Our family wanted to go do something outdoors today, but didn't want to be physical. We decided to drive down to the San Luis National Wildlife Refuge. While the visitor center is closed you can still enjoy the other refuge activities. They have multiple driving paths, hiking trails and even places to fish. As it was a hot day we just did the Tule Elk Auto tour. Elk are around all year long, but during the summer it is best to go early in the morning or in the evening as the Elk will be closer to the fence. We didn't know this prior to going so we were there around 4 pm. We saw bunnies, cranes, hawks, many other birds and best of all TULE ELK!!! There is a platform near the end of the auto tour that you can walk out onto. (it is a ramp so no stairs) They have a telescope to look out onto the grassland area. From that platform we spotted our first elk! As we continued down the auto trail we were able to see a couple of herds. It was such a great little trip and my family all loved it! Beware if you are driving along with the windows down there is a section were the mosquitoes were in abundance. We look forward to our next trip. Also we look forward to the waterfowl tour in December and January as we were informed that is the best time to see them. The trails are open from sunrise to sunset.
The address is:
- 7376 Wolfsen Road Los Banos, Ca 93635
