San Luis National Wildlife Refuge
On our way back from the Sierras, we wanted to stop by somewhere to see more wildlife. When we arrived at the refuge, we found the visitor center closed due to COVID, which was disappointing, as the building looked really nice and modern.
We found a nature trail sign and decided to hike it on a whim—it was dull and hot, with pollen everywhere. At only a quarter mile in, I had to head back to the car as I started to feel allergy symptoms.
We did see a couple of rabbits on the trail and they were really cute. The rabbits would run away at a far distance from me, but the girls could get much closer without scaring the rabbit. However, there were no birds that we could see, even though birds are what this place is famous for.
I told the girls that we’d return in the winter, when I believe that there are many more birds here during those months.
What I Learned:
The visitor center was closed due to COVID.
I got bit 4 times by some bug in the 19 minutes we hiked. There are a lot of angry bugs here.
.47 miles, 19 min, 7 ft of ascent
Hike Review:
I’m sure this hike is better in winter, near sunrise or sunset, but it absolutely was the worst during the middle of the day in late spring.
The only redeeming factor was that we saw an abandoned birds nest and three rabbits. Other than that, it’s filled with pollen, and the trail is all rough gravel. No birds were sighted.