Landscape Systems Science

Designer and Builder of one of the Los Angeles Times 70 Best Trails in Southern California

Awarded Trail Design and Construction Career Award by American Trails 2025

Dillon is one of the pre-eminent trail designers, landscape managers, and trail contractors in the United States, having designed and built over 30 miles of trail across 20,000 acres in multiple states and destinations including Lake Tahoe, Santa Barbara, Bozeman, and many more. Dillon’s work includes ground up partnerships with land trusts, partnership alongside public lands managers (USFS, BLM, City, County, State), and private holdings. From holistic planning that includes: fundraising, acquisition, team building, permitting, environmental analysis, design, and construction Dillon has built a portfolio of partners that reflect: over $3 million in raised general use capital, over $14 million in acquisition, tens of thousands of conserved acres, access to nature for over 1 million individuals (one third of whom were nature poor before), and multiple bilingual education partnerships with youth that reflect landscape in geology, ecology, biology and historical context.

The question is never how much trail to create, but how little. My work focuses on being a part of place, not building a bridge over it. I care foremost for why a trail needs to exist: does it have historical context and meaning to people, does it provide (necessary) access to something new, does it tie people to the landscape creating mutual respect and reciprocity. Trails are a connection to the past, present, and future of people and place. Their design and stewardship should reflect that.

Select Projects:

Harmon Canyon

2200 acre land trust, 8 miles of trail designed, funded & built over only 1000 acres, 400,000 visitors

City of Santa Barbara – Parma Park

Complete redesign of 120 acre City owned park – multiple trails re-oriented, ADA trail design and construction, restoration planting, multiple new trails.

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden

1.4 mile long interpretive trail & custom milled and constructed 28 ft long stringer bridge

City of Goleta – Elwood Monarch Butterfly Preserve

Computer modeled trail re-design to reduce prevailing wind impact to nesting Monarch Butterflies, physical trail construction, complete restoration of creek including rock armoring and replanting, and custom milled and built redwood bench interpretive area utilizing onsite downed eucalyptus for bench bases.

Sespe Trail

8 mile trail restored post wildfire after 20 years of loss (public lands). Worked with Calflora, USFS, Indigenous Nation, and historical society to restore with respect and purpose

Chorro Grande Trail

Restoration of 10 miles of trail post wildfire and budgetary abandon. Worked with 3 major outdoor brands for funding, USFS, Indigenous Nation, and local historical society to restore with respect and purpose. Project leveraged for conservation community to fight 1 logging project and conserve protected species and cultural sites.