.New Public Park Opens Along Sonoma Coast

Did you know that the historic Chanslor Ranch near Bodega Bey — a 380-acre dairy and horse ranch along the Sonoma coast, just about a mile south of Salmon Creek Beach — is now public land? After years of eying it, the county reportedly bought it from the owner last year. It will become an official county park later this year — but you can start visiting now! And here’s a hot tip: During this liminal period of “ownership transition,” over the next few months at least, there will be no cost of admission. (After that, “visitors will be required to have a park pass or pay the $7 day-use fee they would at other Regional Parks properties,” the Press Democrat reports.) The new park includes at least five hiking trails with views of Bodega Harbor, Doran Beach, Salmon Creek and the ocean; “opportunities for picnicking, fishing, wildlife-watching and paddling on Salmon Creek”; and horseback rides “available under an existing lease Chanslor Stables.” One county park official tells the Press Democrat: “It’s such a cool property. The views, the hike, being able to look down at Salmon Creek and just ecosystems down there, it’s pretty amazing.” More from the PD: “The property also fits into an expanding mosaic of publicly owned, protected coastal lands that include the oceanfront state park property to the west, and Carrington Coast Ranch Regional Park and Open Space Preserve, a 335-acre property that shares a boundary with Chanslor Ranch along Salmon Creek on the north. Whether and how the two county parks might eventually be connected has yet to be determined. Salmon Creek runs through a deep, steep-sided crease where the properties meet. But they will connect at Highway 1, part of the California Coastal Trail, and their mutual preservation will allow easier wildlife movement between the properties.” County officials hosted an open house at the new park today, showing off the months of work they’ve put into upgrading the parking area, installing trash bins and bathrooms, trimming back hazardous trees, etc. The county supervisor who reportedly made the deal happen — Lynda Hopkins, our lady of the river and coast — writes in her latest newsletter: “This area, known for its natural beauty, scenic vistas, and recreational opportunities, is now the newest regional park and open space preserve in our county, and it fills us with pride to see such a cherished piece of our coastal environment preserved for public enjoyment.” Amen! Oh, and while I have all you nature people on the line, FYI: Another 650 acres or so of private land was recently added to Jack London State Historic Park outside Glen Ellen, in the Sonoma Valley area — preserving a critical wildlife corridor and making the whole park way more accessible for visitors. You might know the land as the beleaguered, abandoned (and definitely haunted) campus of the Sonoma Developmental Center, which once housed people with disabilities. Its transfer over to Jack London was reportedly “the largest addition to state park lands in Sonoma County since 2010.” (Source: Sonoma County Regional Parks & Supervisor Lynda Hopkins via ConstantContact & KRCB & Press Democrat & Press Democrat & SF Chronicle; paywall)