In a naturally, socially distanced experience, paddle up the Elkhorn Slough with a kayak at your own pace. For land lovers, surrounding trails provide access to the beach and the slough entrance. For a more laid back experience, boat tours provide the most relaxed journey.

Elkhorn Slough Background

Located 20 miles north of Monterey, the Elkhorn Slough is the 2nd largest Californian estuary and sits at the center edge of Monterey Bay. Located at the site of a primordial river drainage basin, the current slough was only recently reconnected to the ocean in 1946.

Getting to Moss Landing

Take 880S to San Jose through the 101 interchange where it will turn into 17S to Santa Cruz. At Santa Cruz, follow the signs to highway 1S. Moss Landing is directly off of highway 1.

Alternatively, you can take 101S. Exit to 156W before Prunedale, and then exit 1N to Moss Landing.

Most of the activities are at north harbor, off of Jetty Rd. The power plant is an unmistakable landmark that is located to the south of Jetty Rd.

Accommodations, restaurants and most boat tours are in the south harbor, further south on 1, off of Moss Landing Rd.

Moss Landing Activities

Hiking

Jetty Road leads into Moss Landing State Beach. From here, you can view wildlife across the north harbor.

The Moss Landing State Wildlife Area across highway 1 from the north harbor is frequented by fishermen along the shores of the estuary. Check their website for the latest information.

Kayaking

Kayaking outfitters from the north harbor (Jetty Rd), offer rentals and quick training courses to set you on your way. The water in the slough is extremely calm, however paddling in/out can be a workout depending on the flow of the tide (see tip below). I’ve tried Monterey Bay Kayaks at Elkhorn Slough and always had a good experience.

An alternate to kayaking are “hydrobikes”. The main advantage the bikes have over kayaks is that they’re higher up over the water and extremely stable. This means bringing large gear (like a large DSLR w/zoom lens) is a lot safer than on a kayak. The downside is that they have a propeller that requires a minimum depth and can get tangled in sea grass or fishing line. Try calling Monterey Bay Hydrobikes to check pricing as they sometimes offer day-of discounts depending on their schedule.

Tip: Check the tide tables for the high tide time. Ideally begin your journey before high tide to let the tide push you into the slough. Start returning to the harbor after high tide, and kick back as the ebbing tide pulls you back in.

Boating Tours

Typically located at the south harbor, boating tour operators offer a leisurely experience into the slough. The advantage is that you have a guide and boat do all the work for you. The disadvantage is that you have less control over your view and ability to explore according to your own interests.

Otter Pictures

Taken from a hydrobike (see above under Kayaking).

Related

• Point Lobos State Reserve
  • Just south of Monterey, plenty of hiking along craggy shore where you’ll spot seals and otters in the water.
• Año Nuevo State Park
  • A regular breeding ground for elephant seals.
• Geologic history of Elkhorn Slough

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Don Edwards Wildlife Refuge

Length: 7-8 mi. (using the early bypass, 12mi for the full Alviso Trail)
Elevation: 258 ft. Gradual.
Time: ~4 hrs
Difficulty: Easy (flat)
Dog are generally prohibited on the trails in this part of Don Edwards (some are allowed on leash in the Fremont region).

An Oddly Situated Gem

Hundreds of thousands of commuters on SR237 pass by the nation’s first urban national wildlife refuge every day. Lined with bustling development for Silicon Valley’s IT companies, the Bay trail and Coyote creek crossing provide hints of what lies close by.

Centuries of hunting, landfill, and development have drastically transformed the San Francisco Bay. Grizzly bears and tule elk once roamed across northern bay estuaries and birds came from all around the world to rest on their migratory routes. Tidal action along with salt and freshwater reactions cause sediments to accumulate at the mouths of feeding creeks and rivers. This in turn allows for a variety of plants and animals to thrive.

Be aware that duck hunting is allowed along the Mallard Slough and you’ll hear quite a bit of racket in the mornings during hunting season.

Common birds you’ll find in this area include the great egret, snowy egret, and the white pelican.

Don Edwards spans the entire south east of the bay with the main visitor center located in Fremont.

Bay Re-engineering

Starting with the Gold Rush, hydraulic mining caused massive deposits of sediment to fill in the bay. Further landfill deposition due to dredging and development further shrunk the SF Bay’s wetlands.

