Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge

Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge is a 4,000+ acre U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuge on the southern edge of Humboldt Bay near Loleta, established in 1971 to protect wetland and coastal habitat along the Pacific Flyway. Its Salmon Creek Unit at 1020 Ranch Road includes the Richard J. Guadagno Visitor Center, interpretive displays, and the accessible 1.7-mile Shorebird Loop Trail leading to an elevated observation deck. More than 200 bird species, waterfowl, and other wildlife use the refuge, with peak viewing November through March; the complex also manages the Lanphere Dunes and Castle Rock units.