francisco Chronicle described the move as shutting down a competing plan for high-end homes at the site and setting the stage for trails and campsites.
Tim Duff said, “This scenic access is what we call absolutely world class,” as the state agreed to finance the purchase of Wild Cherry Canyon.