Hatton Canyon, at the mouth of Carmel Valley in California, is protected state park open space valued for both its natural habitat and its history in local land-use battles. Named for dairy rancher William Hatton, whose holdings tied the area to Carmel Valley’s ranching past, the canyon includes Monterey pines and about 10 acres of wetland. Beginning in 1952, it was repeatedly proposed as the route of a 2.8-mile freeway meant to ease traffic on Highway 1, but persistent opposition from homeowners and environmentalists gradually prevailed. In 2002, legislation transferred the land from Caltrans to California State Parks, preserving it as a lightly developed natural corridor.