5,630 acres of spectacular lands on the Sonoma County coast are now open to the public, thanks to many years of hard work by a suite of partners (with assistance by PCI!). On Friday, September 7, the Preserve was opened to the public for the first time.
View from Sentinel Point, Jenner Headlands
The property was acquired in 2009 by the Sonoma Land Trust and the taxpayer-funded Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District. Other funding sources included the California Coastal Conservancy, the California Wildlife Conservation Board, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and Forest Legacy Program. The Wildlands Conservancy also assisted with funding. In September 2013, Sonoma Land Trust transferred the property to The Wildlands Conservancy to manage as a preserve managed jointly by TWC and Sonoma Land Trust.
PCI’s role was to design and assist with regulatory compliance for the new entrance on Highway 1, allowing public access while ensuring a safe entry point, protection of sensitive resources, and maintaining the beauty of this highly visible location. Project components included a trailhead parking lot, ADA-accessible restrooms and day-use area with picnic tables, ADA-compliant access road and trail to trailhead, wetland enhancement, and a restored drainage. The two-tiered parking lot is designed to blend in with the natural topography, and allows for bus parking and emergency vehicle access. Storm water runoff will be retained onsite and infiltrate into a constructed bio-swale and infiltration basin. PCI also completed the biology studies, wetland delineations, visual analysis, managed cultural resource assessments, assisted with community outreach, and prepared construction cost estimates.
When you visit, you can take your pick from a challenging 7.5-mile hike up to Pole Mountain on the Sea to Sky Trail, shorter loops near the entrance, or a relaxing picnic at the trailhead with amazing views. Dogs on leash are allowed on Jenner Headlands, but not on Pole Mountain. The Wildlands Conservancy’s trail map is available here.