Salt ponds have the highest concentration of birds in winter. Shorebirds begin migrating into the area in late July and migration continues through October. Gulls start trickling in around late August and Waterfowl start arriving in September. Most of these birds will return to their breeding grounds in the spring. Visit in summer for Pelicans, Terns and Phalaropes.

Notes

Construction for the Salt Pond Restoration Project began February 7, 2022. Access to the some of the trails around the Alviso Marina area is restricted. See Salt Pond Restoration Project for details.

The eroding A13/14 levee trail is closed to the public year-round.

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Pond Access: West to East

  • Charleston Slough (not a Salt Pond, but here for reference)

  • A1: Access from Terminal Blvd or Shoreline Lake

  • A2W: Shoreline Lake or Shoreline Kite Flying Area

  • A2E: Access from Shoreline Kite Flying Area

  • AB1/AB2: Access from Shoreline Kite Flying Area

  • A3W: Access from Sunnyvale Water Pollution Control Plant

  • Sunnyvale WPCP Ponds West and East

  • A4: Access from Sunnyvale WPCP (well-signed detour in effect) or Sunnyvale Baylands Park

  • A8: No access, views from Sunnyvale Baylands Park and Pond A4

  • A9-A15: Access from Alviso Marina County Park

  • A16 and A17: Access from Don Edwards NWR. Note that zooming in on the map above will show numbers for the small islands in A16

  • A18: No access, views from the Mallard Slough Trail in Don Edwards NWR

Other Salt pond and bayland resources

Hunting Season Information

Hunting season runs from October through January on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Generally, this is not an issue, the hunters will be far away from the walking trails except at Pond AB1.

Banner photo credit: Pond A12 by Eve Meier