Young Birders Club Trip - Toro County Park

Description: Toro County Park is a large 4,756 acre park between Salinas and Monterey, with lots of playground equipment, picnic areas, and numerous hiking and biking trails. Bird-wise, we’ll expect to see turkey, quail, hawks, and maybe even a duck or Sora (a type of waterbird)! We’ll be visiting a special nature trail that is normally closed to public access, and there’s a pond there (hence the waterbirds)!

The Young Birders Club activities are open to kids and young adults, ages 1st-12th grade, of all levels of birding interest and knowledge. If you’ve never been birding before, great! If you’re already a bird nerd, great! Everyone is welcome.

Meet: Meet at 2:30 pm at the last gravel parking lot on the left side of the road as you drive in and towards that back of the park. It’s called the Overflow Parking lot located across from Quail Meadows Picnic Area. Google map link HERE. We’ll meet there then drive up to the nature trail and pond access point as a caravan, led by our County Parks friend Jean!  

Trip Difficulty: We will explore along a nature trail loop for 0.5 mile. The trail will be paved or of a durable, gravel road material. We won’t be going up steep hills or going off-trail.

What to bring:

• Sun protection (hat, sunscreen) and layers. It will likely be warm on this May day!
• Snacks and water are a good idea in case you get hungry.
• If you have binoculars, bring them, but if you don’t, no problem! Just mark that you’d like to borrow binoculars and how many in the RSVP form.

Facilities: There are bathrooms at the trailhead.

For additional questions or accessibility concerns, contact the trip leader at montereyaudubon@gmail.com. If you are not able to attend after having RSVP’d please email us and let us know!