Temporary Visitor Center Opens at Doran Beach

Regional Parks opened a temporary visitor center at Doran Regional Park on Aug. 5, welcoming campers and beach-goers with family activities and refreshments.

Located in a trailered cabin near the boardwalk, the center is a special feature of Regional Park’s year-long 50th anniversary celebration and is open 10 AM to 4 PM weekends through November. 

The center features displays focusing on Doran's diverse habitats, including the ocean, sand dunes, wetlands and intertidal zone. Exhibits include the preserved skeleton of a sea lion, a children’s activities area and touch table, and illustrations of coastal flora and fauna by Sonoma County artist Molly Eckler. 

Doran Regional Park is a destination for more than 750,000 visitors each year. There are few interpretive facilities on the Sonoma Coast, and the center provides an opportunity for rangers and volunteers to educate visitors about the area's natural resources and to encourage stewardship of the park. Staffed by volunteers, the center also offers parks memberships and merchandise for sale.

The cabin housing the visitor center was designed by Cal Poly Pomona students and is identical to the newly opened camping cabins at Spring Lake Regional Park. The cabin is ADA-accessible and was funded by Transient Occupancy Tax revenue approved by the Board of Supervisors for Regional Parks’ anniversary, which showcases Doran as the first park in the system. Exhibits in the center were funded by donations to the Sonoma County Regional Parks Foundation.

Doran Regional Park is at 201 Doran Beach Road in Bodega Bay. The park features more than 120 campsites and 2 miles of beach ideal for walking, picnicking, playing in the sand, flying kites, surfing, and bird-watching. A boat launch provides Bodega Harbor access for sport fishing, kayaking, stand-up paddling, and kite surfing. A jetty at the harbor mouth is a popular for rock fishing.

For more information, contact Regional Parks at (707) 565-2041.

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