Access to Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge is via a single unpaved dirt road off Del Monte Boulevard that can become muddy and difficult during rainy seasons, ending at a limited dirt parking area. The refuge offers two main trails—the 1.

15-mile River Loop Trail along the Salinas River and the 0. 37-mile Warriner Beach Trail to the ocean—for wildlife viewing and hiking, with no facilities beyond the parking lot (no restrooms, water, or picnic areas).

Waterfowl hunting is permitted seasonally from mid-October to mid-January with proper state licenses, while all off-trail access is prohibited to protect sensitive dune habitats and nesting areas.