Bodega Bay Bike & Pedestrian Trail - Background

The Bodega Bay Trail project was initiated by the community, which wanted a safe path for pedestrians and bicyclists traveling along the Highway 1 corridor. In 2004, the California Coastal Conservancy provided the County with grant funds to study various trail alignments along the Highway between Salmon Creek and Doran Beach Regional Park. The Bodega Bay Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee formed to provide input on the study. Several community meetings and workshops were conducted to solicit input. The April 7, 2005 meeting at the Grange Hall attracted more than 50 participants.

Other participants included Caltrans, California State Parks, California Coastal Conservancy, Sonoma County Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, Sonoma County Permit and Resource Management Department, Sonoma County Transportation and Public Works Department, Sonoma County Regional Parks Department, and Supervisorial District 5 Office.

In September 2005, the completed trail study (PDF: 12.9 MB) recommended trail segments that could be completed in the short term, medium term, and long term depending on funding availability. The Sonoma County Transportation and Public Works Department and Caltrans would be responsible for developing on-street segments designated as Class II bike lanes and Class III bike routes within the public road right of way. Regional Parks would be responsible off-street segments designated as Class I bikeway.

In 2008, Regional Parks completed a 0.4-mile segment of the Bodega Bay Trail. This trail segment included the installation of a 110-foot bridge over Cheney Creek connecting Doran Beach Regional Park. The $540,000 project was funded by County park mitigation fees, California Coastal Conservancy grant, and Measure M.

In 2010, the County Board of Supervisors adopted the County Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan, which included the Bodega Bay Trail project as a high priority.

The Bodega Bay Trail will provide a link in the proposed 1,200-mile California Coastal Trail from Mexico to Oregon. The 8-foot-wide trail will provide a separate north-south route through Bodega Bay to improve safety of pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists. The trail will connect State Parks, County Parks, retail shops, restaurants, businesses, and scenic overlooks of Bodega Bay Harbor along the Highway 1 corridor. Users will experience the village atmosphere of Bodega Bay and have access to the beautiful Sonoma County coast, historic harbor, and picturesque waterfront.

The trail development consists of four segments: Coastal Prairie Trail, North Harbor Coastal Trail, Harbor Coastal Trail and Smith Brothers Road. Please see “Bodega Bay Trail Sections Map (PDF: 1.34 MB) for the trail alignments.

• Coastal Prairie Trail: This 1.1-mile trail segment starts at Keefe Avenue, continues through Sonoma Coast State Park and ends at the Bodega Bay Community Center. 
• Coastal North Harbor Trail: The 0.60-mile trail segment starts at the Bodega Bay Community Center, continues through the Bodega Bay Dunes Campground and ends at Eastshore Road. 
• Coastal Harbor Trail: The 1-mile trail segment starts at Eastshore Road, continues on county tidelands as an elevated boardwalk until it connects to Smith Brothers Road.
• Smith Brothers Road Trail: The 0.37-mile trail continues on county and state road right of way to Bird Walk Coastal Access Trail.

Coastal Prairie Trail: Estimated cost of this segment is $1.5 million. Available funding includes the following sources: $260,000 Transportation Development Act Article 3 Funds, $142,575 Coastal Impact Assistance Program (US Fish & Wildlife Service), $300,000 Measure M, and $360,000 Land and Water Conservation Fund grant.

Coastal North Harbor Trail: Estimated cost of this phase is $2 million. The California Coastal Conservancy contributed $100,000 towards completing the environmental work, engineering design, and regulatory permit applications for this segment. This trail segment is funded with the following sources: $795,000 from the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District’s Matching Grant Program, $348,000 from Sonoma County Transportation Authority Measure M, $482,000 from Parks Measure M, and $20,000 from the Regional Parks Foundation.

Coastal Harbor Trail: Estimated cost of this phase is $2.4 million. Additional funding is needed to complete this project.

Smith Brothers Road Trail: Estimated cost of this phase is $312,000. Additional funding is needed to complete this project. 

• 2005 Bodega Bay and Pedestrian Trail Study
  (PDF: 12.9 MB)
• Bodega Bay Trail Sections Map
  (PDF: 796 kB)