SAN CLEMENTE — San Clemente’s popular beach trail has fully reopened following a year of partial closures and construction prompted by landslide damage along the coastal rail corridor.
The Orange County Transportation Authority joined local, state and federal officials for a ribbon-cutting ceremony Oct. 9 marking completion of the project. The 2.3-mile trail stretches from Calafia State Beach to North Beach, passing the San Clemente Pier along the way.
Work followed a 2024 landslide that damaged the Mariposa pedestrian bridge and affected the adjacent Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo, or LOSSAN, Rail Corridor.
The approximately $93 million stabilization project included construction of a nearly 1,400-foot-long catchment wall designed to protect the railroad from falling rocks, soil and debris. The wall ranges from approximately 10 to 20 feet tall.
Crews also removed the damaged steel-and-wood Mariposa Bridge and reconnected the pedestrian trail alongside the railroad. That portion of the work cost approximately $24 million.
The LOSSAN corridor through San Clemente carries Metrolink and Amtrak Pacific Surfliner passenger trains as well as freight and military traffic. Rail service through the area has experienced repeated interruptions in recent years because of coastal bluff failures, erosion, beach loss and deterioration of shoreline protection.
OCTA officials said the completed work is intended to provide additional protection for the rail corridor while restoring public coastal access.
The reopening restores continuous access along one of San Clemente’s most heavily used coastal recreation routes, which provides pedestrians with views of the shoreline, beaches and ocean while connecting several areas of the city’s waterfront.
