Wildlife, birding, and viewing

Wildlife areas and refuges are managed for habitat first. A property page may open an auto route, trail, parking lot, or viewing deck while leaving the land around it closed. On some refuges, anything not posted as a public-use area is closed to entry.

Read the map legend and current notice for the exact unit. Nesting, migration, hunting, flood, fire, construction, and habitat work can change the open route during the year.

The CDFW Lands Pass is not a pass for every wildlife area in California. It applies at the properties on CDFW's current list. At those places, visitors age 16 or older generally need a daily or annual pass.

A visitor carrying their own valid California hunting or fishing license is exempt. School and organized youth groups, including their adults, are also exempt. Check the property list and carry the document that fits your visit.

Protected marine animals may have federal rules and regional viewing guidance. NOAA tells visitors not to feed, touch, chase, swim with, or try to get a reaction from them. The suggested distance can change by animal and place.

On the California coast, NOAA asks shore visitors to stay at least 100 yards from seals and sea lions. From a boat, the general guidance is 100 yards from large whales and 50 yards from dolphins, porpoises, seals, sea lions, and sea turtles, with no more than 30 minutes watching one group. A species rule or local closure can require more room.

Use the current species page before the trip. In the field, back away if an animal stares, fidgets, changes direction, shields a young animal, flees, or enters the water because of you. A long lens is cheaper than disturbing the view.

CDFW does not allow visitors to operate a drone on department lands without a Special Use Permit. National wildlife refuges and parks can use their own bans or permit rules. FAA airspace rules are another layer, not a replacement for the land rule.

Away from CDFW land, the department's wildlife guidance says to launch and land at least 300 feet from animals and never fly lower than 100 feet over them. Those numbers are a minimum safety practice, not permission to fly from land where the manager says no.

Check the launch and landing place, the airspace, and the wildlife rule. If any one of them says no, leave the drone grounded.

A young animal alone is not always abandoned. CDFW warns that handling, feeding, watering, or moving wildlife without guidance can hurt the animal and the person trying to help.

Stay back, note the location, and contact a permitted wildlife rehabilitation facility, CDFW office, refuge or park staff, NOAA responder for marine mammals, or local animal control. Let the responder tell you the next move.