Chanslor Ranch in Bodega Bay now open to the public under Sonoma County ownership

If open space, ocean views and wildlife are your thing, Chanslor Ranch in Bodega Bay should be your next destination.

Long a privately owned getaway known primarily for horseback trail rides, the 378-acre ranch across Highway 1 from Bodega Dunes and Salmon Creek state beaches is now in county hands and open to the general public. The county is holding a special open house March 9.

Purchased by the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District for $5.5 million last November, the property will be transferred to Sonoma County Regional Parks later this year.

But visitors are welcome to hike 4.5 miles of trail leading up coastal hills, down to Salmon Creek and around the rugged landscape, which is bounded in part by the creek. The land is known for a diversity of habitat, from wetlands to coastal prairie, as well as many plants and animals. The wetlands are a stopover for migrating birds, as well.

The property also fits into an expanding mosaic of publicly owned, protected coastal lands that include the oceanfront state park property to the west, and Carrington Coast Ranch Regional Park and Open Space Preserve, a 335-acre property that shares a boundary with Chanslor Ranch along Salmon Creek on the north.

Whether and how the two county parks might eventually be connected has yet to be determined. Salmon Creek runs through a deep, steep-sided crease where the properties meet. But they will connect at Highway 1, part of the California Coastal Trail, and their mutual preservation will allow easier wildlife movement between the properties.

County officials also highlight the importance of acquiring new inland properties for the public that might allow for camping and other recreation in the future, particularly as rising sea levels claim existing campsites and parkland along the coast. It also offers one more option for visitors, especially on those bright sunny days that draw big crowds to the Sonoma Coast.

Conservation of the property also should facilitate adaptation by plants and animals as the climate and landscape change, said Misti Arias, general manager of the open space district, which is funded by a quarter-cent sales tax twice approved by voters.

“Building connections is an integral part of our work to conserve Sonoma County’s natural and working lands,” Arias said in a news release. “We conserve lands that connect habitats for wildlife, ensure waterways and groundwater remain intact, keep forests and grasslands healthy so they can provide us with clean air, and allow us all to experience the beauty and wonder of the natural world.

“Chanslor Ranch checks all of those boxes, and more,” Arias said.

What Regional Parks Park Manager David Robinson likes most are views that take in Bodega Harbor, Doran Beach and the ocean beyond, as well as overlooking winding Salmon Creek from high above its banks.

The prospect of kayaking upstream in Salmon Creek appeals, as well.

“It’s such a cool property,” Robinson said. “The views, the hike, being able to look down at Salmon Creek and just ecosystems down there, it’s pretty amazing.”

As an added bonus, parking is free over the next few months, until county parks takes ownership of the land. Once parks takes the reins, visitors will be required to have a park pass or pay the $7 day-use fee they would at other Regional Parks properties.

In the meantime, county parks has spent the last several months preparing for wider use, including rocking and striping the parking area, installing trash receptacles and portable toilets — accessible and regular — trimming dead and hazard trees and the like, Robinson said.

Horseback riding also remains available under an existing lease Chanslor Stables, the concessionaire that provides the horses and riding gear.

The ranch, owned by Chuan “Jonathan” Wang from 2014 to last year, has long been open to the public, with a $10-day-use fee for hikers and picnickers and more for those who wanted to ride.

But county officials have had an eye on it for years, hoping to acquire it for the public. But they managed to work a deal with Wang almost by chance, after he alerted his attorney, former Sonoma County Supervisor and Planning Commissioner Eric Koenigshofer, to two private buyers who were interested. Koenigshofer called west Sonoma County Supervisor Lynda Hopkins, who reached out to Wang and got the ball rolling.

“We are thrilled to have Chanslor Ranch under public ownership,” Hopkins said in a news release announcing the purchase. “This coastal gem has been a beloved destination for community members and visitors alike for many years, and we look forward to welcoming even more visitors on this cherished property in the years to come.”

Once it takes ownership, likely next fall, Regional Parks will take some time to observe how visitors use the property before launching public engagement and master planning, which is underway for Carrington Coast Ranch at present, Regional Parks Director Bert Whitaker.

That process will determine how the park is developed and what uses are permitted.

Said Robinson, “I think when we get that first big weekend, and everybody knows that it’s open, our first big sunny weekend, we’ll have lots of people come. I think it’s also cool as an opportunity to dissipate some of the traffic on the coast in the summer, when all those state park parking lots are full. Pretty exciting.”

You can reach Staff Writer Mary Callahan (she/her) at 707-521-5249 or mary.callahan@pressdemocrat.com. On X (Twitter) @MaryCallahanB.