Wildlife

Some of the park's wildlife are easily spotted, while others leave telltale signs of their presence.

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Wildlife Details

Because the park is made up of so many distinctly different ecosystems, from coastline to prairie to oak woodlands, it is home to an incredible range of animals. There are over 280 species of birds found in the park; this means roughly one third of the bird species found in the U.S. can be found here. Keep an eye out for the many mammals that live in the park, including 13 species of bats, black-tailed deer, gophers, porcupine, beavers, squirrel, foxes, black bears, bobcats, and mountain lions. Many of the park's inhabitants are seldom seen, but keep an eye out for signs of their presence; two species of tree vole build globular twig nests on the limbs of conifers and drop the ducts of coniferous needles on the ground below, for example. California voles also leave signs in the form of dirt piles at the entrances of their runway tunnels. One of the most widely viewed animals in the park is the Roosevelt Elk, weighing in up to 1,200 pounds, which lives in the coastal grasslands, oak woodlands, and prairies in the park. Keep in mind that these animals -- and all wildlife -- can be dangerous, so never approach, feed, or harass them. There are also many marine animals who live, or spend at least some of their time, in the park. These include California and Steller sea lions; Harbor and Elephant seals; gray and humpback whales; orcas; and harbor porpoises.

Difficulty

Open

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