Coyote Gulch (California)

Coyote Gulch stands as a rare example of an industrial wasteland transformed back into a thriving wilderness. For decades, this ravine served as a hidden dumping ground for the United States Army, buried under tons of concrete, pesticides, and household debris. When conservationists discovered the site in the late nineteen-nineties, they found the area choked with toxic waste and invasive plants. A major cleanup effort eventually removed fifty-seven thousand tons of contaminated soil, allowing the buried landscape to breathe again. Today, the area functions as a vital riparian habitat where a natural creek flows once more toward the Pacific Ocean. Its name serves as a reminder of the wildlife that quickly reclaimed the space, as coyotes were frequently spotted hunting gophers in the disturbed soil during the early stages of the restoration.