Mike and Kim Riley. Courtesy photo.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — A memorial bench honoring Lake County's Kim and Mike Riley was installed recently at the lower end of Highland Springs Reservoir. 

The fixture commemorates the Rileys' some 20-plus years of volunteer labor in the creation and maintenance of trails in what is now known as Highland Springs Recreation Area.

Mike Riley died unexpectedly in April 2023 at the age of 64. His widow and lifetime partner, Kim Riley, mourns his loss enormously and reflected recently on Mike's contributions to Lake County's premier hiking, biking and equestrian recreation area.

"He was the worker bee," she said. "And he was always passionate about community service." 

Kim explained that he believed strongly in public access to nature.

The Rileys' work began when Lake County's water resources director at the time, Bob Lossius, said his department "didn't have funding to make their vision of the trail system" a reality, according to Kim. 

The creation of trails in the Highland Springs Recreation Area fell to a community of volunteers including the Rileys and a team of many others, she said. 

Working in coordination with county officials, the Rileys and their team, spearheaded by Kelseyville's Karen Sullivan and aided by the late Quincy Andrus, set out to turn existing features such as firebreaks and bulldozer tracks into recreational trails for humans. 



The new memorial bench honoring Lake County's Kim and Mike Riley. Courtesy photo.


They also restored grown-over trails created by Ann and Wayne Dunnebeck.

“Mike would come home (from his job with PG&E) and we'd go to work,” Kim said. "We'd grab the horses ... he had a chainsaw in his backpack, I had loppers and a handsaw ... we'd ride out and tie up for a few hours." 

The couple cleared and maintained trails throughout the recreation area.

Kim Riley said she loves the 3,200-acre county-owned site for the diversity of its ecosystems. She said it hosts forested areas, open range, shaded areas and several watersheds that feed into Clear Lake.

The Rileys, who made Lake County their home 40 years ago, lived just south of Kelseyville most of that time. They both retired about 12 years ago. They have two children, Sean Riley and Katie Lecoq.

The memorial bench was designed and purchased using discretionary funds allotted to District 5 Supervisor Jessica Pyska. 

"The Rileys define 'good citizen' and their contribution to the Highland Springs Recreation Area is priceless," Pyska said. "As a community, we have been very fortunate to have them walk among us."

She added, “The sudden tragic loss of Mike was devastating. I like the idea of having a place to sit and look over the water to think about the enormity of his gift."

Maile Field is a longtime Lake County resident, journalist, farmer and county planning commissioner.




A closeup of the plaque on the new memorial bench for Kim and Mike Riley. Courtesy photo.