Doran Regional Park

Doran Regional Park features a wide, 2-mile stretch of beach on Bodega Bay and more than 120 campsites available for reservation year-round.

The park is a destination for walking, picnicking, birdwatching, fishing, kayaking, body boarding, kite surfing and other water sports. A boat launch provides access to Bodega Bay and Bodega Harbor, and a jetty on the park's west end is a popular spot for rock fishing and exploring sea life.

Due to Doran's south-facing beach, waves here are typically calmer than elsewhere on the Sonoma Coast, making the park a favorite for families.

The park can be busy on holidays and summer weekends, and the entrance will close when the parking areas fill. On those days, plan to arrive by mid-morning and have an alternate destination in mind. 

Camping

Doran Regional Park features campsites for tents, trailers and RVs. Reservations are required and can be made up to 12 months in advance. 

The park includes five campground areas: The Shell, Gull and Cove campsites between Bodega Harbor and Doran Beach Road and the Jetty and Miwok campsites between Bodega Bay and Doran Beach Road. 

• Electrical hook-ups are not available. Generator hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Potable water is available.
• Restrooms feature flush toilets, coin-operated showers and electrical outlets.
• Dogs on leash are allowed with a fee.
• Dump station fee is $7.

Trails

A walk along the shoreline at Doran Regional Park is approximately 2 miles one way from the rock jetty on the west end to the rock formations near Pinnacle Gulch on the east end.

A 1.3-mile trail passes through grassy dunes on the north edge of the beach and connects to an ADA-accessible boardwalk with benches and viewing areas.

Horses are allowed on a 1-mile stretch of beach at the east end of the park.

The .07-mile Cheney Creek Trail connects Doran to Birdwalk Coastal Access Trail by crossing the marsh adjacent to Bodega Harbor. 

Accessibility

• ADA-accessible campsites can be reserved by calling Regional Parks' reservations office at (707) 565-2267 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Friday. Camping discounts are available to Regional Parks Access members. 
• All-terrain wheelchairs are available for free use on a first-come, first-served basis. Please inquire at the entry station or call the park office at (707) 875-3540.
• The boat launch includes an ADA-accessible kayak launch. 
• An ADA-accessible boardwalk features benches and viewing areas.

History

Bodega Bay has a long history of human activity. It has been the home of the Coast Miwok and Pomo peoples for thousands of years and has provided abundant resources for hunting, fishing and gathering. The first recorded European contact was by Spanish explorer Juan Francisco de la Bodega in 1775 followed by a century of Russian, Spanish, Mexican and Anglo-American settlement. Rancher William Doran owned the present-day parkland in the 1940s when the federal government took control of a portion to create a safe harbor for rescue operations. The land eventually passed to the County of Sonoma and the beach was established as the first regional park in 1967. 

Western Snowy Plover

The western snowy plover is a small shoreline bird that forages and nests on the beach. Once widespread on the Sonoma Coast, plovers are now a threatened species. Visitors can help the plover by keeping dogs on leash, staying out of fenced-off areas and disposing of garbage that could attract plover predators. Learn more.