Use this eBird hotspot for all sightings from Highway 1 to the uppermost of the the three bridges. Start a separate list or lists for birds noted on your way through Palo Corona Park to this area, or for birds you find on the Wilson-Whisler Loop, depending on which way you access the area. Bear in mind that hotspots will likely be changing in the adjacent Palo Corona territory as access for this area continues to evolve.

Owing to the access difficulties the eBird records for the area should be considered data-deficient. One should expect species typical of these habitats. The rarities list is small, but this represents only incidental sightings by birders attending guided hikes. Sightings to date include Golden Eagle, Black-and-White Warbler, Nashville Warbler, and Western Tanager. What other rarities might be there in late May and early June?  Do Condors ever drift over the high ridges?  Do the Spring sightings of Pacific Wren and MacGillivray’s Warbler represent migrants or do they breed there?  Go take a walk in this area in the right season and report back!

The San Jose Creek Trail follows an old ranch road, beautifully and tastefully upgraded to an interpretive nature trail, from Highway 1 just north of Pt. Lobos up San Jose Creek through newly-created Ishxenta State Park. About 1 mile (.8 from the western trailhead) upstream it connects with the Whisler and Wilson Ridge Trails in Palo Corona Regional Park. The lower canyon is a dense willow and sycamore riparian corridor, with steep canyon walls of coastal chaparral and pines and cypress on either side. Further upstream the trail passes into a rich redwood riparian forest, and ends at a clearing at the base of a ridge dominated by coastal scrub and rangeland.

There is no doubt that this area is rich in wildlife in all seasons. The lower canyon is likely an excellent migrant trap for rarities. Accessing this lovely area is challenging. The trail passes through a patchwork of jurisdictions and ownership, which makes for complex governance and compliance with local, state, and federal law and private deed restrictions. State Parks have adopted the old ranch buildings at the head of the canyon as an area for employee residences and utility yards. The access solution described here is a temporary fix, with a more stable—and user-friendly—rules likely on the way at some undetermined time.

There are currently two primary access options for this area. To see the entire canyon from Highway 1 from the parking area approximately .3 miles from Highway 1, sign up for one of the periodic guided hikes offered by County Parks (see links below). Hikers meet at the main Palo Corona headquarters area and are driven by van to the trailhead off Highway 1. The birder will look longingly at the enticing riparian stretch from the van window, passing by it to the parking area near the staff housing and work areas. Very clean porta-potties are at this location. From there small groups walk up the canyon with plenty of time for general nature study, but long investigations of possible birds and off-trail bushwhacking are not allowed. The walks continue into the redwoods over a series of three bridges to a clearing at the base of the ridge. Some trips continue on up around a loop on the Wilson and Whisler Ridge Trails in Palo Corona Regional Park and then back out the San Jose Creek Trail, while others turn around at the clearing.

Another option allows more ready, self-guided access to the area including the three bridges along San Jose Creek, but not the lower canyon. These trips also require a permit, but they are fairly easy to obtain on the Palo Corona website. This hike is much more strenuous, requiring a hike from the Palo Corona headquarters through the Front Ranch Unit up past Inspiration Point, down to Animas Pond, though the “magic gate” (only possible to go through with a permit in hand), along either the Whisler or Wilson Ridge Trails and down to the clearing and the upper redwood canyon. All told, 4.2 miles each way, with a fair amount of elevation gain, loss, and gain again. Bring a lunch, leave early, take your time, and it makes a lovely day of hiking and birding through a wide range of habitats!

Trail rules are vigorously enforced. Freelance hiking beyond the areas described in the permit will probably result in a very expensive ticket.

Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District, Let’s Go Outdoors trip catalog, https://mprpd.specialdistrict.org/files/596b00119/LGO_Spring-Summer2024.pdf

San Jose Creek Walk, from Highway 1, Registration form, https://secure.rec1.com/CA/monterey-peninsula-regional-park-district/catalog

San Jose Creek Trail permits (from Palo Corona Headquarters), https://mprpd.specialdistrict.org/access-permit-application-san-jose-creek-trail

Palo Corona Map showing the San Jose Creek Trail, https://mprpd.specialdistrict.org/files/e33f44635/PCRPMAP-Entire.pdf

Information on Ishxenta State Park, https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=569