Friends of China Camp

This past winter, when some of the highest king tides on record rolled into China Camp Village, we were knee-deep in bay water. Though our volunteers and staff mopped up and dried things out, it was clear that floods like these, plus decades of salty air, pounding waves, and wear and tear, had seriously compromised our historic structures. It was time to take action.

Fortunately, John Muir, historic preservation expert for Friends of China Camp, had already been chronicling the village’s state of “arrested decay,” and designing restoration plans. Aided by a $7,000 climate resiliency grant from the California State Parks Foundation, and boosted by a winter fundraising campaign (thanks to all those who donated!), the restoration project got the green light.

Teams have now begun to help protect structures from sea-level rise and increasingly intense storms. “It’s our way,” says John, “of making this wonderful place live longer.”

Would you like to contribute to this and other projects at China Camp? Visit this link.

If you have been in the park lately, you’ve probably seen the large piles of tree limbs and brush scattered throughout the park. Now, they’re getting burned. On certain days over the past couple of months, these burn piles have been ignited in carefully managed prescribed burns. It’s all part of the extensive, multi-agency effort to restore and protect habitat while also decreasing the risk and severity of future wildfires.

Pile burns only occur when weather and air quality are such that the burns can be managed safely and in a way that minimizes smoke impacts to park visitors and neighbors. California State Parks environmental scientists and fire crews work with the Marin County Fire Dept. and other agencies to determine which days are safe to burn. 

Funding is provided by the California State Parks Wildfire and Forest Resilience Program and the California Wildlife Conservation Board through the One Tam partnership. On the ground support for these burns is also provided by the Marin County Fire Department and its FIRE Foundry Program.

Hats off to Friends of China Camp’s Executive Director Martin Lowenstein, who recently received the “Excellence in Leadership” award, part of the Heart of Marin event hosted by the Center for Volunteer & Nonprofit Leadership.

According to event organizers, these awards celebrate the “passion, dedication, and lasting impact of people and organizations strengthening our communities.” Those words jibe well with Martin’s commitment to Friends of China Camp and China Camp State Park.

Martin’s professional yet personable leadership has rebuilt FOCC’s operations, diversified revenue, strengthened volunteer engagement, and helped secure key funding and partnerships. He has also been a critical player in developing FOCC’s public-private stewardship with California State Parks, a model for similar relationships statewide. And an added plus: the award comes with a $5,000 gift for Friends of China Camp. 

In his acceptance speech, Martin stressed the power of community. “Who’s responsible for keeping the park going? Well, you,” he said. “It’s the community, the volunteers, the financial support. China Camp is a state park, but at the end of the day, it’s a community park, and that’s because of you.”

Sometimes gifts come from the most unexpected places. This past February, Friends of China Camp received a $16,000 “Beautification Grant” from the Mill Valley Outdoor Art Club. The grant covered the costs of cutting back and cleaning up a 500-foot-long stretch of N. San Pedro Road. The poison-oak-choked section, a tidal area bounding the roadway between Chicken Coop Hill and Buckeye Point, had long served as an illegal garbage dump. Funds have been used to clean up the area and dispose of garbage safely. 

According to Executive Director Martin Lowenstein, FOCC was recommended for a grant by a member of the club, which has been supporting conservation, open space, and Marin beautification since 1902. 

“This $16,000 grant is the largest that our organization has ever received,” says Martin. “We are incredibly grateful that the Mill Valley Outdoor Art Club has decided to partner with FOCC in its stewardship of China Camp, and supports efforts to protect the park’s sensitive tidal wetlands.”

With swooping and diving visuals, outstanding audio, and fascinating facts and stories, a new virtual tour lets you explore and learn about China Camp Village like never before. And it’s free on our website. 

The online “Tapestry” tour, produced by Oakland-based CyArk, uses “spatial storytelling” to shed light on the village and its inhabitants. Noah Stewart, Supervisor of the Cultural Resources Program for California State Parks, spearheaded the project. CyArk teams worked closely with Friends of China Camp’s lead historian, John Muir, as well as former China Camp resident Milton Quan, Executive Director Martin Lowenstein, and Matt Ferner from the National Estuarine Research Reserve.

