King Tides High Tide Hike at Elkhorn Slough Reserve

Please note that king tides flood Elkhorn Road to the north of the Reserve, so we recommend arriving from the south for this hike

Ever heard of a “king tide” and wondered what makes them so special? They’re the most extreme tides of the year, going from the highest of high tides to the lowest of low tides in a single day. At the peak of a high king tide, you won’t find much sand if you visit a beach, but the low tide is a fun time to go tide pooling! Watching the high tide during these annual phenomena gives us a window into what future high tides may look like as our sea level rises.

Join an Elkhorn Slough Reserve naturalist to see a high king tide for yourself! Together we’ll learn what causes high tides, talk about why king tides are so interesting, and take a hike to the Reserve’s boardwalk to witness the event for ourselves.

We’ll also take photos to submit to the California King Tides Project, a statewide project that has been collecting photos of king tides since 2010. Check out their photo gallery here! https://www.coastal.ca.gov/kingtides/gallery.html

This event will last 1.5-2 hours, and the hike distance is approximately 1.25 miles round trip.

For more events visit elkhornslough.org/calendar/

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, 1700 Elkhorn Road, Watsonville, United States

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