photo credit: Sonoma County Ag & Open Space
The Estero Americano Coast Preserve, covers 547 acres, along Sonoma and Marin 
counties western border.

The Estero Americano Coast Preserve has been open to the public since December, but the 547-acre preserve, home to a popular new trail, has welcomed a swell of visitors in recent weeks.

The influx of hikers has been brought on by some viral social media posts and in Bay Area media outlets like the San Francisco Chronicle.

In response, Sonoma County supervisors are tamping down with parking restrictions near the trailhead.

"At the peak, I believe we had more than 1,700 visitors in one day, parking in a small residential area with very narrow roads," Sonoma County 5th District Supervisor Lynda Hopkins said at a recent meeting. "When you've got two cars parked on either side, there is sort of barely enough room for a fire truck to fit through in the middle essentially."

The quiet Bodega Harbor neighborhood is where the trailhead for the Wildlands Conservancy Estero Americano Coastal Preserve is located.

Neighbors there have raised some concerns over both parking and the impacts of such large amounts of visitors on the preserve and the neighborhood.

The preserve's trailhead is connected to the Shorttail Gulch Trail maintained by Sonoma County and it's not the first time public access in the area has caused friction in the neighborhood, noted Hopkins.

"Pinnacle Gulch is actually a great example," Hopkins said. "Same area also was initially developed without a parking lot. Also then suddenly went viral and suddenly had an increase in visitation, which ultimately led to the creation of a parking lot to alleviate some of the on street parking."

County supervisors approved no parking restrictions on the western sides of Osprey and Mockingbird drives near the Estero Preserve in hopes of easing the current crowding.

Hopkins said she's also spoken with the Wildlands Conservancy about encouraging destination stewardship and leave no trace ethics.

That's on top of highlighting other public access areas on the Sonoma Coast to alleviate the surge of visitors at the preserve.