The result is a remarkable collaboration that focuses largely on the past, but also peeks into the future and the risks of sea-level rise, and future steps needed to protect our village.

The Marin Independent Journal’s 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards were announced earlier this year, and China Camp State Park proved to once again be a favorite. 

China Camp got the most votes for “Best Place to Bike” in Marin County, an honor bestowed on the park last year too. With 15 miles of multi-use trails plus one of the prettiest road rides in Marin, China Camp truly stands out as a pedaler’s paradise. Those same well-tended trails nabbed an Honor Award for “Best Place to Hike.” Another Honor Award was garnered for “Best Park,” as well as “Best Historic Attraction.” 

For Paula O’Connell, China Camp is home.

Now a grandmother who volunteers for the park’s Junior Ranger program to teach children about nature and protecting the environment, China Camp was literally her backyard. Her parents had moved from Oakland to live in a place where their six kids could roam free. In the 1950s, the neighborhoods now adjoining the park barely existed. The Richmond – San Rafael Bridge had yet to be built. 

“It was remote, and it was beautiful out there,” O’Connell recalls. “I have very fond memories of China Camp—swimming in the bay, driving around with my dad in a fire truck when he was a volunteer for the fire department, and buying shrimp at China Camp Village on Sundays.” 

After graduating from San Rafael High School, O’Connell raised a family and began teaching, first in the Central Valley, and then, for many years, in Little Rock, Arkansas, returning to California in 2002. Throughout her teaching career, the one constant was her passion for introducing kids to nature. She loved teaching them about spiders and seasons, taking them on field trips and backpacking adventures. 

Now, Paula works at China Camp with Carly Jackson-Clark, the park’s program coordinator.  “She is a kind and conscientious human,” says Carly of Paula. “She is so good with kids. I love brainstorming with her. She is a joy.”

If you’ve traveled through the park on N. San Pedro Road, you have probably noticed the orange cones and black plastic tarps trimming the edge of the road just west of Buckeye Point. The anchored-in-place tarps were the quick-fix steps taken when, in February 2025, a substantial chunk of the steep hillside gave way and slid into the bay. The slide threatened to undermine the roadway, the only paved, public access through the park. 

Now—good news: A permanent fix is scheduled to get underway this spring. Marin County Public Works (MCPW), the agency that’s responsible for the safety and maintenance of N. San Pedro Road, will repair the roadway. Work will likely begin in April and last about three weeks.

During the construction, a roughly 500-foot length of N. San Pedro Road, from Buckeye Point west, will be closed in both directions on weekdays. On weekends, one lane will open, with metering lights controlling traffic. In addition, access to Buckeye Point may be limited. MCPW plans to reopen the road by Memorial Day weekend.

For questions, call MCPW at (415) 499-6528.

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s… it’s…a giant mosquito! Fortunately, the blood-thirsty mega-skeeter isn’t descending on you or other park visitors—it’s painted on the side of a truck, belonging to the Marin/Sonoma Mosquito and Vector Control District (MSMVCD).

Several times a month, inspectors from MSMVCD survey China Camp for mosquitoes, primarily in wetland areas. According to district staff, inspectors then use “cost-effective, environmentally responsible” methods to reduce mosquito populations and the diseases they can transmit.

So if you see that truck emblazoned with a giant skeeter, wave and say thank you! For more on MSMVCD, and how you can safely reduce mosquitoes around your own home, see this link. If you are concerned with a mosquito or ground wasp problem at China Camp, please let us know.

Full-moon hikes, special speakers, family-friendly activities—Friends of China Camp presents an array of programs each month. Programs, free for FOCC members and a requested $5 donation for nonmembers, give you a better understanding of the park and what it protects. Plus they’re fun! FOCC also invites anyone—member or not—to help maintain trails, repair structures, work in our kiosk, and much more. No experience necessary. Just bring your energy and your smile.

With no dedicated financial support from the state, Friends of China Camp absolutely needs your support and involvement. Find out more about programs and volunteering. Annual memberships start at $40/year; use this link for more info and to join.