Don Edwards SF Bay National Wildlife Refuge Pond A2W in Mountain View. (Sirena Lao/SFBayWS)
A2W Opening Celebration. (Sirena Lao/SFBayWS)
On Friday, February 20, 2026, the San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society joined the US Fish & Wildlife Service and numerous partner agencies and organizations to celebrate the restoration of Salt Pond A2W and the opening of the new Song Sparrow Spur Trail! This portion of the Don Edwards SF Bay National Wildlife Refuge is adjacent to the City of Mountain View’s Shoreline Park and is connected to popular public trails.
As part of Phase 2 of the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project, the restoration of this pond involved several elements to benefit wildlife, visitors, and the surrounding community. To restore tidal action to the 435-acre pond, the surrounding levee was breached in four places, with the two breaches on the east side of the pond (along Stevens Creek/Whisman Slough) being armored and bridged to create the new trail. The new trail is 1.2 miles long, creating access to wide open views of the Bay from the Stevens Creek Trail. Additionally, the City of Mountain View raised a low spot in the existing Bay Tail and added stormwater management features and erosion protection. All of these efforts provide expanded public access to nature as well as protection for the Mountain View community from flooding and sea level rise!
The project also involved importing nearly 180,000 cubic yards of fill to stabilize portions of the levees and to create a 16-acre habitat transition zone (also known as an ecotone or horizontal levee) that will provide refuge for wildlife such as the endangered salt marsh harvest mouse during high tide. This ecotone will also allow the marsh to migrate upslope as sea levels rise and protect the lands behind them from erosion and flooding. In addition, five habitat islands were constructed to provide nesting and roosting areas for terns and other waterbirds. We are excited to see how the pond and its inhabitants will change over time!
Visitors enjoying a portion of the trail adjacent to Pond A2W. (Sirena Lao/SFBayWS)
About the Song Sparrow Spur Trail:
- 1.2-mile all-weather out-and-back trail. Access from public parking lots adds ~1 mile.
- Hours: Sunrise to Sunset
- Activities permitted: hiking, biking, wildlife observation and photography
- No pets, hunting, fishing, or boating
- Facilities: Bench located at the end of the trail, and interpretive signs will be installed. Restrooms/portable toilet available at parking areas, but none on the trail.
- Getting there (will update with a map when available):
- Option 1 from the Shoreline Kite Flying Area: After parking, head east through Parking Lot E to get to the Bay Trail and then cross the bridge to Stevens Creek Trail. Head north on Stevens Creek Trail toward Pond A2W. The east levee of this pond is the Song Sparrow Spur Trail.
- Option 2 from Shoreline Park (1600 Amphitheatre Pkwy, Mountain View, CA 94043): After parking, head north and then east on the Bay Trail to walk along the southern edge of Pond A2W. The trail will then lead you south, where you’ll cross a bridge over Stevens Creek Tidal Marsh to get to the Stevens Creek Trail. Head north on Stevens Creek Trail toward Pond A2W to reach the Song Sparrow Spur Trail.
Read news coverage about the event:
