Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve

The first time I came here was on a first date in September. Friends told me this was creepy, to be walking in the evening with a stranger, but alas, there are people and no big trees to conceal you. I probably didn’t need to wear workout pants for this hike (but I did). The walk is relatively flat and perfect for all levels.
We met in the parking lot, free and easy but smaller. I don’t know anything about seabirds or foliage but he did so he told me a little bit about it and then we talked for 2 hours as we walked. We caught the gorgeous sunset, got a bit lost and had to walk down Warner. We ended up going out for another 3 months… so that worked out. Get a bite at Secret Spot afterwards. :)
I came back with a friend and talked for another 2 hours. It’s a place to walk your dog, take a run, but mostly, catch up.

Came here back in ¹¹⁄₂₀₁₅ and it was a fun time hiking through the reserve. It is so expansive, and you can spend at least 1 – 2 hours here! :) Nice scenery, near the beach, great weather and good air! You’re bound to see all kinds of birds too, even spot a fish here or there in the waters. Limited parking and no dogs allowed on the trails.

Lots of birds:
Herons
Egrets
Buffleheads
Cinnamon teals
Other stuff.
Lots of them
Long, windy paths cross crossing the only open marshland left on this coast between San Diego and. The bay area maybe?
Bounded by the freeways, oil rigs, and monotonous housing deletions it’s DEFINATELY urban socal,
It’s windy. It’s sunny. It’s a good walk, but besides birds there not much scenery.
Point Reyes it’s not but that’s what we have down here.
Bathrooms are portable but well serviced.

Peaceful, serene, and simply a quite beautiful place off PCH to come for a leisure stroll and to catch a glimpse of the many species of birds and wildlife that call this ecological reserve home.
This is not a challenging hike, but simply a great place to come for a relaxing walk. I love how calming this place is. There are a couple of different paths you can take to explore and take pictures. A couple of benches throughout were you can sit and gather your thoughts. Despite the fact that it’s off busy PCH, it is still not as noisy.
There are many photographers throughout and families enjoying the beauty of this place. Just please be respectful and not litter as there are many protected species throughout the reserve.

Runners, walkers, birders, photographers, NOT bicyclists or dog walkers, will get something out of this reserve. It’s really a sanctuary for birds, remarkable for being rather sizable even though it’s on prime beach front land. There’s enough pathways here that if you choose, you could walk around for hours. There’s also benches dispersed throughout if you want to sit and rest. It’s all pretty level, so if you’re looking for a challenging hike, this is not the place for you. If you just want to have an easy walk surrounded by open space and some birds, then check it out.
Best time to come is around sunrise or maybe an hour before sunset, especially when the weather is muggy and hot. It’s less busy and parking is easier to find during those times as well. Also, you’ll get better light if you want to take photos.

Tranquil. Serene. Wildlife. Free. What’s not to love?
Often there are lots of photographers on the PCH side of the bridge to take photos of wildlife. But if you like to do the trek, I prefer parking on the Warner side. Both sides have free parking. It’s a self guided tour of the hike showing you the different greens along the way. I’ve done a short loop here and from what I could remember, it was 3.4 miles according to my Garmin.
There’s no elevation, strollers are not allowed, lots of walkers often come here as does a lot of school kids on a bus. Please keep this place nice and clean. Also please don’t ever make housing at this sactuary, it’s the shortest getaway from reality that I can think of.

This is near where I live. If you enjoy a nature walk and hike you can spend a few hours on the trail. Remember some parts of the trail closer to Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) near the bridge they don’t allow bikes so it may just be a good idea to leave your bikes home unless you plan on biking on the bike trail near the beach. Walk on the bridge and look at the water below its clear enough to see fish or other marine life. Be sure to stop along the way to look at the scenery and take some photos of the wildlife if you’re into photography. If you’re looking for a good place to take sunset to dusk photos this is a good spot. Arrive a ½ hour before sunset to capture some beautiful photos.

