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San Luis National Wildlife Refuge - Main Unit
4.5 ★★★★★ 525 Google reviews · Running trail in Los Banos, California · Posted hours
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Boardwalk
- Distance
- Not reported
- Shape
- Not reported
- Shade
- Not reported
- Access
- Posted hours
Confirmed from San Luis National Wildlife Refuge - Main Unit's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
Extensive protected wetlands & grasslands with a wealth of native plant and animal species.
What runners say about San Luis National Wildlife Refuge - Main Unit
“Such a beautiful refuge - great way to see bountiful wildlife like Tule Elk, birds of prey, water fowl, owls, etc.”
Great place for a quick visit, especially if you like seeing and experiencing native wildlife. It is free to enter and park, and there is a nice visitor center that has an impressive display of local birds, as well as information on the Tule Elk, and several brochures you can take on the go.
I really loved my visit here. I went in early August which is not really the prime season so I practically had the whole place to myself. The exibits at the visitor center are informative, well done and interesting to look at.
Awesome place for wildlife and great for nature people that want to get out and take a drive to tour the area. Small hiking trails also at the park. The museum on site is a great place to learn about birds and animals that live underground.
We decided to stop on the way home from a Spartan race. There was so much to see and do. My daughter had fun exploring and learning about area and the wildlife here. There hiking trails and autocar tours. We got to spy on the rare California Tule Elk. At one point there number was 27.
Trail conditions & character
“Such a beautiful refuge - great way to see bountiful wildlife like Tule Elk, birds of prey, water fowl, owls, etc.”
“There's much more water off of the Tule Elk route and lots of little parking areas for fishing access and nice little spots to sit by the river.”
“8 mile trail near the visitor center and were fascinated with the bird activity, especially along the boardwalk that extends out into the marsh.”
Plan your run at San Luis National Wildlife Refuge - Main Unit
The practical stuff
- AccessPosted hours — posted hours below; park gates sometimes close earlier than the listing says
- SurfaceBoardwalk — flat and scenic, and slick when wet, so watch your footing
- DistanceNot reported. Trail systems often quote total path mileage rather than a single loop, so measure the route you actually want before you drive out.
- ShadeNot reported. Assume some of it is exposed and carry water in summer.
- At the trailheadparking — reported by runners
- Websitefws.gov
- Phone+1 209-826-3508
- Social Instagram · Facebook
Hours
| Monday | 8 am–4 pm |
| Tuesday | 8 am–4 pm |
| Wednesday | 8 am–4 pm |
| Thursday | 8 am–4 pm |
| Friday | 8 am–4 pm |
| Saturday | Closed |
| Sunday | Closed |
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Other trails within easy driving distance — useful when this one is flooded, gated, or just not the run you had in mind today.
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Great Valley Grasslands State Park
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Persimmon Park
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