One of my favorite places in the Huntington Beach area whenever I need a break from the crowds. The walking trails are easy to follow, the wetlands are full of birds and other wildlife, and the views—especially around sunset—are beautiful. Bring water since there's very little shade, but parking has always been manageable for me. I recently stopped by after an appointment at Farsio Dental Specialty Group, and it turned into the perfect way to unwind.

Really nice place to walk or go for a run, you will see all kinds of water birds and you can walk across the pch at Warner Ave to get to the beach. My husband and I have been walking there for 5 years, it’s very nice

Lovely place and a unique opportunity to see many species of birds in their natural habitat if you or your little ones are interested (mine is) Aside from limited parking, there’s no facility at the BOLSA CHICA WETLANDS PARKING, only a chemical bathroom so keep that in mind

Miles and miles of trails. So many birds hanging out, fish too! Free parking in 2 lots. Only restroom is in the Warner nature center.

Bolsa Chica is a well known hotspot in the birding community. The reserve is an excellent place to practice your bird photography - the abundant bird species are easily seen from the mostly flat trails and boardwalks weaving through the numerous ponds with largely unobstructed views due to lack of trees and buildings. The reserve is 1300 acres of protected coastal estuary with a wide variety of habitats such as open water, mudflats, salt marsh, coastal dunes, seabird nesting islands, riparian, and freshwater marsh. The variety of bird species is impressive - especially the water fowl during the seasonal migrations. It’s an essential environment for the birds along the Pacific Flyway. The trails and boardwalks are very well maintained. The trails are gravel with lots of info signs along the way. As an avid birder, it’s a place I visit when I’m competing in a count event or looking for a particular species. A telephoto lens is best here as the trails are set back quite far from the pools which is great for the birds lol! And while the birding is stellar, it’s not my fave location - it’s very urban and noisy - tons of traffic in the area and tons of people. It’s surrounded by housing and the chaos of Huntington Beach. Even early at sunrise the trails are full of walkers loudly on their phones, joggers, and lots of photographers lol. It’s free to park and usually ample spaces. There are two entrances with parking - the north and south lots. I almost always use the south lot and entrance - it’s easy to find - right off Hwy 1 and there are bathrooms available. The signs in the parking lots warn that it’s a “high theft area” so be careful with your belongings.