Panoche Valley

*Getting there? From I-5 take Exit 379 Shields Avenue and turn towards the hills!

It turns into county road J-1 which is also named Little Panoche Road. (See our Ultimate Map below). Later there’s a right turn in the valley (Panoche Road) which is then J-1. You can return to I-5 or continue west to Paicines and CA-25 just a few miles north of Pinnacles NP.

Click here Panoche Valley Map to get to our clickable map (more photos & information)

Panoche Valley is an officially designated Important Bird Area. It is one of the few areas of the western San Joaquin Valley with both good access and intact habitat. This sparsely-populated and remote region of California consists of vast, grassy ranches that extend up over chaparral and oak-covered ridges, interspersed with dry washes with intermittent water. The dry scrub springs to life in April with spectacular wildflower displays after wet winters. A mix of BLM and private lands dominate, with the exception of 828-acre Little Panoche Reservoir Wildlife Area (DFG).

 The valley is notable for its high concentrations of wintering raptors and enormous sparrow flocks, which join a resident population of Burrowing Owls and other grassland species. Grasshopper Sparrows and Short-eared Owls are found here as well - both of which have been virtually eliminated as nesters elsewhere in the San Joaquin Valley. Winter brings Mountain Plovers to the short-grass prairie on the valley floor, one of the few areas of the state where this species still winters in semi-natural habitat.

You’ll also want to ‘click’ on Mercey Hot Springs to check out this hidden getaway. It gets high Yelp & Tripadvisor reviews!

There is a significant solar array in the valley. Environmentalists have worked hard to protect this area while recognizing that Panoche Valley Solar LLC also has rights and interests in the valley. Finally a compromise was reached in 2017. A summary of the agreement is provided below:

Settlement Agreement Signed for Panoche Valley Solar Project

Agreement Resolves Long-Running Disputes, Advances Renewable Energy Goals, Creates Jobs, and Preserves more than 26,000 Acres for Endangered Wildlife

HOLLISTER, CA – July 21, 2017: -- The Sierra Club, Defenders of Wildlife, Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society (collectively the “Environmental Groups”), the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), and Panoche Valley Solar LLC (a subsidiary of Consolidated Edison Development, Inc.), have entered into a settlement agreement concerning the size and location of a solar project currently under development in California’s Panoche Valley. The agreement will help advance renewable energy in the state, create local jobs, and protect the environment. Once final, the settlement will permanently conserve more than 26,000 acres for wildlife habitat.Initially, 247 MW of solar generation was planned for development in the Panoche Valley, but now approximately 100 MW is instead proposed for development at a site in Imperial County, California. Development at the Imperial County site will have less impact on threatened and endangered species and their habitat. The relocation of that portion of the project is subject to approval by Southern California Edison (SCE) and the California Public Utilities Commission(CPUC). The settlement will also resolve several legal challenges commenced against the project by the Environmental Groups.The Panoche Valley Solar Project was first proposed in 2009 and as planned would have directly impacted nearly 5,000 acres of high quality and uniquely important habitat. This settlement will reduce the size of the project in the Panoche Valley to slightly more than 1,300 acres and permanently conserve approximately 26,418 acres in and around the Panoche Valley.