Go to Part 1 - The Bay Trail and Hills
Go to Part 3 - Sunnyvale Baylands Park and
Nearby Trails
Go to the Mountain View
- Stevens Creek Trail Tour
Go to the Alviso Tour
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to the Bay Trail Guided Photo Tours page
Stilts
Pelicans
Geese
See here for a list of birds at the Sunnyvale Baylands. See here for more info. on bird-watching in the Sunnyvale Baylands.
Cross over the West Sunnyvale Channel and turn right onto the trail along
the west bank of the channel. Continue past the Bay Trail heading west
to Lockheed Martin. The mileage readings begin here.
The West Sunnyvale Channel turns to the right.
The trail follows the channel to the right. On the left is a salt pond
channel that carries brine from the salt ponds near Moffett Field to the
east salt pond at the Sunnyvale Baylands. At 0.1 miles, a huge concrete
pipe runs along this salt pond channel, carrying wastewater between the
water treatment plant and the oxidation ponds. The trail and the channel
turn to the left. There's a bench here, the first of several around the
water treatment ponds, a good indication that this is a public recreational
trail. The channel on the right becomes the Moffett Channel. It carries
the outflow from the water pollution control plant, which is freshwater,
to the Guadalupe Slough. Freshwater marsh plants line the channel.
Follow the trail to the left.
This is a view looking west. The salt pond channel is in the foreground.
The levee to the left of it separates it from treated wastewater. The pier
on the levee has pumps for the wastewater.
The trail here is a wide gravel road. It follows the salt pond channel
to where it dead ends at the levees around the water treatment ponds. The
tower ahead is the radar for Moffett Field. A major junction of several
levees and waterways is ahead. There are actually 6 possible levees trails
that you could take.
After you pass by the end of the salt pond channel, at 0.4 miles, the levee
there separates it from a wastewater channel. This levee will be used on
the return trip. Looking down this wastewater channel, you may see some
operating aerators. If they are operating, and the wind is blowing strongly
down the Bay, you may want to take the next levee over to the west on the
return trip. Keep this is mind. The aerators are portable. There are power
stations for aerators all over the water treatment ponds, but this is where
they seem to be the most active.
The wastewater channel ends at a dam. The dam controls the flow from the
channel beyond it. You have a choice of several levee trails here. For
this trip, stay on the right and go around the Moffett Field radar tower
at 0.5 miles.
You will be following along the outer perimeter of the wastewater ponds.
An inner levee produces a channel along this edge of the pond. This inner
levee trail is an accessible alternate route. The marsh to the right along
the edge of the Moffett Channel is full of bulrushes. At 0.6 miles is another
bench. You can see the east salt pond on the other side of the Moffett
Channel.
This is a view looking across the channel on the left, with the large treatment
pond beyond. In the distance are the buildings of Lockheed Martin and Moffett
Field.
At 0.9 miles is another bench. At 1.1 miles, the trail begins to turn left
at the corner of the pond. On the right you begin to see the confluence
of the Moffett Channel and the Guadalupe Slough. The Guadalupe Slough flows
out to the Bay to the West. The outer levee trail begins to follow it.
This is a view looking back towards the Moffett Tower at 1.2 miles. The
inner levee may be covered with birds using it as a resting place. The
trail makes a sharp left turn at the corner of the pond. The inner levee
trail joins up with the main trail here.
The trail runs in a straight line along the edge of the large treatment
pond, with the broad marshes along the Guadalupe Slough to the right. At
1.4 miles is another bench.
Soon another levee trail joins up with the main trail at 1.7 miles. This
levee leads back to the dam seen near the radar station. An inner levee
can be seen to the right of this levee, which leads to the other side of
the dam, but is not accessible here.
The trail begins to follow the curve of the Guadalupe Slough, barely visible
beyond the marsh. Soon the slough comes closer to the trail and can be
easily seen from it.
At high tide, the Guadalupe Slough is a wide waterway. This is a view looking
back along it.
The wide Guadalupe Slough comes right up next to the trail, separated by
a narrow margin of marsh plants.
The slough widens as it curves to the right. Ahead are the NASA boat docks.
This is a view south across the water treatment channel and pond. The treatment
pond beyond the nearby channel is huge. It's the largest pond in the Sunnyvale
Baylands.
This is a view across the Guadalupe Slough. Beyond it is a salt pond that
is currently closed to public access.
There is another bench here at 2.2 miles, a short distance from the NASA
docks.
On the left side of the trail at 2.3 miles is a fenced-off pier and pumping
complex.
At the corner of the pond at 2.4 miles, you can see the NASA boat docks
on the Guadalupe Slough. A fence blocks access to the area. Don't trespass
here.
The trail makes a left turn at the corner of the pond and the end of the
channel. Here you can access the inner levee that leads back to the dam.
On the immediate right is a salt pond channel. It may be dry in the summer.
A sign apologizes for the sulfur smell which comes from decaying algae
in the salt pond. On the west side of this channel is the road from the
NASA boat docks to the Moffett Field Golf Course. It is off-limits to unauthorized
personnel. To the west of this is a huge salt pond, bigger than the Sunnyvale
water treatment ponds. Duck blinds can be seen in the pond. This is Cargill
property and currently off-limits.
