Cotoni-Coast Dairies

What We Did
Saved a stretch of California’s most stunning coastline from development.

Our Goal
Connect more people to the benefits of the outdoors.

Support Our Work in California

A person stands near the edge of a coastal cliff overlooking waves crashing against rocks, with green hills and cloudy sky in the background.

Cotoni-Coast Dairies by the Numbers

7,000

acres protected from development

1,200

mile trail network

1 million

visitors expected annually

A Stunning Coastline Forever Protected

Picture this: Dramatic bluffs rise above the cold green Pacific which tumbles onto the rocks below. Along the shore lies miles of pale, sandy cliffs, while inland, a blanket of verdant farmland obscures views of Highway 1, giving way to rolling foothills and finally the towering redwood forests that this part of the California coast is known for.

The Cotoni-Coast Dairies property, owned for over a century by the Coast Dairies & Land Company, was the third-largest privately held stretch of the California coast from San Francisco to the Mexican border. This unique 7,000-acre property surrounds the small town of Davenport and boasts six watersheds and more than seven miles of coastal resources, including beaches, hundreds of acres of agricultural lands, redwood forests, and endangered species habitat.

Trust for Public Land purchased these 7,000 acres of coastline, agricultural lands, and inland hills just north of Santa Cruz saving this precious space from becoming a 139-home subdivision. Instead, the rocky coastal bluff and beaches were permanently protected. It was TPL’s acquisition that led both to the creation of Coast Dairies State Park and a new unit of the California Coastal National Monument. It also became a portion of the California Coastal Trail–a 1,200-mile hiking, biking, and equestrian trail set to span the length of California’s coast.

Cotoni-Coast Dairies is a significant recreational and cultural resource for Santa Cruz County, giving locals and visitors a wonderful place to get outdoors and enjoy nature.

About This Project

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Get in Touch With Our California Team

Los Angeles Office

135 West Green Street
2nd Floor
Pasadena, CA, 91105
(323) 223-0441
[email protected]

Sacramento Office

1107 9th Street
Suite 810
Sacramento, CA, 95814
(916) 557-1673
[email protected]

San Francisco Office

23 Geary Street
Suite 1000
San Francisco, CA, 94108
(415) 495-4014
[email protected]

Guillermo Rodriguez

Vice President Pacific Region, California State Director

[email protected]