Neighbors of spectacular new Bodega Bay preserve overwhelmed by visitor traffic

"The 547-acre parcel, formerly the Bottarini Ranch, is owned and managed by The Wildlands Conservancy, which acquired it in 2015, following a purchase put together by the nonprofit Sonoma Land Trust. The property features 5 miles of trails wending through coastal prairies, along dramatic bluffs and down to a remote beach."

"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."

"This has led, on weekends and even some weekdays, to unprecedented congestion on Osprey Drive, and other narrow byways near the Shorttail Gulch trailhead - which provides the only access to the new preserve. Between 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. on that bluebird Saturday, Jan. 24, cars were parked nearly the length of Osprey Drive, around half a mile."

The Estero Americano Coast Preserve covers 547 acres and includes five miles of trails through coastal prairies, dramatic bluffs and a remote beach. The Wildlands Conservancy owns and manages the parcel after acquisition in 2015 following a purchase organized by the Sonoma Land Trust. The preserve offers 360-degree views of the Pacific Ocean, the Farallon Islands and the fjord-like estero valley that separates Marin and Sonoma counties. The preserve lacks a dedicated parking lot, requiring visitors to use street parking in the nearby Bodega Harbour subdivision. Street parking has produced heavy congestion on Osprey Drive and other narrow byways near the Shorttail Gulch trailhead, the sole access point. Cars often line Osprey Drive for about half a mile during busy periods, creating neighborhood strain as visitor volume surges from across the Bay Area and beyond.

Read at The Mercury News