The beach and dunes at Salinas River State Beach are part of Monterey Bay’s unique coastal dune system and it is home to many species of birds, including the California brown pelican, red-tailed hawk, American kestrel, western snowy plover, western gull, black phoebe, western scrub-jay, California towhee, white-crowned sparrow, and more. The beach is a popular fishing site.

Salinas River State Beach, 16 miles north of Monterey and one miles south of Moss Landing in MONTEREY COUNTY, has a nice section of wildflowers along the boardwalk at Molera Road. The park phone number is (831) 384-7695. San Luis Reservoir State Recreation Area, 12 miles west of Los Banos on Highway 152 in MERCED COUNTY, features spring wildflowers throughout the park. The park phone number is (209) 826-1196.