One of Northern California’s Quirkiest Towns Is Still Flying Under the Radar

This odd and quirky town in Northern California is a blend of an old fishing harbor teeming with sea life, a visually striking industrial plant, absolutely gorgeous (but underrated) scenery, and a deceptively important hub for marine life research. Yet, despite all of this, virtually everyone forgets that the town of Moss Landing exists. Unfortunately, this includes local Californians, not just tourists. 

Where Is Moss Landing, and Why Is It So Unique?

Located on the coast just above Monterey, Moss Landing is a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it town that most people only know exists due to the large twin smokestacks that border the freeway between Monterey and the rest of the Bay Area. The flatness of the land makes the twin pillars stand out so much that it's all too easy not to notice the surrounding area beyond the farmland and obvious ocean scenes. Unfortunately, because of this, people miss out on one of the best places to view wildlife in California. 

Moss Landing is home to Elkhorn Slough, renowned as one of the best areas for viewing sea otters and for birding in the U.S. It’s also a premier destination for viewing seals and sea lions, as well as a hotspot for the fishing industry and for whale watching. Much of this is primarily due to the town’s location at the head of the Monterey submarine canyon. This canyon ensures that deep-sea life can get close to the town, but not too close, meaning that certain animals (otters, seals, sea lions, etc.) are protected but still have a vast food source of their own to choose from. 

What Visiting This Unusual Town In Northern California Is Like

The town was founded by Captain Moss in the 1860s as a whaling and shipping port. Over time, the residents slowly dwindled until the Moss Landing Power Plant came into the picture. From the 1950s to the 1970s, it was one of the biggest electricity hubs of the West Coast, but later, it primarily became a battery storage facility. As of now, despite multiple fires, it remains one of the largest battery storage facilities in the world. However, even with the addition of the power plant, the town wasn’t quite able to gather its own identity until scientists realized its impressive potential for marine life research. This led to protections, interest, and a town slowly building its way back.

As of now, exploring Moss Landing feels like you’re visiting a town that was about to be a ghost town and clawed its way out. The downtown doesn’t look like a typical downtown area, but instead a worn-down, strung-together collection of buildings that seem etched into the land next to newer galleries and shops, all intermixed with seafood restaurants that are starting to become underrated stars in the dining scene. 

Why It’s Still Flying (or Swimming) Under the Radar

Moss Landing is a bit odd; there’s no way around that. But it clearly offers so much. So, why don’t more people know about it? Well, it’s located directly between two cities that have relatively similar branding—former ports and fishing hubs that have a deep investment in protecting sea life. One of these cities is Santa Cruz, bolstered by the increasingly eco-conscious UC Santa Cruz (go slugs!). The other is Monterey, home of the incredibly famous Monterey Bay Aquarium, where extensive research and protective practices are in place for sea life. 

Due to this, the tours offered (birding tours, whale watching, etc.) are overshadowed by larger companies. In addition, the seafood restaurants are growing in recognition, but still face the challenge of being located in a "forgettable" town. 

Despite Moss Landing's hardship landing a place in the itinerary of Bay Area tourists, it remains a fascinating place to visit, one that even California locals rarely venture into. This means visitors get low prices for some of the best wildlife viewing and seafood restaurants in the whole state (if not the country), as well as zero crowds for great beachcombing and exploring. So, be the first of your friends to discover this hidden gem in Northern California!