| Visitation: 950,000 | ||
| Area: 30,000 Acres | ||
| Lat: 37.531901 | ||
| Lon: 122.071302 | ||
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| Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge - Site # 184 | |||
| The Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge in Fremont, which was authorized by Congress in 1972, was the first such area to be designated in an urban setting and laid the foundation for others around the Bay and the nation. Watch for terns hunting fish, including the California least tern, an endangered species on the West Coast. | |||
 | Seasonal - these sites have high wildlife values during certain seasons, though they may have recreational value year-round. | ||
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| Background: | Grassy uplands overlook salt ponds, salt marshes, mudflats, and meandering tidal channels at this south bay refuge. A nature trail winds through the uplands, where northern harriers and peregrine falcons look for prey. The path descends to salt ponds and mudflats teeming with western sandpipers, dunlins, and other shorebirds. Pickle weed and cordgrass line slough channels and ponds favored by willets, black-necked stilts, egrets, and herons, endangered salt marsh harvest mice and California clapper rails hide amoung this vegetation. Thousands of ducks raft up in the open water, including concentrations of northern pintails, northern shovelers, and canvasbacks. Harbor seals may be seen near shore. Watch for terns hunting fish, including the California least tern, an endangered species on the West Coast. | ||
| The Habitat: | The refuge encompasses grassy uplands (3%), salt ponds (60%), salt marshes (15%), mudflats (20%), and seasonal wetlands (2%). | ||
| The Experience: | Salt marshes are the most productive ecosystem on earth. Only 15% of the the San Francisco Bay salt marshes remain. It is home to two federally-listed endangered species that live no where else in the world, the California clapper rail and the salt marsh harvest mouse. | ||
| Wildlife and Where to Find It: | Car and Trails. Trails are either compacted dirt/levees or gravelled levees. Trails are generally level and range from 0.5 miles to up to 9 miles roundtrip. Marshlands Rd offers bird viewing from a car, but pull-offs are minimal. | ||
| Viewing Tips: | More than 200 bird species. High probability of seeing shorebirds and waterfowl from October through April. Look for songbirds in spring and summer. Many resident birds, mammals, and reptiles. Connected to Coyote Hills (site 122) by trail. On San Francisco Bay Trail. | ||
| Nearby Viewing Sites: | Coyote Hills Regional Park | ||
| Festivals & Events: | Staff participates in local festivals and education fairs | ||
| Visitor Information: | Fremont Chamber of Commerce - (510) 795-2244 - http://www.fremontbusiness.com | ||
| Viewing Site Hours of Operation are: | |||
| Staff On-site: | Yes | ||
| Open: | Everday | ||
| Hours: | April - Oct 7 a.m. - 8 p.m. / Nov - Mar 7a .m. - | ||
| Year Round: | Yes | ||
| Seasonal: | Closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day | ||
| Road Information: |  Paved. | ||
| Roads available year-round. | |||
| Road Hazards: No | |||
 Number of Parking Spaces: 70 | |||
| Parking Fee: No | |||
| Proximity to viewing area: | |||
 Pull-Through Parking: No | |||
| Parking Notes: | |||
| How to Get There: | To reach visitor center: Take Highway 101 or Interstate 880 to Highway 84. Follow Highway 84 toward the Dumbarton Bridge. Take Thornton Avenue exit. Follow Thornton Avenue 1 mile south to refuge main entrance. | ||
| Contact Information | |||
| Managing Agency: | US Fish & Wildlife Service | ||
| Agency Site URL: | http://www.fws.gov/refuge/don_edwards_san_francisco_bay | ||
| Physical Address: | 1 Marshlands Rd Fremont, CA 94555 |
Agency 2: | , CA |
| Manager Phone: | 510/792-0222 | Contact Us: | by Email |
| Site Phone: | (510) 792-0222 | ||
| County: | Alameda | ||
| Addition Website: | |||