At the south side of the bay, Don Edwards provides access to estuaries fed by the Guadalupe river (re-directed to the Alviso Slough) and Coyote Creek outlets.

Salt Ponds

Remnants of old commercial salt evaporation ponds created by Leslie Salt and later bought by Cargill Corp partition off the refuge and delineate the levee trails.  While Cargill continues to operate in some portions of Don Edwards near Newark (the only evaporation based salt production left in the US) , the areas in the Alviso region are part of the South Bay Salt Restoration Project. This project aims to convert the salt ponds back into their former tidal wetlands. The first step towards reverting the ponds back to their native state is break down their artificial boundaries and allow water to freely move in and out withe the bay tide.

An Abandoned Ghost Town

The San Francisco Bay Areas only ghost town, Drawbridge is visible from the Mallard Slough Spur trail. Founded in the late 19th century by the South Pacific Coast Railroad to house operators of two drawbridges, the town’s last resident left in 1979. The drawbridges are long gone, but the railroad still carries Amtrak trains and the city hall is still left standing.

The Trails

Getting There

From the East Bay, take 880S to 237W. Take the first exit, Zanker Rd. Zanker will turn into Los Esteros Blvd and take you a few turns past a waste processing and landfill facility. Make a sharp right onto Grand Blvd.

From the West Bay, you can take 237E to 1st street, north (towards the bay). Make a right onto Grand Blvd.

Grand Blvd will take you to the entrance gate where the Marsh View Trail (a short hike to the Environmental Education Center) starts. Depending on the time of day (if the gate is closed or in danger of closing) proceed toward the Environmental Education center further along Grand Blvd.

Be aware that duck hunting is allowed along the Mallard Slough and you’ll hear quite a bit of racket in the mornings during hunting season.

1. Environmental Education Center

The Environmental Education Center is the starting point of the New Chicago Marsh trail. This short trail is on a boardwalk which brings you over the marsh.

2. New Chicago Marsh

After this pleasant stroll, you’ll come across the Mallard Slough Trail. Make a right here.

3. Mallard Slough Trail

The Mallard Slough trail brings you around roosting pelicans, and swaths of cat tail grass that lines the Mallard Slough. Duck hunters loiter in this area on their boats during hunting season and shotgun shots can be heard occasionally cracking through the air.

4. Observation Point

A small bulge in the trail forms a small peninsula, providing an immersive view of the wildlife resting on the tiny islands in the salt pond that are popular with the white pelicans.

With any amount of time spent in the refuge, you can’t fail to notice the Amtrak trains that still operate through the area.

5. Mallard Slough Spur

The spur trail brings you along the railroad tracks to the Coyote creek outlet and the last remnants of Drawbridge.

6. Draw Bridge

Ath the end of the spur trail, the Coyote creek flows by on its way into the bay. Across is the former city hall of Drawbridge.

The land across the creek is no longer open to the public. Guided tours are occasionally available by Ceal Craig who has a great slideshow here.

7. Alviso Slough Trail

The Alviso slough is the current outlet of the Guadalupe river which was diverted from it’s original outlet (the Guadalupe slough) to allow for easier access by boats. The 8.6 mi trail runs along the outer edges of the Coyote creek, to the Alviso Slough and then back again along the railroad tracks. A bypass through the salt ponds (which we took) allows for a much shorter alternative.

8. Tidal Gate

These tidal gates allowed the salt harvesting operators to control the water levels and salinity within the ponds. With the estuary restoration in progress, these gates should be locked open to allow natural tidal actions to propagate throughout the wetland.

9. Point of No Return

Joining the Alviso Slough and the Mallard Slough trails is only the one connector near the Mallard Slough spur (that diverts to view Drawbridge). To return to the Education Center, make sure to turn left at the railroad tracks. Although the Mallard and Alviso trails both run parallel to the railroad tracks, there is no way to cross between the two at any other point. Turning right, while offering some nice views of Levi Stadium, will bring you to Alviso Marina.

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Essential Info

Length: 2mi
Time: 1.5 hrs
Difficulty: Easy
Facilities: Visitors Center and flush toilets.

