Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes National Wildlife Refuge, Wildlife refuge and natural landmark in Santa Barbara County, United States.

The Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes National Wildlife Refuge is a protected area along California's central coast that includes coastal dunes, lakes, and wetlands. The landscape shifts between tall sand hills, freshwater lakes, and flat salt marshes as you move through it.

The refuge covers 2,553 acres of the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes, one of the largest coastal dune systems left in California. It was established to protect breeding habitat for the endangered California least tern and the threatened western snowy plover. It is managed through a partnership of federal, state and private landowners who pool resources for endangered species management and removal of invasive species.

The refuge lies within the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes, managed through a partnership of federal, state and private landowners who pool resources for endangered species management and invasive plant removal. Visitors reach it through neighbouring state and county parks, such as Oso Flaco Lake and Rancho Guadalupe Dunes County Park. Coastal sage scrub here shelters the Morro blue butterfly and the Morro shoulderband dune snail.

Access is available through several entry points including Oso Flaco Lake and Rancho Guadalupe Dunes County Park, though some areas may be closed at certain times. Good footwear matters because sand, wet spots, and uneven ground are left in their natural state to protect nesting sites.

The refuge harbors over 100 animal and plant species found nowhere else in California or seriously threatened elsewhere. The California red-legged frog and other specialized creatures depend entirely on the undisturbed habitats preserved here.