MENDOCINO CO., 7/21/26 — A pond trail in Caspar will open to the public Saturday after the land conservation nonprofit Mendocino Land Trust received a grant and a public access easement.
The easement, which was donated by the landowner Michael St. John, means the Mendocino Land Trust took on the responsibility to maintain the land, the land trust said. The easement is a legal agreement that allows the public to use a specific portion of private property.
The property owner has kept the trail open to the public informally in the past and now with the easement, the pond trail is officially public, according to the land trust.
The Mendocino Land Trust said they received a $55,000 grant from the Mendocino Coast Audubon Society that will help the land trust steward the trail for the foreseeable future.
The pond trail features several species of ducks, songbirds and migrating species, the land trust said.
Located off the east side of state Route 1 on Fern Creek Road, the Caspar Pond Trail is set to open with a ribbon-cutting at 11 a.m. Saturday, followed by an informal bird walk.