New county trail links coastal communities

A new trail has been dedicated at Bodega Bay. Called the Coastal Prairie Trail, it is part of the Bodega Bay Trail system and is a segment of the California Coastal Trail.

It was formally dedicated on Aug. 19 and an event attended by residents, dignitaries and one black lab named Coal. Coal is known in the neighborhood for his work locating garbage for trail clean-ups. I spoke with one resident who told me she opposed this trail project from the very beginning and now is happy to walk it almost every day.

The trail represents a successful collaboration between state and county parks - it is a Regional Parks trail built on State Parks land. So let’s go!

The Coastal Prairie Trail begins at the Bodega Bay Community Center on the west side of Highway 1 just past Bay Hill Road. This pedestrian and bicycle trail is just over a mile and heads north to Salmon Creek. The trail includes a beautiful wooden bridge, dedicated to Liz Burko, who had a 30-year career with State Parks.

The new trail is flat and affords opportunities for sighting the migratory birds common to this area - different species flying from Alaska to Chile. The day I was there, I spotted kites, a great egret, swallows, turkey vultures and cormorants. You might want to take your field glasses.

Don’t be dissuaded by the short distance of the Coastal Prairie Trail. You can make the hike longer, up to six miles or so. The trail crosses the road to Bodega Dunes Campground, and you can head west down that road for a mile to get to sheltered picnic benches or to climb the sand dunes to the ocean.

Here you will walk among colorful ice plants in the sandy soil down to the beach. If you are lucky, you may spot a snowy plover. No dogs are allowed on the beach, though, in order to protect the snowy plovers. This bird is listed as a threatened species. Bodega Dunes is a great spot for a lunch or snack break. A bathroom break, too.

Head back up to the Coastal Prairie Trail and continue north to Salmon Creek. The trail ends in a residential area of lovely old beach cottages.

Take a left on Keefe Avenue, then down Churchill and left on Bean to the beach. Winding your way through the streets, you reach the banks of Salmon Creek and then onto the beach. There are nearly two miles of scenic, sandy beach that makes this an excellent place for surf fishing, beach combing and picnicking. Again, no dogs on the beach.

Ready to head back to the Bodega Bay Community Center where you started the walk? When you get near the center, take a short turn on the trail to see the Children’s Bell Tower, erected in honor of Nicholas Green, the young boy who died in Italy. The 140 bells wave in the ocean breeze.

If it is Sunday between Memorial Day and the end of October, you may have time to stop off at the Farmer’s Market. The hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and you will find stalls of fruits, vegetables, cheeses and handmade wares by local artisans. If you are hungry, there is plenty to eat at the farmers’ market. And if you come on Oct. 30 there will be children’s activities and vendors will be in costume.

Have fun!

(Carol Eber is the chair of the Sonoma County Regional Parks Foundation, and a Petaluma resident.)