Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve
Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve
Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve
4.5
7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Monday
7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Tuesday
7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Wednesday
7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Thursday
7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Friday
7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Saturday
7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Sunday
7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
295 reviews
Excellent
192
Very good
88
Average
12
Poor
3
Terrible
0
Northern_Traveler00
California78,095 contributions
Nov 2021
Just spent 6 days in the area and visited here 5 times, and never did the same walk twice. Two parking lots, one on the PCH the other on Warner, and multiple paths from each gives you at least 10 miles of unique trails to enjoy. Some paved, most are flat with stone dust, some are sandy or rougher, but all are gorgeous.
SO Many Seabirds and others, too. Usually see Blue Herons, also see Kestrels and Red Tailed Hawks, and Osprey. Sometimes see Turkey Vultures. SO MANY DUCKS! And pelicans!
SO Many Seabirds and others, too. Usually see Blue Herons, also see Kestrels and Red Tailed Hawks, and Osprey. Sometimes see Turkey Vultures. SO MANY DUCKS! And pelicans!
Written November 30, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Phil G
Seattle, WA26 contributions
Aug 2021 • Family
We stopped by for quick walk. Ocean breeze was rewarding and refreshing. Trail doesn't look like much but you will encounter a ton of wildlife. We saw multiple heron, pelicans, cranes, egrets, skates and a shark in the water. Great little walk for families.
Written August 27, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sasha G
14 contributions
Oct 2021 • Couples
A short hike great for anyone interested in wetland ecology. Lots of wildlife can be seen throughout the hike. Fairly clean, although saw a few manmade objects in the water with barnacles growing all over them.
Written October 30, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lady Gigglemug
Monrovia, CA5,011 contributions
Feb 2024 • Solo
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.
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.
Written July 28, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
G W
121 contributions
Oct 2019
It’s was a long time coming...the locals fought and fundraised like crazy to re-establish this wetlands. A decade ago this was covered in silt and not really walkable. Now it’s a fine place to see migratory and resident birds. I see ospreys and giant blue herons regularly and big fish too. You can arrange tours through the interpretive center or just walk the path. Plan a couple of hours and don’t miss the old lookout station at the top of the hill where volunteers used a big scope to identify subs off the coast during WW2. Lots of signs to help you along the way. This is a testimony to the efforts of the ecologically minded people of Huntington Beach whose ongoing efforts over 40 years restored the wetlands that had been left to rot.
Written October 20, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
NANCY B
Sanders, AZ25 contributions
Jun 2019 • Family
They do not allow any animals of any kind on the trails here, not even service animals. It's not that they discriminate or are ADA non-compliant. They explained that the birds nesting in the preserve could be disturbed by the presence of a dog, no matter how well-behaved or how much the dog's human needs him. My family members thoroughly enjoyed the trails and kids were excited about seeing stingrays and sharks swimming beneath the walking path bridge.
Written July 5, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Walter S
Sydney, Australia20 contributions
Oct 2015 • Solo
I had the opportunity to walk through this Ecological Reserve. I have been to the Bolsa Chica Reserve a half dozen times over 10 years and it never disappoints. The birder's will love the close proximity to the variety of Hawks, Egrets and water fowl. The walkers will enjoy the undulating track and the three mile course is very enjoyable. The Bolsa Chica information center is educational and a rewarding experience for your children or for those first time folks who have never explored a wetland environment.
Written June 28, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
0garibaldi0
328 contributions
Nov 2014 • Friends
This place is unusual for having free parking since it's right across popular beaches. But whenever I've been here, I haven't seen people abusing the parking privilege, although I've mostly been here early in the morning. It's also relatively unusual as a park as I can't think of another place like this in LA or Orange County. This reserve is very popular among photographers. There's usually a line of them with their tripods and zoom lenses on the bridge in the am. It's also popular with joggers.
The park is sprawling and I've always seen a variety of sea birds, including egrets, pelicans, various ducks, and herons. If you want to have a long walk, the trails could give you a couple of hours worth, at least, as you could continue walking all the way to the other side of the park at Warner Ave. Or you could shorten your time by taking the loop back to the parking lot at the bike path. The paths are nicely maintained with benches placed in certain spots. I prefer coming in the morning because the light is more magical, the weather is cooler, and there's usually less people, especially when you get away from the bridge.
I don't think it's worth going your way out of to get to, especially if you're a foreign tourist. Unless you're coming especially to see the birds.
The park is sprawling and I've always seen a variety of sea birds, including egrets, pelicans, various ducks, and herons. If you want to have a long walk, the trails could give you a couple of hours worth, at least, as you could continue walking all the way to the other side of the park at Warner Ave. Or you could shorten your time by taking the loop back to the parking lot at the bike path. The paths are nicely maintained with benches placed in certain spots. I prefer coming in the morning because the light is more magical, the weather is cooler, and there's usually less people, especially when you get away from the bridge.
I don't think it's worth going your way out of to get to, especially if you're a foreign tourist. Unless you're coming especially to see the birds.
Written January 10, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
sirputz2017
Huntington Beach, CA20 contributions
Sep 2019
by the beach and a great view and pleny of walking. You can ride a mountain bike if like as well. Great panoramic photos you can take along your hike
Written January 24, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Christi F
Las Vegas, NV493 contributions
Oct 2019 • Friends
We had a lovely stroll when visiting. We saw multiple types of birds and were lucky to see a leopard shark! Very enjoyable!
Written October 11, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
iratnikova07
San Diego, California
How busy it is on holiday or right after, like January 2nd? Thank you
Written December 27, 2017
Not very busy, especially during the week. However on the weekends, it is more crowded especially with locals bird watching.
Written January 1, 2018
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