United States Destinations

Wildlife getaways:

Central Valley

In the midst of the Pacific flyway, the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys shelter millions of migratory birds nesting in national wildlife refuges. Bring boots and binoculars to explore wetland marshes, tule grass and ponds. Marshes habitats for geese, ducks, yellow-headed black birds, shore birds, turtles and frogs are found at the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge in Willow and the Gray Lodge in Gridley, north of Sacramento.

Two hours south of Sacramento, the Merced County wetlands attract over 200 species of birds and 47 endangered plant and animal species. Bald eagles, long-billed do-witchers, tule elk, white-faced ibis and the Aleutian Canada goose co-habitant along the 48-kilometer loop.