Anywhere to park car and sleep near Doran?

I'm looking to head up to Doran, but with the lack of planning, looks like the possibility of getting a tent site at Doran Regional Park is looking slim to none.  I also checked at Bodega Dunes campground and they are fully booked as well.  From my research, doesn't look like anything else nearby has availability.  DOH!  Shoulda known better.

I guess my next option would be sleep in the car, which I don't mind, but was told that the park closes at 7pm, which means I would have to leave and return next morning.  I'm not too familiar with this area, so those of you that do know the area a bit, just wondering if there's somewhere nearby (within 10 miles maybe) that would be legal for us to park and sleep for a few hours?

Any info is appreciated.  Thanks.

Just park right outside of the jetty gate and sleep there.

Hey Dustin.  Sorry, but where is that exactly?  Are you referring to the entrance/kiosk where we pay the day use fee?

You can park next to the closed gate just before the day use area.

Sonny.  I've only been there twice, and both times, I don't recall seeing a gate.  I remember stopping at the kiosk at the entrance to pay the day use fee in the envelope.  Are you referring to that as the gate?

No there is a second gate for the day use area out at the jetty. They lock that one at night.

Anthony

Sonny.  I've only been there twice, and both times, I don't recall seeing a gate.  I remember stopping at the kiosk at the entrance to pay the day use fee in the envelope.  Are you referring to that as the gate?

No.  The "gate" is way pass the kiosk.  It's the iron swinging pole which they close at night with chain.

Got it.  Thanks guys.

Check the "chain", sometimes they "forgot" to put the lock on 

You should just go in and pay at the gate in the new machine , bring $7.00
and park outside the gate of the day use, it will be close.
you will be in the overflow parking next to the jetty facing the north west side.

DO NOT PARK BY THE BATHROOMS, That area is for the people that camp there and  are in the water after checkout time. OR YOU WILL GET A TICKET, I did.

or if you want there is plenty of open areas on the other side of the water by the west side ramp with plenty of areas to crash for a few hours.

I've parked in the condo parking right on hwy 1 at the entrance to doran. No hassles there, I have slept in the grotto lot too just up the road. Nothing worse than a ranger telling you to beat it in the middle of the night.

You could drive right to the boat ramp and park in the parking spaces right by the ramp facing the water. I really doubt if you would get hassled I know guys pull their boats out 25'  from the ramp and sleep in them all the time just to the right of the ramp. If the ranger comes up just tell him your trying to get an early start. Or you could go to Goat Rock, take a piece of plastic and your sleeping bags, not a tent build a fire north of the rock and sleep on the beach. You could get away with that at salmon creek, goat rock, shell and a few of the other beaches. My friends used to do it all the time to purposefully defy a law they tried to pass that you must be off the beaches by 10pm. A law that thankfully failed. Another thing you could do is to do your fishing out of Tomales Bay. Just paddle across, get a permit or pull your boat and tents out of sight closer to the mouth. The Union Hotel in Occidental used to let people who were drinking or eating there sleep in their RVs in the upper parking lot. I don't see why they wouldn't let you sleep there in your car. Also, have you tried Westside just across the water 707-875-3540. Some of the Westside sites are first come first served and availability seems good and Wrights Beach 5 miles up the coast from Doran.

this from the Wrights Beach website        Campsites at Wright’s Beach Campground are often completely booked up well in advance, especially on weekends, however there is overflow camping available when the campground is full. The overflow area is located along the roadway adjacent to the kiosk at the campground entrance, and may be used for self-contained vehicles. Tents are not allowed in the overflow camping area. This area is along the roadway adjacent to the kiosk at the campground entrance.

Also like to throw out that salmon fishing seems to be slowing in Bodega and may be just as good or better at Timber or Ocean Cove with the always good backup rock fishing which you do have at Bodega but is usually better up Timber way.

sorry double post

Just across from Doran next to Spud Point Marina is another Sonoma County campground called Westside. It looks mostly like an RV park as all sites are pull throughs. We usually stay there as it almost always has space even when Doran is full. My sister's family joined us a few weeks ago and they tented with no problems. It has a launch ramp, cleaning station, showers, etc. Slightly longer paddle to get out but no big deal