Historically a shifting riverine sand dune ecosystem, the Antioch Dunes National Wildlife Refuge supports the last known populations of the endangered Antioch Dunes evening primrose, the Contra Costa wallflower, and the Lange's metalmark butterfly.

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Sun rays shining through dark clouds over a green-and-brown landscape
Land Management
The Wildlife Refuges of California
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service manages three dozen national wildlife refuges in California. The refuges are land and water set aside for fish, wildlife, plants and, ultimately, people. This article offers a brief photographic tour of a few of them.
Kneeling man picks up a handful of sand with a body of water in the background
Habitat Restoration
Dredging up the past at Antioch Dunes
Over thousands of years, the shifting sands of time built dunes that reached 120 feet high and stretched for 2 miles along the San Joaquin River, about 35 miles east of San Francisco. Isolated from similar habitats, the Antioch Dunes slowly developed species found nowhere else in the world.
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Visit Us

Due to the sensitive nature of the habitat, the refuge is closed to the public. However, our docent-led tours are back. See below for details. 

Location and Contact Information

      About Us

      The refuge was established in 1980 to protect plants and insects federally listed as endangered: Lange's metalmark butterfly (Apodemia mormo langei), Contra Costa wallflower (Erysimum capitatum var. capitatum), and Antioch Dunes evening primrose (Oenothera deltoides var. howellii). The refuge is the only known location in the world where the Lange's metalmark butterfly is found. Once part of an extended riverine sand dune ecosystem, the dunes of the refuge hosted a variety of endemic plants and insects. During the last 150 years, the dune ecosystem was seriously degraded by sand mining (removal), invasive plants, and other threats. Today, the refuge represents one of the last remaining riverine sand dune environments in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta.

      Tours

      Antioch Dunes Evening-Primrose flower in bloom in the sand at Antioch Dunes National Wildlife Refuge.
      Image Details

      Docent-led tours are BACK!
      Time to get outside again and enjoy a stroll through the dunes.
      Our knowledgeable and fun docents lead a free 1-1.5-hour tour through the dunes every second Saturday of the month throughout the year, beginning with May 14, 2022.
      Many spring flowers are in full bloom, including the magnificent endangered species, Antioch Dunes Evening Primrose. No registration necessary.

      Every second Saturday of the month at 10:00 a.m. throughout the year, beginning May 14, 2022.

      Meet at: 

      501 Fulton Shipyard Road
      Antioch, CA 94509

      Note: If it is raining, the tour will be canceled. 

      What We Do

      Antioch Dunes National Wildlife Refuge was established to protect endangered plants and insects. All activities allowed on the refuge must be evaluated to ensure each activity is compatible with the purpose of the refuge.