Trestles Parking Lot No Longer Free
Ryan Brower
- August 24 2009
- 264 views
- 16 comments
That hike down to Lowers just got a bit pricier, and longer… Photo: Steindler
Since we don’t make the half-hour hike to one of surfing’s most populated waves all that often, we hadn’t really heard anything about this until it came across my web digging this Monday morning. At first, it really pissed me off. How can they charge for that lot?
But after reading the article, it kind of makes sense to me. They do charge for parking in every other state park, and it’s only a small price to pay when heading there. But $10–15? I don’t know if I agree with that one. Anyways, read the article and let us know what you think about this in the comments below. Is it right or do we need to help out one of the best state parks around? And how about the dude going off about the state officials, he says they should be ‘terminated.’ I don’t need to explain the irony on that one…
As reported by Andrea Swayne for the San Clemente Times.
Surfers pulling in to the Trestles [Carl’s Jr.] parking lot on Tuesday morning, August 11, were surprised by a row of public notice signs zip-tied to the fences. The signs were posted by the California State Parks Department to announce that effective August 17, “…vehicles parking in the San Onofre State Beach-Trestles parking area are subject to applicable State Park day-use fees and parking regulations. Valid State Park Annual Day Use Passes will be accepted…”
According to Rich Haydon, State Parks South Sector Superintendant for the Orange Coast District, a manned kiosk will be erected at the lot entrance to begin charging the new fee, which is expected to be between $10 and $15.
The announcement was met with a pretty even split—those in favor vs. those against the new fees—among surfers interviewed that morning regarding their opinions on the issue. Though curiously, local San Clemente surfers were absent among the group using the lot that morning.
“I think the new fees are ok. We fought to protect this park from the toll road and it was defeated, but we lost the economic benefit that it would have provided. So why not now be able to actually get some money from the lot to help with upkeep and use the money to make sure that the park is best used for everybody?” said surfer Mike Besnard of Irvine. “We charge for other state park parking, so why not for this one?”
The public notice signs showed up at the lot on the same day that the California State Parks Department issued a press release announcing other statewide fee increases.
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August 24th, 2009 at 10:52 am
I can’t believe how f-king stupid these park officials are. Don’t they realize that people can park for free on the streets on El Camino and up Christianitos Road or even in the neighborhoods. So they are paying some guy something like $10 an hour to collect money from people but no one is going to park there unless they have the Annual Parking Pass while the rest of us are going to park for free in the surrounding areas.
What’s going to happen is your going to get some really pissed off people living in the neighborhoods about beach parking and there will be another mess they will have to deal with and waste of more money to have public hearings about it.
I dont see this parking booth lasting for much longer as people have been talking about tearing it down. So now we have to have police officers/security guards around to protect the booth from vandalism, another waste of money and resources.
Great idea park officials you f-king idiots!
August 24th, 2009 at 10:53 am
buy an annual permit and be done with it.
August 24th, 2009 at 11:17 am
actually, isn’t there a 2-hour limit in the neighborhood? What you’ll probably have is a lot of people getting tickets.
August 24th, 2009 at 12:45 pm
It’s pretty f@cked up that our state has one of the highest tax rates/population of the country, yet our politicians (both democrat & republican) can’t manage our funds?
Time for a real change…NEW THIRD PARTY. I’ll be president, Stu (Real Stu) can be V.P., townboi can be the Sec. of State. I’m feeling generous and I will let the Cote’s be our press secretaries and they can respond to all the hate mail from the public.
August 24th, 2009 at 12:56 pm
“buy an annual permit and be done with it.”
EXACTLY!! Completely agree! I was kinda shocked this morning when I first saw the booth and the price! 15 bucks! Wow!
But given the fact that Annual Passes are accepted I really don’t understand the outcry. 125 bucks a year, that’s about $10.42 a month and let’s say you surf Trestles 3 times a week, so about 12-13 times a month, then that’s about 80 cents a session. Buy two trunks or a few shirts less a year and help out the State Parks!
On the good days that lot is full anyway and there is still plenty of free parking around for everybody who’s too cheap to buy that pass (and I’m a poor underemployed guy myself, but I have one). So nothings gonna change. Stop whining!
August 24th, 2009 at 2:10 pm
Hey these little bitch’s that are whining can stay home!!! Crowd control and a benefit to state parks. Win Win!!! Nothing free!!!
August 24th, 2009 at 3:50 pm
Perfect job for me - I get to look important but really do nothing.
August 24th, 2009 at 5:19 pm
that would be scary. but maybe things would actually be better. i think that’s the part that’s even scarier…
August 24th, 2009 at 6:03 pm
don’t let my posts fool you, Jerz, I’d make a kick-ass Veep.
August 24th, 2009 at 7:49 pm
wow mean… haha
August 24th, 2009 at 8:21 pm
Paying an annual fee would be the better way to go in this situation. I’m fine with this fee as long as I see state park and government officials protecting trestles beach. If government officials are whining because they can’t have their toll road or their private jets and this fee is going towards spoiled A holes then I’m completely against it!!! As long as trestles stays the most pristine beach in the state, I have no problem giving my support to Trestles.
August 24th, 2009 at 11:04 pm
The surrounding hood has a permit required. Agree with previous post that tickets will be the big concern when trying to avoid the lot. Pay for the annual pass and admit nothing is free anymore in So Cal…..Everybody go home already!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 25th, 2009 at 11:12 am
Bummer..
August 26th, 2009 at 8:52 am
Trestles is full of kooks anyways.. make them pay!
August 27th, 2009 at 4:09 pm
We havn’t even invented parking meters here yet. ha ha ha
Sounds like it’s time to VOTE every bum in Sacramento out. I agree with supporting your state park, but isn’t that why we pay taxes????!!! Wouldn’t the toll lot be double taxation? Bribe the booth guy with some green medicine….
September 2nd, 2009 at 11:47 am
I’ve grown-up in SC and have watched a lot of things change over the years. Trust me when I say that paying for a State Pass is the best solution as I have recieved several tickets parking in the neighborhood near Carl’s Jr. There IS a 2 hour parking limit and it is enforced so watch out! I’m OK with this fee as long as the money is well managed and actually goes to our parks. Nuff said…
A more serious concern is the attitude of “out of towners” that come to surf our break. PLEASE show respect. Stop cutting everyone off. I lived in SC for over 20 years and I still don’t cut anyone off in the water if they have the right of way.
If you come to trestles with a bad attitude, Karma will straighten you out…trust me…
Peace