Neighbors of spectacular new Bodega Bay preserve overwhelmed by visitor traffic

"Everyone is not happy. Where to park? For all the flora it offers and 360-degree views it commands of the Pacific Ocean and Farallon Islands and the fjord-like valley carved by the estero, or tidal estuary, which serves as the border dividing Marin and Sonoma counties the preserve does have a few flaws, the most glaring of which is this: No dedicated parking lot."

"Hikers heeding the siren's call of those new trails must rely on street parking in the sleepy subdivision of Bodega Harbour, a posh enclave of homes overlooking the water and adjacent to a golf course. A hiker descending the steps to the Pacific on the Shorttail Gulch trail, part of the recently opened Estero Americano Coast Preserve just south of Bodega Bay"

The Estero Americano Coast Preserve is a 547-acre parcel formerly known as Bottarini Ranch, owned and managed by The Wildlands Conservancy after a 2015 acquisition following a Sonoma Land Trust purchase. The property features five miles of trails through coastal prairies, dramatic bluffs and a remote beach, with 360-degree views of the Pacific Ocean, Farallon Islands and the estero valley that divides Marin and Sonoma counties. The preserve has no dedicated parking lot. Hikers must use street parking in the nearby Bodega Harbour subdivision, creating congestion on Osprey Drive and narrow byways near the Shorttail Gulch trailhead, the only access point.

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