Area: The CNLM Dana Point Preserve consists of 29.4 acres within the City of Dana Point and adjacent to the City of Dana Point Nature Interpretive Center.
Location: Dana Point, Orange County, CA
Date Acquired: 2005
Acquisition Type: Center for Natural Lands Management owns the preserve. We protect and manage species and habitats on the preserve in perpetuity.
Key Habitats: Coastal sage scrub; Coastal bluff scrub
Species of Special Interest to CNLM: Coastal California gnatcatcher, Pacific pocket mouse, California box-thorn, Cliff spurge, Prostrate spineflower
Protecting Public Access and Endangered Species.
Center for Natural Lands Management continues its commitment to protecting and restoring native and imperiled species and their habitats while providing public access to the Dana Point Preserve. Press Release, here.
Guidelines for public use of the trail may change based on current conditions or new information. They reflect interests in public safety and in protecting the sensitive onsite natural resources. For current trail guidelines, click here.
To view CNLM’s 2023 draft update to the Habitat Management and Monitoring Plan regarding public access, please click here.
Introduction
CNLM acquired the 29.4 acre headlands promontory in December of 2005. This acquisition was due to a generous donation from the Harry and Grace Steele Foundation.
Conservation Significance
The CNLM Dana Point Preserve was created to protect the federally threatened coastal California gnatcatcher (Polioptila californica californica) and endangered Pacific pocket mouse (Perognathus longimembris pacificus). The Pacific pocket mouse was thought to be extinct before it was rediscovered on the CNLM Dana Point Preserve in 1993. To date, the only other location where the Pacific pocket mouse has been found is within three different geographic areas on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, one of which has been extirpated (i.e., went extinct). The Dana Point Preserve is now one of only three remaining locations where this species exists in the wild. Given its extreme rarity and vulnerability, in October 2025 it was declared a candidate species for listing by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife—an additional legal protection along with the pre-existing ‘endangered species’ status conferred by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The natural vegetation on the preserve—coastal sage scrub and coastal bluff scrub—is an increasingly rare vegetation type in southern California. Eight rare plant species have been documented on the Preserve, including California box-thorn (Lycium californicum), cliff spurge (Euphorbia misera), and prostrate spineflower (Chorizanthe procumbens).
Our Work
Our primary goals are focused on protecting habitat for the Pacific pocket mouse, coastal California gnatcatcher, rare plant species, and other sensitive species that utilize coastal sage scrub and coastal bluff scrub. Due to the small size of the Dana Point Preserve, and its degree of isolation from similar habitats, maintaining conditions to allow the persistence of these endangered and rare species requires focused monitoring and adaptive management. CNLM monitors the rare and listed species and habitat on-site to identify threats, record population dynamics, and establish methods to alleviate problems that negatively impact the species. The current biggest threats to the Preserve are impacts related to recreation
View all videos here. For more information, please contact us at (760) 731-7790.
including the number and timing of visitors and off-trail use, as well as the introduction of invasive species and pathogens. The trail receives many hundreds of visitors daily, on average, and the noise, smells, and vibrations from this heavy pedestrian use impacts the wildlife and their habitat.
Public Access (Updated March 16, 2026)
The CNLM Dana Point Preserve is located adjacent to the City of Dana Point Nature Interpretive Center (NIC). A ½-mile public (non-looping) trail that traverses through the Dana Point Preserve is accessible from the parking lot at the NIC and the terminus of Dana Strand Road. The trail is designed for pedestrian use only—bicycles and pets/dogs (on or off-leash) are strictly prohibited. The current hours are 7:00 a.m. to sunset, daily. Please note that the trail may be closed up to 72 hours after a rain event.
On March 12, 2026, the Coastal Commission issued an order to implement interim hours at the trail at the Dana Point Preserve. After Commission staff approve a plan with specific details, the trail will be open four days per week: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. The hours will be 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. in the winter (Labor Day to Memorial Day) and 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. in the summer (Memorial Day to Labor Day). Once the date for implementation of these hours is determined, CNLM will update this webpage and post information at the Preserve. These are interim hours — they will only stay in place until a coastal development permit is approved. A permit application has already been submitted to the City of Dana Point.
Contact
For information about Dana Point Preserve, volunteer opportunities, or Center for Natural Lands Management please contact Korie Merrill at 760.731.7790 x. 204 or by email at kmerrill@cnlm.org. For volunteer opportunities at the City of Dana Point Nature Interpretive Center please contact: Bernice Villanueva, City of Dana Point Natural Resource Protection Officer at bvillanueva@danapoint.org.
Photo credit of California Gnatcatcher: Dee Dee Gollwitzer
(All other photos by CNLM staff)