Oceano Dunes Natural Preserve Trail

The Oceano Dunes Natural Preserve Trail offers a peaceful, foot-only way to experience the famous dunes away from the vehicle areas. Winding through protected coastal dune scrub, seasonal wetlands, and willow thickets, the trail showcases the surprising biodiversity of this landscape — home to rare plants, the endangered western snowy plover, and migratory birds that depend on the dune-and-wetland mosaic. Boardwalk sections protect fragile habitat while giving walkers access to interior dunes and views over the broad beach beyond. It's a contemplative counterpoint to the energy of the SVRA next door, ideal for birders, photographers, and anyone wanting to understand the ecology that makes the Oceano Dunes a globally significant landscape.