Love this place and have been coming here for years!
Perfect place to walk or run. No dogs/​horses allowed. Most of the trails are well kept and even. A great place for beginning or intermediate walkers who need to increase their endurance after a lapse in training before taking on more longer or challenging hikes. The sunsets and variety of birds makes this the ultimate photo op spot. Bring sunscreen, water and a hat as there is no shade on most of the trails. I prefer the cool mornings and cool, breezy evenings during Summer. Bring a light weight jacket and your camera or smart phone.
Their are port a potties at the PCH and Warner (where the nature park exhibit is) parking lots. The one at Warner is far cleaner with a hand washing station. The one located in the PCH lot is always filthy! So discussing that I have called twice over the years to let the company know.
Often times there is no paper and tbere is no place to wash your hands. This entrance to the wetlands is so popular and used so much there needs to be more frequent cleaning of this toilet. There is no excuse. It is my only issue with this place.
The Amigos De Bolsa Chica is a great volunteer program that gives scheduled walking tours here. Worth finding out about. They often have a booth set up at the PCH entrance.

Southern California’s largest remaining piece of wetlands between Monterrey Bay and Tijuana River Estuary at almost 1,500 acres. Great place to walk, jog, bird watch, and learn the functions and values of the wetlands. Dogs and Bikes are not allowed on the ecological reserve trails, and you can receive a ticket from the Fish and Wildlife Warden. If interested in learning where you can bike and walk your dog close to the reserve stop by the Bolsa Chica Interpretive Center and ask the host.

This isn’t much of a hike. It’s good for walking, to be outside, catch up with a friend, or learn about birds.
The area is really nice. People who live around here are fortunate. It would be lovely to go for a walk around here in the morning. Bolsa Chica State Beach and Sunset Beach are right across the street (PCH).
The wildlife here is interesting — I wish I knew more about it. The bunnies are cute. There used to be a good amount of trees here a couple years back, which I liked. It looks like they had been chopped off or died. Or both.

Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve is a nothing short of a miracle. This reserve has kept a portion of Southern California unspoiled and very close to how the Spanish Explorers must have found it before «civilization» covered the natural beauty of the land. It offers a lovely oasis for humans and wildlife alike; if you are an avid birdwatcher, you simply must visit. Long hiking trails (I walked about three miles today) as well as lovely ocean views surround you. Thankfully, this beautiful ecological reserve was saved from the hands of developers who have covered Orange County in acres of pre-​planned and architecturally boring and unattractive (okay, bordering on hideous) communities. Some of these horrendous homes are visible from the reserve; I just tried to look the other way.
The Interpretive Center offers information and trial maps as well as a few displays on the flora and fauna of the area. The small gift shop has bottled water and souvenir items for sale.
Good job, grass root ecologists, for saving this gem from the developers! Keep it up.

It’s a nice place to get away and listen to some birds chirping. Fresh air, ocean views, pretty peaceful for the most part.

I love walking and jogging around Bolsa Chica! This is the last remaining wetlands in the area. Thank you for all the folks who had the forethought to conserve this remaining stretch of land for the community to enjoy!
Come here if you want to:
* Run, jog, walk.
* Take photos
* Bird watch
* Relax

Beautiful place !! I park by the nature center and it’s free! I also park up top by the houses when we bring the dog. Great to run on dirt and get a break from concrete. Keep your eyes open for snakes but the are rare. Normally see squirrels, rabbits, hawks, fish and tons if other birds along with amazing sunrises. Check this place out!

Such a gorgeous place to visit. I just went recently after the storm came, and this place was flooded with water. But it was a gorgeous and clear day. My friend and I saw plenty of birds who were probably too full to even go fishing for food, so we didn’t really see the birds in action. There were tons of small fish and a large group of bigger fish. You could see them from the bridge at the entrance. There were also several small sting ray just swimming along and minding their own business. Countless little red crabs climbed the weeds and scuttled around on the bottom of the water. Such an amazing sight!
This is definitely a really nice «zen» place. It’s windy often, so bring a jacket. There are porta-​a-​potties at the parking entrance. No bikes, no dogs, but light jogging is A-​OK. There is a great little nesting area for birds to hang out and make babies. We even saw a couple of eggs through the fence, which was really neat. This place is huge. You could walk for like two or three hours. There is so much to see and so many different types of birds. It’s a nature-photographer’s dream come true.

