The Guadalupe-Nipomo
Dunes:
A Haven for Wildlife and a Destination for People
DUNE ACCESS MAP
VIRTUAL TOUR OF OSO FLACO LAKE
DUNES VIDEO AND MULTIMEDIA PRESENTATIONS
A few
short generations ago, a person walking the length of California’s
coast would have encountered more than a dozen stretches of dunes landscape–all
strikingly beautiful and supporting an incredibly diverse array of plants
and wildlife.
Today, most of California’s dunes lie under concrete, asphalt, and houses. Parts of San Francisco, Monterey, and Los Angeles occupy former dunes systems. Of California’s 13 original coastal dune systems, only four remain relatively intact. The Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes, an eighteen-mile-long complex located north of Santa Barbara and south of San Luis Obispo, is one of them. It comprises the second largest coastal dune system in the state and is among the most scenic and treasured of California’s wild places.
Today, most of California’s dunes lie under concrete, asphalt, and houses. Parts of San Francisco, Monterey, and Los Angeles occupy former dunes systems. Of California’s 13 original coastal dune systems, only four remain relatively intact. The Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes, an eighteen-mile-long complex located north of Santa Barbara and south of San Luis Obispo, is one of them. It comprises the second largest coastal dune system in the state and is among the most scenic and treasured of California’s wild places.
The
dunes are a restless landscape. Born from a chance junction of curved
coastline, a river transporting sand from distant mountains, and ceaseless,
shifting winds, the dunes are an ever-changing, living place.
Just inland from the tidal area busy with feeding shorebirds, the first line of foredunes is unstable, changing from season to season. These small structures take the brunt of winter storms, drifting and migrating as tide and wind converge. Only the most tenacious of pilgrim plant species take tentative root on these temporary surfaces. Most are torn from their sandy homes in their first winter storm. Others survive and spread to form a living mat, stabilizing small hillocks of sand–until the next tempest arrives to rewrite their fate.
Just inland from the tidal area busy with feeding shorebirds, the first line of foredunes is unstable, changing from season to season. These small structures take the brunt of winter storms, drifting and migrating as tide and wind converge. Only the most tenacious of pilgrim plant species take tentative root on these temporary surfaces. Most are torn from their sandy homes in their first winter storm. Others survive and spread to form a living mat, stabilizing small hillocks of sand–until the next tempest arrives to rewrite their fate.
This
unstable topography serves as a barrier for large stretches of older,
more sedentary dunes inland. Here, dunes may creep a few feet east or
west over the course of a year, creating a substrate for the growth of
native plants adapted to the harsh conditions of the wind-driven landscape.
Wind
is not alone in creating and sustaining this landscape. Flowing down from
distant mountains, the Santa Maria River, sand-bearing mother of the dunes,
meets the coast in a lush estuary. Here and there, hidden between the
dry sand hills, pockets of fresh and brackish water also form numerous
small lakes and wetlands. Myriad creatures make their year-round or seasonal
homes in this living tapestry.
Bobcats, beetles and kangaroo rats nightly leave their prints in the sand. In the estuary, migratory shorebirds feed, rest and recharge for the next stage of their journey, while ducks, herons, frogs and muskrats ply the inland waters. Deer browse shrubs and undergrowth, their young hidden in tall grass, safe from prowling cougars. Foxes, coyote and black bear thrive here. The dunes support one of the few remaining nesting areas for the California least tern and the Western snowy plover, two of California’s most endangered shorebirds.
Bobcats, beetles and kangaroo rats nightly leave their prints in the sand. In the estuary, migratory shorebirds feed, rest and recharge for the next stage of their journey, while ducks, herons, frogs and muskrats ply the inland waters. Deer browse shrubs and undergrowth, their young hidden in tall grass, safe from prowling cougars. Foxes, coyote and black bear thrive here. The dunes support one of the few remaining nesting areas for the California least tern and the Western snowy plover, two of California’s most endangered shorebirds.
Today
the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes harbor California’s richest collection
of dune species. Its unique and varied ecosystems offer invaluable scientific
research opportunities. Additionally, the dunes are a much-loved destination
for naturalists, seekers of solitude, surfers, fishermen, and families
in search of a place to enjoy the beauty of the outdoors.
Honoring the long-established local tradition of off-road vehicle recreation at the dunes, portions of the dunes complex have been set aside for motorized vehicle recreation as well.
The Dunes Complex continues to provide a growing list of economic benefits to area communities. Its unique ecosystems, recreational opportunities, and unparalleled beauty have made the dunes a destination for tourists regionally and nationally.
Honoring the long-established local tradition of off-road vehicle recreation at the dunes, portions of the dunes complex have been set aside for motorized vehicle recreation as well.
The Dunes Complex continues to provide a growing list of economic benefits to area communities. Its unique ecosystems, recreational opportunities, and unparalleled beauty have made the dunes a destination for tourists regionally and nationally.