Rancho Cucamonga is being given $2.6 million to buy up to 122 acres of a 264-acre parcel known as King Ranch, which sits between the neighborhood and the surrounding San Bernardino and Angeles national forests. Rancho Cucamonga plans to reopen the once gorgeous Sapphire Falls trail to the public after it has been closed for over a decade. Sadly the trail was shut down due to the lack of respect for nature because people continuously left their trash behind and vandalized anything they could reach. It was also closed since there was no designated parking area, so people were parking their cars all over the local neighborhoods disturbing the residents. Unfortunately, another disrespectful action was that people wanted so badly to hike on the trail that they would trespass on private property to get to the trail, even after it closed.

According to an article by the Daily Bulletin, they explained, “members of the King family — including late Rancho Cucamonga mayor Jeffrey King and his widow, retired San Bernardino County Judge Pamela King — have shared ownership of the land since the late 1800s. It’s been home to citrus trees and a Christmas tree farm over the years, but remains largely undeveloped. 

Once a city-owned trailhead is in place, Rancho Cucamonga could install cameras, boost police patrols on peak days, and even close the trail in times of severe fire danger or other hazards. The city also could work with the U.S. Forest Service to manage capacity by selling limited numbers of passes, as happens in places such as Cedar Creek in San Diego.”

Rancho Cucamonga hopes to reopen the trail as soon as the spring of 2025, with the city implementing off-street parking.