Ventana Wildlife Discovery Center
Ventana Wildlife Discovery Center is a museum in California, at a modelled elevation of 12 m. Chews Ridge stands 1,549 m to the east, 15 miles off. The nearest named place is Andrew Molera State Park, a nature reserve 0.9 miles away. Big Sur Coast Highway - Route 1 runs past it.
Beautiful exhibits about the group's efforts to restore California Condors, plus major new exhibit on Big Sur wildlife.
What to expect
- Operated by
- Ventana Wildlife Society
How to reach it
- On the Big Sur Coast Highway - Route 1, National
Overlooks nearby
- Sea Otter Refuge View Point · 6 mi
- Hurricane View Point · 6 mi
- Bixby Creek Bridge Viewpoint · 7 mi
- Rocky Creek Bridge · 7 mi
Named places within 25 miles
- Sur Hill: 1.8 mi
- False Sur: 2.2 mi
- Cooper Point: 2.5 mi
- Little River Hill: 2.7 mi
- Andrew Molera Peak: 2.7 mi
- Point Sur State Historic Park: 3.0 mi
- Point Sur Lighthouse Reservation: 3.6 mi
- Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park Day Use Area: 4.1 mi
- Cachagua Community Park: 12.7 mi
- Carmel Valley Community Park: 14.8 mi
- Andrew Molera State Park: 0.9 mi
- Point Sur Dunes Natural Preserve: 3.5 mi
- Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park: 4.5 mi
- Brazil Ranch: 5.4 mi
- Mill Creek Redwood Preserve (closed): 5.7 mi
- Bixby Creek Bridge: 6.9 mi
- Tractor: 7.7 mi
- Tin House: 11.6 mi
- Victorine Ranch: 14.2 mi
- Suzuki-Roshi: 16.5 mi
- Albino Redwood Tree: 3.2 mi
- Bixby Creek Bridge: 6.8 mi
- Pelton Wheel: 13.0 mi
- Galante Winery: 14.7 mi
- Esalen Institute: 15.9 mi
- Pfeiffer Beach: 3.5 mi
- Wreck Beach: 4.3 mi
- Gibson Beach: 16.2 mi
- Hidden Beach: 16.5 mi
- Weston Beach: 16.7 mi
- Picard Trade Bead Museum: 16.4 mi
- Whalers Cabin and Whaling Station Museum: 17.0 mi
- Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo Museum: 18.3 mi
- The Sir Harry Downie Museum: 18.3 mi
- Center for Photographic Art: 18.9 mi
- Highbride Falls: 1.1 mi
- Pfeiffer Falls: 3.9 mi
- Pico Blanco Falls: 4.7 mi
- Firehose Falls: 4.9 mi
- Pine Falls: 11.0 mi
- Puente Big Creek Bridge: 20.1 mi
- Images of Pebble Beach: 20.5 mi
- Mural by Hijos del Sol: 21.6 mi
- Pietro Ferrante Statue: 22.2 mi
- Santa Rosalia Statue: 22.2 mi
- Pat Springs: 7.7 mi
- Lafler Creek Spring: 8.9 mi
- Cold Spring: 10.3 mi
- Cahoon Spring: 16.1 mi
- Quail Spring: 17.8 mi
- East Picnic Area: 19.2 mi
- Monterey Pines Group Area: 19.3 mi
- Talcot Bates Grove and Picnic Area: 19.3 mi
- Arroyo Seco Day Use: 20.5 mi
- Outdoor Navy Dining Area: 21.6 mi
- Our Green Thumb Community Garden: 22.0 mi
- Memory Garden: 22.1 mi
- Sensory Garden: 22.1 mi
- Sand City Community Garden: 22.7 mi
- Pacific Grove Community Garden: 24.0 mi
- Point Sur Lighthouse: 3.6 mi
- Point Pinos Lighthouse: 24.6 mi
- Keyhole Arch: 3.6 mi
- Sykes Hot Spring: 8.8 mi
- Los Padres Dam Slide: 11.8 mi
Summits around it
The highest named summits within 17.1 miles of Ventana Wildlife Discovery Center. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chews Ridge | E 83° | 1,549 m | 15.4 mi |
| South Ventana Cone | E 94° | 1,517 m | 11.5 mi |
| Black Butte | E 94° | 1,497 m | 16.8 mi |
| Ventana Double Cone | E 84° | 1,477 m | 7.2 mi |
| Uncle Sam Mountain | ENE 63° | 1,445 m | 8.5 mi |
| Ventana Cone | E 91° | 1,434 m | 9.2 mi |
| Kandlbinder Peak | E 82° | 1,418 m | 6.1 mi |
| Black Cone | ESE 109° | 1,363 m | 14.8 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:12 | 18:46 | 19:19 |
| June solstice | 05:51 | 19:51 | 20:29 |
| September equinox | 06:56 | 18:32 | 19:06 |
| December solstice | 07:16 | 16:17 | 16:57 |
Local time (America/Los_Angeles).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: year-round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 51 | 52 | 54 | 55 | 58 | 61 | 63 | 64 | 64 | 61 | 55 | 51 |
| Precip in | 9.5 | 8.6 | 6.7 | 2.9 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 1.9 | 4.2 | 9.2 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — BIG SUR STN, 4 mi away.
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMapOfficial siteOpenStreetMap element way/985378025
Day trips start here
- Carmel Valley · 15 mi
- Carmel · 19 mi
- Carmel Point · 19 mi
- Monterey · 22 mi
- Seaside · 23 mi
- Pacific Grove · 24 mi
Take the scenic way to Ventana Wildlife Discovery Center.
Byway plans around your taste, verified places, real weather and opening hours — then opens every leg in Google Maps with one tap.