Kayaking at Moss Landing and Elkhorn Slough, Moss Landing, CA
February 18, 2013. By Arnold Rapinan
We were excited to visit and kayak at Moss Landing as we have heard many good things about this place. Moss Landing Harbor is located in Highway 1 in Moss Landing, CA. The launch section is located behind the Kayak shops. There is a launch and parking fee of $9 for kayak. Moss Landing is a good place for both beginner and advance kayakers.
Since it was our first time kayaking there, we wanted to make sure we had enough time to enjoy the water, wildlife and scenery before it gets too hot and windy. By 10:00am, we were on the water. We explored the harbor area first where lots of Sea Lions, Sea Otters and all kinds of birds hang out. From the harbor, we could have kayak all the way to the open sea but we decided to take the route to the Elkhorn Slough. So we paddled pass the Sea Harvest Market restaurant, and crossed underneath highway 1 bridge to Elkhorn Slough. The first two miles of the slough was pretty wide with a good view of Watsonville mountains. Sea Lions, Sea Otters and birds were also abundant on this section of the slough. There were also many kayakers, mostly from Kayak Connections and Monterey Bay Kayak tours.
When we hit the two-mile mark, we decided to head back. At this time, the wind has picked up so we were paddling against the wind which made it a bit harder but a good workout. We went straight to Moss Landing State Beach and parked our kayak right on the beach. We played on the sand, walked around the rocks and my daughter collected sea shells that she took home. We ended our day at Sea Harvest Fish Market restaurant for some Fish and Chips and Clam Chowder - the food was good, the service was ok. Overall, our first trip and experience at Moss Landing did not disappoint; it was fun, adventurous and memorable. We will frequent this place.
Next month, we will visit Coyote Point.
