Enhancing Doran Regional Park: Native Plantings, Protecting Wildlife, Improving Access & Supporting Education

Thanks to generous support from donors like you, the Sonoma County Parks Foundation is funding vital projects at Doran Regional Park to preserve coastal habitat, protect wildlife, inspire stewardship, improve accessibility, and enhance visitor experiences along the Sonoma Coast.

​​Inspiring the Next Generation 
​The Parks Foundation supports educational programs for kids and teens, fostering a love for the coast and environmental stewardship. These include YES! (Youth Exploring Sonoma) Parks, Sea Squirts, and Youth Crew projects such as rebuilding the trail and stairsteps at nearby Pinnacle Gulch.

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​Preserving Coastal Habitat
​Like many coastal areas, Doran Beach Regional has been impacted by more severe storms and changing climate patterns. To boost resiliency, Regional Parks partners with the California Native Plants Society and others to remove invasive ice plants and replant native species to strengthen the dunes. In addition, Cypress trees, which traditionally serve as windbreaks at Doran, have recently been failing. Regional Parks will be replanting a variety of native plants such as the Pacific Wax Myrtle (Myrica californica), a tall hearty shrub that currently thrives at Doran Beach.

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Protecting the Threatened Snowy Plover
Funding native planting projects has the dual impact of helping safeguard nesting habitat for the western snowy plover, a tiny shorebird that over-winters at Doran Beach. The small flock is thought to represent nearly half of the Sonoma County plover population. Experts believe fewer than 2,000 survive along the entire California coast. The Parks Foundation has helped fund interpretive signs and seasonal fencing to ensure it has a safe place to nest and thrive.

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Sustainable Park Operations
The Parks Foundation has helped purchase electric all-terrain vehicles (EV ATVs) to help rangers rapidly respond to coastal emergencies and enable maintenance staff to keep the beach looking its best with quiet, no-emission vehicles. ​

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Expanding Beach Accessibility
Park staff are always looking for ways to enhance visitor experiences, which led to the purchase of specialized beach wheelchairs for guests with mobility challenges. The popular wheelchairs help elderly and mobility-challenged visitors to explore and enjoy the shoreline. The Parks Foundation also funded a new storage shed that securely houses the wheelchairs and protects them from the elements.

Exciting Future Projects

​Bodega Bay Trail – A long-term project includes the creation of a scenic trail connection between Doran Beach and the mainland, and continuing north of Bodega Bay, making coastal access safer and more enjoyable.

Bodega Harbor Public Access Dock – A future gateway for residents and visitors to have convenient access to the harbor for windsurfing, paddleboarding, kite sailing and other activities. Bodega Harbor is known for being one of the best locations in all of California for these types of outdoor watersports.

Help Make a Difference!

Your donations will help fund these essential projects and programs. Join us in protecting and improving our beloved coast today.

Completed Projects at Doran:
Parks Foundation helps create Doran Visitor Center

In response to demonstrated interest from the public, Regional Parks opened the Doran Visitor Center in August 2017. The visitor center is located in a trailered cabin parked near the boardwalk.

Doran Park rangers and staff developed a variety of interactive displays that interpret the diverse habitats found at Doran: the sand dunes, ocean, wetlands and intertidal zone. The exhibits include the preserved skeleton of a sea lion, a children’s discovery activities and touch table, and large interpretive panels created by local artist Molly Eckler illustrating the habitats of Doran Regional Park and the Sonoma Coast.

The long-awaited Doran Visitor Center provides an enhanced experience for park goers to learn about the local flora and fauna of the area, purchase park memorabilia, and ask questions of Regional Parks’ trained volunteers at the center.

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Generous donor funds new restrooms and trail work at Doran Beach

In 2016 and 2017, the Parks Foundation received generous grants totaling $170,000 from the Peter E. Haas, Jr. Family Fund to construct a much needed restroom to serve the Gull and Shell Campgrounds at Doran Beach. The Haas family's generous gift enabled Regional Parks to construct a new, more attractive facility featuring flush toilets. The pre-fabricated building, shown on its way the the park, is in full compliance with current accessibility standards.

In addition to making construction of the new restroom possible, the Peter E. Haas Jr. Family Fund granted the Parks Foundation $25,000 towards construction of a new trail connecting the Doran Beach campgrounds to Smith Brothers Road.

The planned trail from the Doran Beach campgrounds to Smith Brothers Road will provide Doran visitors with a much safer alternative than walking or biking along Highway 1.