Wildlife
Wildlife, birding, and viewing
How to watch wildlife without crowding it, feeding it, or missing site rules, passes, closures, drones, and marine-life distance rules.
Wildlife watching is best when you give animals room. Tule elk, condors, sea otters, whales, desert bighorn, monarchs, shorebirds, and neighborhood coyotes all need space.
Start with the place. A CDFW wildlife area, national wildlife refuge, state park, beach, or neighborhood trail can have different rules for dogs, bikes, drones, check-in, and passes.
The simple rule is to look from a distance, never feed wildlife, and use the official area page before you bring dogs, drones, bikes, or collecting gear.
First moves
- 1
Pick the exact wildlife area, refuge, park, beach, or viewing site.
- 2
Check allowed activities, pass or check-in rules, seasonal closures, and whether dogs or drones are allowed.
- 3
For whales, seals, sea lions, sea turtles, and other marine life, check NOAA viewing guidance before you get close.
- 4
If an animal looks sick, injured, trapped, or aggressive, call CDFW, a refuge or park office, NOAA for marine mammals, or local animal control.
Watch for
- 1
Feeding wildlife can hurt animals and create safety or legal trouble.
- 2
Refuges and wildlife areas can close parts of a site during nesting, migration, fire, flooding, or habitat work.
- 3
Drones can disturb wildlife and may be banned or require written permission.
- 4
A great birding spot can still have hunting seasons, check-in rules, pass rules, or restricted areas.
Go deeper
Check the manager before the rule
Use this first when you are not sure who sets the rule for the place you want to visit.
Redwoods, deserts, mountains, and big parks
A practical first stop for redwoods, Sierra parks, desert roads, islands, volcanoes, and the official pages that control roads, permits, weather, and access.