January 2026: A Message from the CEO
January 14, 2026
Dear friends,
In January, the signs that get the most attention at Crystal Cove aren’t interpretive or wayfinding signs. They’re the small ones at the trailheads that say Closed.
Every time it rains, we hear from people who are frustrated by that. And we understand it. You show up ready to hike, ready to move, ready to be outside — and the trail is closed.
But January is the month when being closed is the work.
In winter, after rain, the land needs time. The soil is soft, the slopes are vulnerable, and every footprint matters. Opening too soon causes damage that lasts far longer than the inconvenience of waiting. So we pause. We let the water move through the canyons. We give the trails time to hold themselves together again. We let the land tell us when it’s ready.
What’s easy to miss is that rain doesn’t just mean closed trails — it means it’s time to plant.
This is when invasive species loosen their grip. This is when the ground is ready to receive native plants. This is when the quiet work of renewal can actually take hold. So while the trails rest, our stewardship work ramps up. When we’re not hiking, we’re planting. We’re helping the land come back stronger and more resilient than it was before.
January asks something different of us. Not to take more from the park, but to give something back — time, hands, patience. A closed trail sign isn’t the end of the story here; sometimes it’s an invitation to step into a different role.
Thank you for being part of a community that understands that renewal takes time — and that some of the most important work happens when things are quiet.
See you around the park,
Kate Wheeler
President & CEO
Read the whole newsletter here: https://conta.cc/4qbKdhr