Natural Nipomo: Hidden Willow Valley

Tucked away deep in the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes, in the places people rarely visit, are some of the most spectacular places to visit. Densely vegetated dunes and open sand sheets give way to a veritable dune oasis.

Welcome to Hidden Willow Valley, part of the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes National Wildlife Refuge. Carved low into the sand by the same aeolian forces that drive the movement of the dunes, this is a place where nature and culture intertwine.

The place is known for willow trees, but the greater diversity of life is stifling. It is an ecotone, a place where different plant communities meet and provide unique habitat for animal life.

This truly is a wild place. The moisture draws many birds, deer and other animal life. Mountain lions—one of several hazards present in the dunes (keep an eye out for poison oak and ticks too)—roam the dunes and frequent places like Hidden Willow Valley, where they are more likely to find prey.

The Dunites, a group of people who sought beauty and seclusion in the dunes, spent years living in low-lying areas similar to Hidden Willow Valley where water was easily accessible. They spread word of the dunes far and wide, and left a legacy of dune-inspired poetry.

Kathleen Goddard Jones, a woman who spent years fighting to keep a nuclear power plant from being built in the dunes, spent the latter years of her life exploring the dunes with her husband Gaylord Jones and giving names to places like Hidden Willow Valley.

Walking along the marked trail that goes through Hidden Willow Valley, I came across a spur that led to a small glade. Within the glade, next to an inviting log-bench, is an aging mailbox. I sat there awhile, absorbing the energy of the place and examining the contents of the mailbox—a logbook where visitors tell their stories, a book of Dunite poems, and personal items left by previous travelers.

Here I read Dunite poetry from a book left in the "hidden" mailbox by Norm Hammond, a well known dune historian.

I urge you to leave your own note in the logbook, but remember these words. In an essay from the book Imagine What American Could Be in the 21st Century, given to me by a friend, Fred Branfman writes, “We can feel truly alive and at peace in the present only if we know that we are contributing to the future.”

There are of course many ways to contribute to the future. One of the easiest ways is to simply be aware of the physical impact you can have on a place as sensitive as Hidden Willow Valley. A large careless group can cause as much damage as an off-road vehicle.

It’s critical to obey the laws established to protect natural places—in this case, no camping, no fires, no dogs—and to respect the rights of neighboring property owners and nesting plovers. To do any less would be to rob the future of yet another irreplaceable place.

Contact the Dunes Center in Guadalupe for information about upcoming hikes to Hidden Willow Valley and other parts of the National Wildlife Refuge.