A hidden gem within Santa Cruz County is now more accessible to visitors with disabilities, thanks to a $1.4 million renovation of the area’s trails, picnic benches, terraced banking, pond overlook, interpretative signs, and pollinator gardens.  A popular spot for birders, dog walkers, recreational fishermen and outdoor aficionados, picturesque Antonelli Pond, a 100-year-old man-made lake fed by Moore Creek on Santa Cruz’s westside. 

The trails on each side of the pond are .25 miles long and are now wheelchair accessible. One of the trails connects to ADA trails at Natural Bridges State Park and to the nearby Seymour Marine Discovery Center. Keeping conservation in mind, the new design elements were implemented above the mean high-water line while limiting disturbance to the existing riparian community adjacent to the pond. The pollinator gardens feature California native plants, many of which attract birds, so wildlife enthusiasts have yet another venue at which to spot migratory and year-around species. Specifically, the Dusky Warbler is a mega-rarity in the U.S. but calls Antonelli Pond home. The project was funded by the California Coastal Conservancy’s Central Coast Program and California State Parks’ Regional Park’s Program (Prop 68).