Help shape the future of Wright Hill Regional Park and Open Space Preserve

Help shape the future development of Wright Hill Regional Park and Open Space Preserve, a park and preserve on the Sonoma Coast not yet open to the public. Sonoma County Regional Parks seeks public feedback as the department creates a Master Plan to guide the park’s future public access, amenities, educational uses and natural resource stewardship. The community is encouraged to share their ideas by participating in an online survey available now through July 31 at WrightHillParkAndPreserve.org.

Located just south of Jenner and adjacent to Sonoma Coast State Park, the 1,236-acre Wright Hill Regional Park and Preserve links a network of public lands from Bodega Bay to the Jenner headlands. Its terrain includes forests and grasslands, with elevations ranging from 440 to 1,190 feet, that offer panoramic views of Salmon Creek, Bodega Bay, Willow Creek and Jenner. It sits at the intersection of several public parklands and conserved open spaces, expanding intact habitat for unencumbered wildlife movement, and supports diverse communities of flora and fauna with more than 350 plant species – 250 native to Sonoma County – and at least 86 bird species. The park's varied landscapes, from woodlands and canyons to wetlands, picturesque coastal grasslands and rock outcrops can also be seen by residents and visitors traveling along Highway 1.

Historically within the tribal territory of the Kashia Band of Pomo Indians, Wright Hill was most recently working ranchland. The history of ranching activities on the site goes back to the 1850s and some of the physical features of this land use still remain, including a historic barn and homestead.

The Master Plan will determine how the parkland is developed and managed for future public use. Public access challenges to Wright Hill include the fact that the property can’t be reached from any public road, and much of the property is surrounded by California State Park land, which has limits on permitted trail uses.  Additionally, trails on the property could potentially become part of the future California Coastal Trail, a state-mandated 1,200-mile continuous multi-use trail envisioned to run from Mexico to Oregon.

The property that comprises Wright Hill Regional Park – identified as a priority acquisition in multiple regional plans – was purchased in 2007 by the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District (Sonoma Ag + Open Space), supported by $4.85 million in public funds and a $750,000 grant from the California Coastal Conservancy. Ownership transferred to Regional Parks in 2021. Sonoma Ag + Open Space and Regional Parks have a long history of working together to conserve lands for natural resource protection, stewardship and public recreation. Planning for the park’s future public opening has been ongoing since then.

Initial public feedback from this survey will be incorporated into developing three master plan alternatives, a process which typically takes 12 to 18 months and involves extensive environmental review. The three draft alternatives will undergo another public review period, with additional feedback incorporated into the final draft master plan, which is expected to go before the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors for approval in late 2025. The park will then be opened fully to the public sometime thereafter.

Learn more about the future regional park and take the survey at WrightHillParkAndPreserve.org. A hard copy of the documents can also be requested by contacting Park Planner Karen Davis-Brown at Karen.Davis-Brown@sonoma-county.org or (707) 565-1359.

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Contact Information:

Sarah Phelps, Marketing Specialist

Sonoma County Regional Parks

Sarah.Phelps@sonoma-county.org

(707) 331-9027