The dry salt pond channel ends at a levee at 2.7 miles. The levee connects
to the NASA boat dock road, but it is fenced off to prevent access. Beyond
it is another salt pond channel. This area may be filled with large flocks
of seagulls. In the distance are the giant hangars at Moffett Field.
After passing the levee, the second salt pond channel is on the right.
This one is active. It connects the salt pond by Moffett Field to the salt
pond on the east side of the Sunnyvale Baylands.
Looking west, a bridge under the NASA boat dock road allows water to flow
between the salt pond beyond and the channel in the foreground.
The trail passes by a levee on the north side of a wastewater channel,
which begins here. Recalling the aerators at the beginning of the tour,
this channel leads to those aerators. The north levee runs on the upwind
side of the aerators. Take this if you wish. Otherwise, keep going on the
main trail.
The main trail turns left at 3.0 miles and runs between the wastewater
channel and the salt pond channel.
Old broken catwalks cross through the salt pond channel to provide service
access to power line towers.
This is a view looking north across the wastewater channel at the inner
levee and the large pond beyond.
This is a view of the wastewater channel, with the inner levee on the left.
The landfill hills appear on the right.
At the point where the inner levee and outer levees make a left turn at
4.0 miles, there is a pumping pier on the outer levee extending into the
channel.
Ahead on the main trail are the aerators. If they are turned on, hold your
nose and hurry past them. You will reach the main trail junction near the
radar station at 4.2 miles. Turn right and return to the trailhead. The
total distance from the trailhead, around the ponds via the outer trail,
and back to the trailhead is about 4.7 miles. If you take the inner levees,
it will be shorter.
At the bridge over the East Sunnyvale Channel, take the levee trail east
on the north side of the bridge. The mileage readings will begin here.
This segment of the trail runs long and straight between the edge of the
salt pond and the channel.
In the pond is a long levee that forms a channel along the edge of the
pond.
Ahead, the salt pond channel dead ends at the corner of the pond. Near
here is a pumphouse.
At 0.3 miles, the East Sunnyvale Channel makes a loop to the right. The
trail makes a semi-circular loop to follow the channel. At the outer end
of the loop, the channel joins the Guadalupe Slough. The trail then begins
to follow the slough.
At 0.4 miles, the trail drops down into a basin. Near the pumphouse, it
turns right and climbs up to the levee along the Guadalupe Slough. At 0.5
miles, a salt pond pipeline connects this salt pond with the one to the
east across the Guadalupe Slough. That salt pond is off-limits to the public.
The Guadalupe Slough channel is surrounded by tall marsh plants. Large
flocks of egrets and herons can be often seen resting in them.
At 0.6 miles, the trail straightens out. The trail here is a wide dirt
levee trail built on graded bay mud.
The trail comes closest to the Guadalupe Slough at 0.7 miles. The slough
begins to widen out.
The salt pond is lined with pickleweed and grass.
A wide marsh separates the levee from the Guadalupe Slough
The river makes several meandering bends, which the trail follows. As it
does, you can catch glimpses of the large off-limits salt pond beyond the
other side of the slough. You can see an old building on the pond.
The east salt pond is a huge expanse of open water. The recycling center
and water treatment plant can be seen on the other side.
The trail straightens out. You can see the corner of the pond ahead.
At 1.7 miles, you reach the northwest corner of the pond. The Moffett Channel
can be seen flowing into the Guadalupe Slough.
The path turns left and runs between the salt pond and the Moffett Channel.
It begins to become narrower. The water in the salt pond here at the left
of the trail is clear as this shore get little turbulence from wind waves.
Ahead on the right is the Moffett Field radar tower.
The banks of the Moffett Channel are heavily vegetated with bulrushes that
may be filled with herons and egrets.
Near the southwest corner of the pond at 2.2 miles is a valve connecting
the salt pond to the channel near the west ponds. The salt pond water flows
through a pipe that crosses under the Moffett Channel. Here the inner levee
begins, forming the channel along the edge of the salt pond. You are likely
to see herons and egrets stalking their food here.
The trail turns left at 2.3 miles. To the south, you can look down the
Moffett Channel and see its confluence with the West Sunnyvale Channel.
The trail turns to follow the reed-lined West Sunnyvale Channel and runs
along a levee that is covered with heavy weed growth. If these weeds have
not been cut, it makes traveling along this last segment difficult. Fortunately,
this last segment is short.
This trail ends up at the Bay Trail by the SMaRT recycling center at 2.5
miles. (This is a view looking back along the east pond trail from the
Bay Trail.) Continue east on the Bay Trail to return to the starting point
at the East Sunnyvale Channel Bridge at 2.8 miles.
Go to Part 1 - The Bay Trail and Hills
Go to Part 3 - Sunnyvale Baylands Park and
Nearby Trails
Go to the Mountain View
- Stevens Creek Trail Tour
Go to the Alviso Tour
Return
to the Bay Trail Guided Photo Tours page