Hours: 8AM-5PM (winter) 8AM-7PM (others); Occasionally closed on weekend so check ahead.
Dogs: On leash only and not allowed in the marsh/pasture areas. Suisun Hill trail is OK.
More Info: Solano Land Trust Website

Highlights

The Rush Ranch Open Space Preserve brings us to an old ranch along the tidal marshes of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River delta.  Aquatic birds flock to the brackish waters of the Suisun Marsh in which fish like wild salmon and delta smelt thrive.  Nearby Grizzly Island reportedly provided foraging grounds for the now extinct California Grizzly which came down from the Mt Diablo foothills to forage on the island.

The hikes within the ranch area provide trails along the sloughs and above in the hills that provide grand views of the marsh land. The preserve is operated by the Solano Land Trust and provides various free activities.

Getting There

Rush Ranch is located next to Suisun City, just south of Fairfield. Take 80E to Sacramento, then switch to 12E near Fairfield. After about 6.5 miles, turn right onto Grizzly Island Blvd. You’ll pass a strip mall on the left hand side and the road surroundings will quickly shift to water and marsh grasses. 2.5 miles in, the ranch will be easily visible on the right.

The Ranch

Even if you’re not a hiker, a visit to the ranch can be a worthwhile excursion if you’re in the area. They feature the “Bone Yard”: a grave yard of old farm equipment and blacksmithing classes (check their event calendar).

Opportunities for wildlife viewing exist even here as the locals check out the attractions.

The ranch’s horse corrals are frequently occupied.

The Marsh Trail

The Marsh Trail is an easy, flat hike which traverses various habitats and offers plenty of opportunities to sight birds, coyotes, and wonderful landscapes.

Hiking through the visitor center, past the horse corrals you’ll immediately pass a grove of trees. Make a quick scan for owls or other birds resting on the branches.

Continue on past some grassland to the base of a small hill. The steepest part of this trail, a small ascent up a lookout hill offers grand views of the marsh. Relax on the benches and have a snack while taking in the view.

Descending down from the lookout you’ll pass a few Native American interpretive exhibits at the bottom of the hill. Follow the signs to stay on the trail.

Suisun Slough

Proceeding towards the Suisun Slough, you’ll get a close look at the levee gates which are used to help control salinity levels and create an optimal habitat for water fowl. High tides cause the salty bay water to back up through the delta while high river flows can push the salt back down.

From here is a long stretch along the Suisun Slough.  While boaters motor up and down the slough creating noise and wake, elegant birds can still be seen resting close to the shorelines or in flight.

Goat Island

About 3/4 of the way along the slough you’ll reach Goat Island, a small lump of earth in the middle of the marsh that’s slightly elevated leaving it drier with less vegetation. From here, the trail proceeds along the slough and hits the riparian zone where the reeds of the marsh come to an abrupt end and open grasslands take over. Turn left here to stay on the main trail, although the trail also goes right for about 100 ft.

The barbed wire fence here is a popular spot for various birds to perch and observe trail goers.

The grassland section of the trail offers good views all around where wildlife can be seen.

The South Pasture Trail

Length: 2mi
Time: 1.5 hrs
Difficulty: Easy

The south pasture trail offers a different loop with various vantage points of the marsh and surrounding landscape features. It consists of grasslands with a crossing over marsh land a small piece of the Spring Branch slough.

Start the loop at the windmill, just beyond the “boneyard”.

The first quarter of the trails passes over the greenest portions which traverse the Spring Branch slough.

Panorama Point

After passing through the slough is a split where the trail forks into a greater and lesser loop. If you turn off before the small hill, you’ll be taking the smaller loop. If you continue up the hill you’ll immediately hit the panorama taking stand where you can help participate in documenting the visual, historical changes in the marsh. Just below the hill is a Native American interpretive station.

Continuing along the trail, you’ll proceed through grassy flat areas used for (as the trail name suggests) cattle grazing. Take a look at the ground every now and then and you’ll be surprised by a striking flower or two.

Though the trail is mostly well marked, some of the signs gave gone into disrepair. As a general rule, stay on the most clearly defined trail and look for benches.

A second crossing back across the Spring Branch slough goes over a wooden ramp. The springy boards and missing pieces are a good indication care should be taken while crossing over.

You also will come across seemingly impassable cattle gates: you’ll need to suck in the gut and squeeze through the zig-zag pattern.

The end of the trail arrives at the eastern side of the boneyard.

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