Schedule a Tour
All tours are free and available on a first-come-first-serve basis. Tours are available Mon-Fri, 8am-3pm. Transportation is not provided, please coordinate or plan your transportation needs independently. To schedule a tour, complete the Tour Application and contact Sara at 831-775-3006.
In Person Tours Available
Tours of the landfill and transfer stations/recycling centers are available for free to all schools, community groups, and the public in the Salinas Valley area.
Tours last approximately 1 hour (2 if Education Center included) and offer participants an opportunity to visit the recycling centers, understand how garbage is buried at the landfill, learn how yard waste is processed and what it turns into, what happens to construction and demolition materials, see the landfill gas to energy facility (landfill tour only), and visit the ABOP collection stations or the hazardous waste collection facility.
Tour & Exploration Locations
Johnson Canyon Landfill (JCL) 31400 Johnson Canyon Rd Gonzales serves the Cities of Salinas, Gonzales, Soledad, Greenfield, King City and the unincorporated Monterey County’s franchised haulers and residents and business that self-haul garbage, recyclables, yard waste, wood waste, etc.
NEW EDUCATION CENTER & GARDENS!!!! (October 2023)
The education center and gardens are a great place to spend some time making connections between what you are teaching in the classroom and what your students see at the landfill and composting facilities. We offer many classes and demonstrations that are tailored to your needs.
Tour includes:
This driving tour includes stops at:
- Open Face of the Landfill
- Sanitary Landfill Open Cell Construction Site (if available)
- Leachate Pond (if viewable)
- Construction & Demolition Pile
- Metal Recycling Pile
- Atlas Organics Composting Facility
- Aerated Static Pile Facility
- Depackager Facility
- Amaresco Energy Conversion Site
- Recycling Area
- Education Center Construction Site (if available)
- View of Heavy Machinery in action
- Sweeping Views of the Salinas Valley
Jardin el Sol 128 Sun St Salinas
Exploration includes:
This hands on exploration includes:
- Vermicomposting (i.e composting with Worms)
- Backyard Composting
- Decomposer Critter Exploration
- Garden Exploration
Jolon Road Transfer Station (JRTS) 52654 Jolon Rd, King City serves King City’s franchised hauler and residents and businesses from surrounding areas that self-haul garbage, recyclables, yard waste, wood waste, etc.
Tour includes:
This walking-tour includes stops at:
- Recycling Center
- Yard Waste Collection
- ABOP Collection
- Garbage Collection