Eldridge Park Visitors Invited to Shape Future Programs Through New State Parks Survey

ELDRIDGE, Sonoma County — People who use the trails and natural lands around the former Sonoma Developmental Center can now share feedback through a visitor services survey published by California State Parks.

What the survey is for

State Parks announced the SDC Open Space Visitor Survey on October 16, 2026. According to the agency’s news update, the survey asks about visitors’ experiences to help staff decide what kinds of historical, cultural and environmental programs would be meaningful and well attended.

The site has both a natural landscape and a long institutional history. The former Sonoma Developmental Center served people with developmental disabilities for generations before closing in 2018. Public interpretation may therefore involve the area’s ecology, the history of care and disability rights, and the role of the campus in Sonoma Valley.

How to give feedback

The agency links the questionnaire from its SDC Open Space main page and from the October 16 notice. The announcement did not specify a final response deadline, so interested visitors should check whether the survey remains available before completing it.

A new way to report accessibility concerns

The same October 16 update announced a new public email for the Bay Area District Accessibility Team: BayAreaAccessibility@parks.ca.gov. People may use it to ask accessibility questions or report barriers in state parks. The district has also described an accessible history walk around the Sunrise/Baker loop, but visitors should confirm current programming before traveling.

What the survey cannot guarantee

Submitting a suggestion does not mean a new trail, guided tour or building improvement has already been funded or approved. It gives land managers information for their program decisions. The agency’s news page lists Carmen.Vanni@parks.ca.gov for SDC Open Space questions.

Source: California State Parks, SDC Open Space News and Updates, October 16, 2026. No third-party photographs or survey graphics copied.

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