Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve


Rent a kayak from outfitters on Hwy 1 and paddle past harbor seals into Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, or take a guided weekend hike and go bird-watching. Docent-led tours typically depart at 10am and 1pm on Saturdays and Sundays, and electric-boat cruises are also available.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Sunset State Beach

8.11 MILES

The La Selva Beach exit off Hwy 1, near Watsonville, brings you here, where you can have miles of sand and surf almost all to yourself.

2. Steinbeck House

9.5 MILES

Steinbeck was born and spent much of his boyhood in this house, four blocks west of the museum. It’s now a twee lunch cafe, which we’re not sure he’d…

3. National Steinbeck Center

9.56 MILES

This museum will interest almost anyone, even if you don't know anything about Salinas’ Nobel Prize–winning native son, John Steinbeck (1902–68), a…

4. Mission San Juan Bautista

11.14 MILES

Founded in 1797, this mission claims the largest church among California’s original 21 missions. Unknowingly built directly atop the San Andreas Fault,…

5. San Juan Bautista State Historic Park

11.14 MILES

Buildings around the old Spanish plaza opposite the mission anchor this small historical park. Cavernous stables hint at San Juan Bautista in its 1860s…

7. Manresa State Beach

11.58 MILES

Near Watsonville, the La Selva Beach exit off Hwy 1 leads here to this sparsely populated beach.

8. Fremont Peak State Park

12.88 MILES

Containing the Fremont Peak Astronomical Observatory, this park offers excellent views of Monterey Bay and the Pacific Ocean from its four-mile network of…