A long-closed stretch of the Sonoma Coast is finally open to the public, offering hikers rare access to windswept bluffs, quiet beaches, and sweeping ocean views that few people have ever experienced.
Located just south of Bodega Bay, the Estero Americano Coast Preserve spans 547 acres along a dramatic section of shoreline where coastal prairie meets the Pacific Ocean. The land, which had been privately owned and largely inaccessible for more than a century, was purchased in 2015 by a coalition of conservation groups and is now managed by the Wildlands Conservancy.
After years of planning and permitting, new trails were completed in 2024, and following a trial period of limited access, the preserve is now open daily from sunrise to sunset. A network of roughly five miles of trails leads visitors across open ridgelines and down to the edge of the Estero Americano, the tidal estuary that separates Sonoma and Marin counties.
One highlight is a newly accessible sandy beach tucked beneath coastal bluffs—previously reachable only by risky low-tide scrambles from nearby beaches. A ridge-top route also rewards hikers with views stretching south toward Point Reyes National Seashore and west toward the Farallon Islands on clear days…