Good Tidings of California King Tides

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California King Tides Roll in
The next statewide King Tide Project dates are
December 4-5, 2025 and January 2-3, 2026

Get ready, Bay Area, because the biggest tides of the year are making a splash! Calling all Citizen Scientists, this is your opportunity for a hands-on learning adventure about the magical mystery of King Tides!

Join the California King Tides Project and help us peek into the future by capturing today’s highest tides! Snap some pics of the shoreline during these tidal extravaganzas and help us create a fabulous photo album showcasing the coast and estuaries as they change over time. Let’s make some waves together!

Check the tide map for your local dates and times.

California King Tides Project: How to Participate
Featured
San Rafael: King Tide Day
Dec 6
Canal Alliance
San Rafael: King Tide Day
Canal Alliance

Join your neighbors and local scientists to document the highest tides of the year!

Canal Alliance
San Rafael: High Tide Day
Dec 6
Canal Alliance
San Rafael: High Tide Day
Canal Alliance

Come join your neighbors and local scientists to document the highest tides of the year!

Canal Alliance
San Rafael: King Tides in China Camp
Dec 6
China Camp State Park, Turtle Back Trailhead
San Rafael: King Tides in China Camp
China Camp State Park, Turtle Back Trailhead

Come out for a unique educational experience during this winter’s King Tides! Friends of China Camp will be hosting a tabling event to explore how these extreme high tides give us a glimpse into the future of sea level rise.

China Camp State Park, Turtle Back Trailhead
Alameda: King Tide at the Cove
Dec 6
Crown Memorial State Beach Doug Siden Visitor Center at Crab Cove
Alameda: King Tide at the Cove
Crown Memorial State Beach Doug Siden Visitor Center at Crab Cove

Stop by and watch as the 7.8-foot-high king tide flows into the marine protected area.

Crown Memorial State Beach Doug Siden Visitor Center at Crab Cove
Palo Alto: King Tides Walk at the Baylands
Dec 6
EcoCenter
Palo Alto: King Tides Walk at the Baylands
EcoCenter

Join the EV in a fun (free!), interactive learning experience which will teach you about what King Tides are and why they are exciting! The event will include a brief hands-on science talk about the tides, and then a gentle walk through the Baylands. Highest of the high tides is at 12:24pm. Walks go RAIN or shine! Be prepared for some wet trails and maybe some puddle-jumping.

EcoCenter
San Jose: King Tides in Alviso
Dec 6
Don Edwards SF National Wildlife Rescue
San Jose: King Tides in Alviso
Don Edwards SF National Wildlife Rescue

Come out to the Refuge in Alviso to observe & record the King Tides event!

Don Edwards SF National Wildlife Rescue
Menlo Park: King Tides at Pond SF2
Dec 6
Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge
Menlo Park: King Tides at Pond SF2
Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge

Come out to the Refuge's Pond SF2 to observe & record the King Tides event!

Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge
Petaluma: Paddle the King Tide on the Petaluma River
Dec 6
Petaluma Marina
Petaluma: Paddle the King Tide on the Petaluma River
Petaluma Marina

Ride the biggest tide of the year from Petaluma to San Pablo Bay!  Shuttle service will be coordinated.

Petaluma Marina
Oakland: Birding Lake Merritt, and Arrowhead Marsh at High Tide
Jan 2
Oakland: Birding Lake Merritt, and Arrowhead Marsh at High Tide

Winter ducks on Lake Merritt and other birds usually means easy viewing from the sidewalk. The lake is one of the few places in the Bay Area where Barrow's Goldeneyes can be seen. An entry fee past the gate at Children's Fairyland is usually required.

Hayward: King Tide Walk at Hayward Shoreline
Jan 3
Hayward Shoreline: West Winton Avenue Staging Area
Hayward: King Tide Walk at Hayward Shoreline
Hayward Shoreline: West Winton Avenue Staging Area

What are King Tides? How do they affect plants and animals, and what can we learn from them? Find out the answers to these questions and participate in the community science King Tides Project on this easy walk along the San Francisco Bay shore.

Hayward Shoreline: West Winton Avenue Staging Area
Alameda: King Tides at the Cove
Jan 3
Crown Memorial State Beach, Doug Siden Visitor Center at Crab Cove
Alameda: King Tides at the Cove
Crown Memorial State Beach, Doug Siden Visitor Center at Crab Cove

Stop by during your lunch or morning break and watch as the 7.6-foot-high king tide flows into the marine protected area. Participate in community science and take photos to help document this tidal event!

Crown Memorial State Beach, Doug Siden Visitor Center at Crab Cove

All event listings are checked at the time of posting but schedules may change without notice. Links are available to all venues for your convenience. Please confirm information with the website. And come back often! Events are updated and added frequently.