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Kestrel Trail route map
Difficulty: EasyLoop
Merced National Wildlife Refuge/California

Kestrel Trail

Merced, California

0.5 mi

Distance

30 ft

Elev. Gain

1m

Est. Time

Loop

Route Type

Easy

Difficulty

About This Trail

Kestrel Trail is a loop trail in Merced National Wildlife Refuge, managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, in Merced County, California. It is 0.5 miles long and gains 30 feet. The nearest town is El Nido, California, about 7 miles away in a straight line.

From the trail data on this page. For conditions and closures, see official sources.

Trail Conditions

Trail Conditions

Unknown

We have no current condition data for this trail. Check with the operator before you go, and submit a report below if you've been recently.

No recent condition reports. Be the first to share what you see on the trail.

Elevation Profile

Min:31 ft
Max:36 ft
Gain:9 ft
Loss:9 ft
Elevation profileA line rising and falling between 31 ft and 36 ft across 0.5 mi along the route, drawn from start to end.31 ft33 ft34 ft36 ft0.0 mi0.1 mi0.2 mi0.4 mi0.5 mi

Elevation at the labelled points along this route
PointDistance from startElevation
Start0.0 mi36 ft
End0.5 mi36 ft

Trail Details

Route Type
Loop

Official sources & verification

Managed by US Fish and Wildlife Service

Verify before you go

Source of truth

Where it is

Nearest town:
El Nido, CA · about 7 mi away
County:
Merced County, CA
Jurisdiction:
Merced National Wildlife Refuge · US Fish and Wildlife Service

Nearest town and county from U.S. Census Bureau place records and county boundaries.

We display cached information from agency feeds. Hours, fees, permits, closures, fire restrictions, and conditions change without notice. Outdoors is not the permitting authority. Confirm current conditions for this trail using the links above before you go — you are responsible for compliance. Last verified by us: May 23, 2026. Our copy is more than a month old — please reconfirm with the agency before relying on it.Spot an error in our data?

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Legacy import — verify before navigating

Path geometry came from our pre-launch legacy database. Routes have not yet been re-verified against the operator and may differ from the actual trail.

Nearby Trails

More trails near Kestrel Trail
Kestrel and Meadowlark Trail

Kestrel and Meadowlark Trail

1.8 mi
TrailDifficulty: Easy

Bittern Marsh Trail

0.4 mi
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Wetland Trail

Wetland Trail

TrailDifficulty: Moderate
Merced Bike Path

Merced Bike Path

5.9 mi
TrailDifficulty: Easy
Auto Tour Route

Auto Tour Route

2.3 mi
TrailDifficulty: Easy

Canal Trail

1.1 mi
Trail

In this park

Other trails in Merced National Wildlife Refuge

View Merced National Wildlife Refuge
Kestrel and Meadowlark Trail

Kestrel and Meadowlark Trail

California

1.8 mi3 ftgain
TrailDifficulty: Easy

Bittern Marsh Trail

California

0.4 mi
Trail

Stay nearby

Campgrounds near this trail

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