Laguna Wildlife Area

Recreational Opportunities

Activities: wildlife viewing, fishing, and hunting

Hunting:

Type C: Laguna Wildlife Area does not require the purchase of a hunting pass for entry. Entry permits and/or passes or special drawing may be required for hunting on some Type C wildlife areas.

Area History

Human use of the Laguna may have begun as long as 8,000 year ago. The area offered an abundance of waterfowl, fish, game, and plant foods, especially acorns. Numerous prehistoric sites have been identified within the Laguna area, representing residential villages, specialized camps, and tool-making locations. European settlement of the area began in earnest in the 1830s, with the establishment of large ranchos under Mexican jurisdiction. After the Mexican-American war and Mexico’s loss of California, many American farmers moved into the area and established a diversified agriculture and market economy, supplying fruit, grain, wood, and other products to the booming San Francisco area.

Along with increasing human population and more intensive agriculture came extensive conversion and modification of terrestrial and aquatic habitats. In recent decades, concern and desire has grown stronger for the preservation and rehabilitation of what remains of the Laguna’s natural beauty, wildlife, and ecological diversity, as well as its scenic agricultural open space. The property was designated as a wildlife area by the Fish and Game Commission in 1993.