Search by beach, city or zipcode

Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge

Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge
Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge
View Larger Map Get Driving Directions

Links

Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge in Marina, California

Share22
Tweet
Pin3
25 Shares

Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge has a long remote sandy beach at the mouth of the Salinas River north of Monterey, CA. The refuge is managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. It protects dunes and natural habitat while providing the general public hiking trails to explore and access to the beach just south of the Salinas River.

A little over half-mile north of the beach access there is a large beached barge in the surf. It’s one of the shipwrecks in California that you can see from shore. Near the barge the waves are exposing old metal munitions from past military training exercises. Warnings are posted but say they pose no threat. The park is working to remove them all over time.

To get to Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge drive north to the end of Del Monte Boulevard from the city of Marina or take the Del Monte Blvd exit off Highway 1 and head west (the road becomes Neponset Road).

There is a small “day-use only” parking lot at the edge of a farm with a double-track trail that is your 3/4-mile walk to the beach. It takes you past the wetlands, then through the dunes on the way to the beach. The dunes are off limits to humans to protect bird habitat. Another trail at the parking lot leads to the river’s edge and forms a loop back to the beach trail. Note that waterfowl hunting is allowed on the River Trail approximately mid-October to mid-January.

Address
200 Neponset Rd
Salinas, CA 93908
Park Name
Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge
Owner
National Refuge
Activities
Hiking, Birdwatching, Beachcombing, Wildlife Watching, Fishing, Hunting, Beach Walking
Amenities
River, Wetlands, Dunes, Shipwreck
Pet Policy
No dogs allowed on the trails or the beach
Fees
Free parking

Book Hotel

Related Articles

Related Maps

  • Best Sand Dunes on the California Coast

    Sand dunes are diverse natural habitats that can be sources of endless fun whether it is hiking or just playing around. California has dunes all along its Pacific Ocean shoreline […]

    Read Article

  • Map of Shipwrecks You Can See in California

    California is home to hundreds of shipwrecks that occurred over the years from the broad sandy beaches of Southern California to the rugged rocky coastline of Northern California. Some of […]

    Read Article

  • The Beaches of Monterey Bay

    Not many places in California have a continuous stretch of sand like Monterey Bay. Between Santa Cruz & Monterey lies 31 miles of sandy coastline, only interrupted by the infrequent waterway, which can easily be […]

    Read Article