photo: Mark Aronoff/Press Democrat

The new trail segment allows access "so the public can experience this incredible coast," said Judy Rosales, trails steward for Sebastopol-based Coastwalk.

The trail work was done in a partnership between Sonoma County and the state Coastal Conservancy. Some of the funds came from the county's ¼-cent sales tax for transportation projects. Thanks to the new bridge, people can hike from the Bodega Harbour subdivision up to the town's post office. The trail passes through the Bird Walk Coastal Access Park, an area of now-dry marshland that fills with water in winter and is frequented by waterfowl and shore birds.Todd Holmes, a county parks planning manager, said a design is in the works for the trail's next phase, from Eastshore Road near the harbor to Salmon Creek. The third and most challenging phase will connect those two trails and pass through the center of Bodega Bay.