“When I talk to people about tide pooling, everyone’s always like, “Oh, like it’s great, but you just have to wake up so early in the morning. I just can’t do it.” But this time of year in the winter, our low tides are actually in the afternoon,” Young said.

For an optimal tide-pooling experience, Young advises people to look for low tides between -1.0 feet and -1.4 feet on tide charts like Saltwater Tides or NOAA Tide Predictions. She also advises folks to wear rubber boots or shoes with good tread to avoid slipping.

Emily Otstott, a graduate student at San Francisco State University, searches for nudibranchs in the tidepools at Pillar Point, just north of Half Moon Bay, California, as part of her work for the California Academy of Sciences. (Josh Cassidy/KQED)

Keep reading for a list of some favorite Bay Area trails from the California Academy of Sciences and KQED staff that showcase our magnificent biodiversity. Be sure to download the iNaturalist app, log your sightings, and have a great time admiring our wonderful wildlife. You can also consult our map of the best wildlife hikes around the Bay Area:

Wildlife hikes in San Francisco

See the red-tailed hawk in the Golden Gate Park.
While you’re in the area, don’t forget to pay a visit to the bison paddock at Golden Gate Park.
See some wild parrots on Telegraph Hill.
Don’t forget about the sea lions on Pier 39 in Embarcadero.
See swans and turtles at the Palace of Fine Arts.
If you’re on Ocean Beach, be on the lookout for Snowy Plovers (and if you’ve got a pole and snare, Dungeness Crab!)
There are a few places in San Francisco where you might be able to see coyotes, such as Glen Canyon Park, Presidio, McLaren Park and Golden Gate Park. However, be warned that the number of conflicts between coyotes and people with dogs has been on the rise. Here’s a guide about how to keep yourself and your pets safe with coyotes around.

bison-golden-gate-park — San Francisco has been replenishing the bison herd in Golden Gate Park since the late 1800s. (Erasmo Martinez)

Wildlife hikes in North Bay

North American river otter (Lontra canadensis). (C. Dani and I. Jeske / De Agostini Picture Library via Getty Images)

Wildlife hikes in East Bay

Head to Tilden Regional Park, Berkeley, to see banana slugs, newts, and salamanders. Take note that some roads in the park are closed to make way for newt crossings during newt migration season from November until March.
Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park is also another great place to see banana slugs and salamanders, especially during or after the rain. “I think visiting the redwoods when it’s raining is one of the most magical things you can do,” Young said.
Not a trail, but a great spot to see the fastest bird in the world, the Peregrine Falcon. The falcons have called the Historic Campanile on the UC Berkeley Campus their home since 2016. See them live via their webcams.
You might also be able to see more Peregrine Falcons in Castle Rock Regional Recreation Area, Contra Costa.
If you’re looking for tarantulas during their mating season (peaks in mid-October), Sunol Regional Wilderness and Mount Diablo are great places to see them.
To see some turkeys in the area, you can head on over to the Strawberry Creek fire trail in Strawberry Canyon in Berkeley.
You can see rabbits, lizards, snowy egrets, scaup and many other birds at Martin Luther King Shoreline Park in Oakland.
Bat rays and night herons at Lake Merrit are animals you can look out for in Oakland.
During the winter, western monarch butterflies make their way to a number of overwintering sites in the Bay Area. You can also see them at the Ardenwood Historic Farm, Berkeley Aquatic Park, and Albany Hill Park.

A view of tall redwood trees seen towering above. — Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park is a sprawling forest featuring redwood groves and rare wildlife, as well as trails, picnic areas and campsites. (John Hudson Photography/Getty Images)

Wildlife hikes in South Bay and on the Peninsula

The Franklin Point Trail in San Mateo leads to dunes and magnificent empty beaches. Once on the lookout, you might be able to get quite close to elephant seals. There’s also a chance to see whales, dolphins, and seabirds around.
During a low tide, the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve in San Mateo is a great place to enjoy the tide pools. You can see sea creatures like nudibranchs and sea stars.
The Mindego Hill trail in the Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve is a favorite location for bobcats and rabbits. If this strenuous hike is not for you, another recommendation is the Ancient Oaks trail — a great place to see woodland birds.

A northern elephant seal along the California coast. Elephant seals come out of the water to molt between May and July and to breed between December and April. (Frank Schulenburg/flickr)

Beyond the Bay Area

You can see western monarchs overwintering at the Monarch Butterfly Grove in Natural Bridges State Beach in Santa Cruz.
The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park in Santa Cruz, just south of the Peninsula, is a great hiking area, and you’re bound to see a banana slug or two on your hikes.
Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park in Felton has some great trails to see banana slugs.
See California condors and rare bats at Pinnacles National Park.
Enjoy a coastal hike and see some cool tide pools at Pillar Point and Mavericks Cliff trail in Half Moon Bay.
See migrating Sandhill Cranes near Lodi in the California Delta.

A monarch butterfly rests on a plant outside. — A monarch butterfly lands on a plant growing in the schoolyard at International Community School in Oakland on Oct. 20, 2022. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)

Tell us: What else would you like an explainer on from KQED?

At KQED News, we know that it can sometimes be hard to track down the answers to navigate life in the Bay Area in 2023. We’ve published clear, practical explainers and guides about COVID-19, how to cope with intense winter weather, and how to exercise your right to protest safely.

So tell us: What do you need to know more about? Tell us, and you could see your question answered online or on social media. What you submit will make our reporting stronger, and help us decide what to cover here on our site and on KQED Public Radio, too.

animal matinganimal mating

The Best Bay Area Hikes for Spotting Wildlife

It's Tarantula Mating Season in the Bay Area: Here's Where to See Some Fuzzy Friends

Why the Male Black Widow Spider Is a Real Home Wrecker

For These Tiny Spiders, It's Sing or Get Served

Elephant Seals Battle for Love With Mating Songs and Bravado