Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge
About
Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge is a public beach on the California coast, about 3.3 miles from Castroville. The refuge itself is the land unit here, and there is no fee to visit. Late summer into early fall is the driest, mildest stretch. September brings typical highs around 75°F and lows near 52°F with only about one wet day, according to averages from a nearby weather station in Salinas. Winter months are cooler and wetter, with highs in the low 60s and roughly nine wet days a month. For more time on foot, the Salinas NWR Trail starts about 0.7 miles away. Murphy Trail and Five Fingers Loop Trail are both within about 7 miles, and South Camp, about 10 miles out, offers a place to stay overnight.
Beach Details
Lifeguards
None
Parking
Available
Fee
Free
Restrooms
None
As published by the managing agency. Lifeguards, fees and dog rules are often seasonal, so check posted signs before you swim.
Location
Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge
California
Data: California Coastal Commission, YourCoast public access data. Source metadata
Facts about this place
When to go
Best time to go: Year-round. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 62–75°F and lows of 40–54°F.
Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Salinas #2, CA weather station, 9.5 mi away. High / low in °F, and days with snow.
- Jan63° high41° low
- Feb64° high42° low
- Mar66° high44° low
- Apr67° high45° low
- May68° high49° low
- Jun70° high51° low
- Jul71° high54° low
- Aug72° high54° low
- Sep75° high52° low
- Oct74° high49° low
- Nov68° high43° low
- Dec62° high40° low
Where it is
- Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge · Public land
- Nearest town
- Castroville, California · 3.3 mi
Source: NIFC Jurisdictional Units; USGS GNIS populated places
Nearby
- Salinas NWR TrailHiking0.7 mi
- Murphy TrailHiking6.4 mi
- Five Fingers Loop TrailHiking6.6 mi
- Long Valley Loop TrailHiking6.6 mi
- South Marsh Loop TrailHiking6.7 mi
- Little Moab RoadMountain biking8 mi
- South CampCamping10 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
