San Joaquin River
Vernalis, CA 95385-9706
Plan Your Visit
National wildlife refuges offer visitors a chance to unplug from the stresses of daily life and reconnect with natural surroundings. The refuge offers visitors a 4-mile Pelican nature trail and a seasonal Beckwith wildlife observation area to observe and photograph wildlife.
Prepare for your visit
Dress appropriately for the seasons. Comfortable walking shoes are recommended for nature trails. Summer months can reach extreme temperatures in excess of 100 degrees. Always bring and carry plenty of water. Hats and sunscreen are highly recommended. Mosquitoes can be very active, especially during fall and spring. Mosquito repellant is recommended.
When you arrive
Stop at the Pelican trailhead information kiosk on Dairy Road to become oriented, view the trail map, and learn about what to see and do on the refuge. The Pelican nature trail is open daily throughout the year. The Beckwith wildlife observation area on Beckwith Road is usually open seasonally from mid-October through mid-March.
Driving Directions
To Pelican Trailhead: From Modesto (CA-99), take CA-132 west for 12 miles, left on River Road for 3 miles, then left on Dairy Road for 1.5 miles. From I-5, take CA-132 east for 7 miles, right on River Road for 3 miles, then left on Dairy Road for 1.5 miles. To Beckwith Observation Area: From Modesto (CA-99), take CA-132 west for 8.5 miles, right on Gates Road for 3 miles, then left on Beckwith Road for 2 miles. From I-5, take CA-132 east for 10 miles, left on Gates Road for 3 miles, then left on Beckwith Road for 2 miles.
There are no fees to use the nature trail or wildlife observation area. There are no permits required for general public use of these areas.
Facilities at San Joaquin River
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Get Involved
Whether you want to further conservation, learn more about nature or share your love of the outdoors, national wildlife refuges provide many opportunities for you to help your community by doing what you love by partnering with volunteers, youth groups, and landowners.
Services
The refuge unit is actively managed to provide critical habitat for wildlife. Proactive natural resources management includes habitat restoration, inventory and monitoring programs, and the reintroduction of locally extirpated species like the endangered riparian brush rabbit. Wetland habitat management involves a complex infrastructure to support diverse waterbirds.
About
The San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge encompasses over 7,300 acres of riparian woodlands and wetlands where three major rivers meet in California’s Great Central Valley. Originally established in 1987 to protect wintering grounds for the then-endangered Aleutian cackling goose, the refuge now manages one of the state's largest riparian woodland restoration projects. This habitat is critical for the recovery of the endangered riparian brush rabbit and supports a diversity of breeding songbirds and raptors.