Schedule a Tour/Field Trip
All tours are free and available on a first-come-first-serve basis.
General Public & Adult Group 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 send it to Sara at Sara@svswa.org or 831-775-3006. GENERAL PUBLIC & ADULT TOUR APPLICATION
School Group Field Trips are scheduled on Tuesdays. Bus grants are available for school groups whose school is in our SVR service area. We are now scheduling for Fall of 2025 and Spring of 2026. Please visit our Field Trip and Bus Grant Web Page for more information Link to School Field Trip & Bus Grant Web Page
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 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
Field Trips to the Johnson Canyon Landfill and Education Center are approximately 3.5 hour field trips from 10:00AM – 1:30PM. Field Trips take place on Tuesdays. We can adjust this schedule to the needs of the school with wiggle room on either side. Field Trips include a tour of the landfill and two additional Making Connections activities that help students understand that their actions directly effect the environment and shows them ways that they can make changes that will immediately make a difference upon leaving. All activities are linked to Next Generation Science Standards. Please find Field Trip Information Here
Tour & Field Trip 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.
Follow this Link to the EDUCATION CENTER TOURS PAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION – Bus Grants now available for School Groups in SVR Service Area!
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
- 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
