Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary and Birdwatching

Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary owned by Environmental Nature Center is deep inside Modjeska Canyon.  Our first visit long ago was on a foggy day which suited me well because I’m always cautious about rattlesnakes. 

On that first visit, I imagined it to be a dry, wide open space with a huge pond. It turned out to be a quaint tree covered nature path tucked up in the canyon where the stream is more of the main event than the pond. Perfect for birdwatching and a long history of Tucker + hummingbird feeders.

Both summer camps and winter camps for kids run at this location!

Directions to Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary: From Santiago Canyon Road, turn onto Modjeska Canyon Road and drive back into the canyon.  Bear to the left at the fork with Modjeska Grade Road and wind your way up to the nature center on the left with the main outdoor portion on your right. MAP TO TUCKER WILDLIFE SANCTUARY

Highlights:

The natural history museum portion holds all sorts of exhibits to see, hear, feel and touch.  There are animals to see, drawers to pull out, and coloring projects to complete.  It’s a small space, but holds lots to discover.

Great hummingbird spotting right outside the museum. It’s a popular activity to stand at the window to the gift shop and watched them come to the feeders outside.

You’ll find a nice selection of nature books, art, jewelry, and fair trade items in the gift shop.

There is a picnic area and area for programs to take place outside the museum. They ask that you bring reusable containers if you are going to picnic here because they strive to keep this a zero waste facility.

Head outside, there’s a short interpretive nature trail right outside the nature center with native plants and a little loop appropriate for toddlers. The path is paved.

Head past the nature trail and turn left up the dirt fire road to walk a bit steeper and more wild loop up the hill to a shade structure on the clearly marked ENC Chaparral Trail. This is where I’d keep an eye out for snakes on hot days. (Not appropriate for strollers, but short enough that it would work for young kids.)  We saw lots of wildflowers blooming on our walk in spring. It was super dry brush in the fall.

Then we came back down the hill to enter the main outdoor sanctuary.  There is lots to see here!  I’ll keep it a bit of a mystery so you can discover for yourself.  Just keep an eye out for birds and make sure you check the telephone poles for woodpeckers.  There’s a special spot for doing this on the trail.  There’s also a special spot for accessing the creek at the very top of the property — look for it.

Be Aware:

NO pets.

ONLY open to the public on Saturdays and Sundays from 10am-3pm!

Parking can be tight on weekends or during special events, but 2024/25 is an unusual moment in time where the Harding Truck Trail (which is popular and shares the parking area here) is CLOSED due to the Airport Fire. So there is much more space for parking than I have ever seen on any visit!

This is a Zero Waste Facility so: “Staff, visitors and volunteers may not bring any Styrofoam or single-use plastics on site for any reason.” They want to model zero waste practices by following these rules.

Drive carefully through the canyon. In many places there is only room for one car and it’s a small neighborhood – so there may be kids or pets in the road.

There is a quiet feel to the place.  I think it’s because there are a lot of bird watchers and wildlife to see — so everyone tends to be quiet to entice the wildlife to show themselves.

It can be hot in the canyons during the summer.

There are warning signs about rattlesnakes all over the property. We also noticed some poison oak way off the trails, so you’ll be okay if you stay on the trails. Finally, the hummingbirds love the feeders, but so do bees and wasps.

Checklist:

• Public hours are 10am-3pm on Saturdays and Sundays
• ENC Member Hours are 2pm-5pm on Mon-Fri
• Parking is free in spaces along the road and a few spots right across from the center.
• Picnic tables right outside the little museum.
• Restroom building outside of the museum is open during the hours when the museum is open.
• The paths are so short you don’t really need your stroller.
• Official ENC Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary website

Originally published April 2012.