Merced NWR
San Joaquin Valley · near Merced / Los Banos · Gold Country & Central Valley
Wildlife Watching
At a glance
- Best season
- Nov–Feb for sandhill cranes, Ross's geese & waterfowl
- Open year round
- No
What is here
- Wildlife
- birds
- Species
- Sandhill cranes, Ross's & snow geese, tundra swans, ducks, shorebirds, raptors
- Amenities
- Tens of thousands of cranes · Ross's geese & swans · Easy auto-tour loop · Dawn/dusk spectacle
- Best for
- Sandhill cranes & geese en masse
- Features
- Huge sandhill crane flocks · Ross's geese & tundra swans · Easy auto-tour loop · San Joaquin Flyway hub
Worth knowing
- Hazards
- Winter tule fog & cold · Auto-tour route (car as blind) · Remote valley roads · Bring optics
- Good for a first timer
- Yes
Wildlife Watching detail
- Viewing
- drive
- Effort
- easy
- Habitat
- wetland
- Sighting
- 5
- Viewing notes
- The San Joaquin Valley's crown jewel for cranes — tens of thousands of sandhill cranes and Ross's geese wintering on managed wetlands, with an easy auto-tour loop
- Intl tip
- The crown jewel of the southern Central Valley for wintering birds, south of Merced — above all for sandhill cranes, which gather in tens of thousands (among California's largest concentrations). Nov–Feb the wetlands throng with cranes, dense Ross's and snow geese, tundra swans, ducks, and raptors; the dawn/dusk trades between roost and field are the highlight. Easy auto-tour loop (car as blind), family-friendly. Thick tule fog and cold, remote farm roads — come at sunrise/sunset with optics. Spectacular numbers.
The guide
Tucked into the San Joaquin Valley south of Merced, the Merced National Wildlife Refuge is the crown jewel of the southern Cent…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Merced NWR — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 37.26, -120.88