The property known as Parma Park was gifted to the City of Santa Barbara by Harold and John A. Agnes and Mary Margaret Ambrose Parma in 1973 as an open space for hiking and equestrian pursuits. In 2002, the Parma Family Trust set up an endowment fund for the ongoing maintenance of the park. Many of the trails in the park are old cattle trails and access points for the former Parma Ranch. Others were developed after the property became a public park. Today, the Parks and Recreation Department manages the 200-acre park, including trail maintenance, habitat restoration, and preventative vegetation management.
The Parma Park Sustainable Trails Project aims to improve and expand the trail system within one of Santa Barbara’s largest open space parks. Planned work includes improvements to existing trails, the creation of new trails, decommissioning and restoration of realigned trails and access roads, and the addition of a new half-mile reduced-grade loop that will allow all community members to enjoy the beauty of Parma Park.
The project will be completed in three phases. Phase 1 will focus on trail work on the western portion of the park. Phase 2 will focus on trail work on the eastern portion of the park. Phase 3 will focus on revegetation and habitat restoration in select locations throughout the park once trail maintenance has been completed.
This project is funded by the Parma Park Trust.