Relatively easy trail. Decent views, not too isolated from the city, bikes allowed, dogs allowed in certain areas. If you’re new to hiking or just want some quiet time in the outdoors but don’t wanna drive for hours to get out the city, go here. Only real potential hazards are snakes, spiders, wasps, and uneven terrain.

First off, I’d have to agree w/​the others, it’s not much of a hiking trail if your dead set on inclines (believe me, I live for inclines!) but it is truly a wonderful setting to go walking and exploring all this ecological reserve has to offer. You can also make it as long or as short of a walk. We walked around path near new homes and then took the one trail that leads you out to the middle concrete trail (s) — there are more than one just looking at it from a distance, this could become a half a day walking event, depending on how fast you walk and permitted you take breaks to observe the beautiful wildlife that all congregate there. I could just shoot myself for not taking photos of the birds! They are so cool to watch and you also get to see squirrels, rabbits and lizards among other critters (there is a sign for rattlesnakes, I can imagine w/​dry vegetation there would be.
People there strolling or jogging were just so well mannered and polite! The only thing I noticed that kind of needs improvement for the experience is people need to pick up after their dogs! The other sad issue was the litter nestled here & there and the graffiti on some of the informational boards. For the area it’s located in, I’m shocked to see such behavior exist, but then again it’s most likely the out of town visitors that exercise such unnecessary habits. Also, (here we go) for me, it kind of ruins it seeing and hearing construction going on and for that matter, walking down the trail having view of all those residents back yards! I would not want to be in one of those home owner’s shoes; who wants to live in a public fish bowl?
Spring weather was perfect and not too hot, although you’ll still need sunscreen, sun cap and sunglasses, water/​snacks, etc. I can only imagine summer being to hot to go, unless you go awfully early. Early weekdays seemed good to me; Stay away from the weekends unless you love crowds. Parking is free and is all around depending where you enter; appears to have a parking lot too.
One to go by yourself, with children and couples. Truly tranquil, scenic nature and wetlands — highly recommended if this sounds like your type of outing.

Whether it be a sweaty jog, a romantic stroll, or a hunt to find birds to take photos of, this is a great place to come. It’s great coming here at different times of the day to see how the tides rise and fall; the tides allow many sceneries that you might miss the first time.
There’s tons of beautiful birds, fish and sometimes even sting rays to watch! For some, it may seem like a long walk but rather, it’s really relaxing.

Bring a hat, jacket in case, binoculars, sunscreen, water, and snacks, music with earphones? camera? Just for memories maybe but for wildlife? Probably a DSLR and big telephoto lens.
If you’re a person with a good appetite? Bring your food and leave it in the car, when you get done walking, and are starving, you won’t have to go find somewhere to get food! Just eat right there!
I’m not an expert of this reserve, but there are two different areas to park as far as I know. One near Warner and PCH and the other you’ll see on the right heading N’ly on PCH.
The one off of PCH is very flat and good for a quickie, or easy walking, or if you’re feeling too cooped up.
The other is a little more interesting other than flat.
There are two manmade hilly, lookout areas between the two parking zones (don’t know what the official name is) that you can walk to and sit at. There are some park benches waay over there.
Note: the Warner av side has construction going on at the channel so you will see the expected signage.
I really like how cool it is there while especially when the ocean breeze rolls in.
Another note is that this is not a zoo! Fight the urge to look out and see nothing but mud and plants. You can get Zen’y there but I was a little rushed for that. This place is an area where birds etc have a place of refuge. In other words to «kick back»! I had that in common. The professionals there, you’ll know if you see them, walk very slowly, quietly, have cameras with huge telephoto lenses, and are dressed to spend hours out there. There may be better times than others to see wildlife, but I didn’t let that stop me. I went there when I had time :{). One thing I thought of but don’t know if it’s allowed is a folding chair with the back pack straps? I could see that getting out of hand by the wrong people or groups. But if you happened to find a spot you really really like for that instant in eternity, sit there and bask in it! I stood!
This preserve is nice to have and much needed for wildlife and people. It’s not like my lush, tropically rain forested, Green, colorfully flowered, home, floating in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. But for brief instances I felt connected and reminded.
Thank You for reading

Bolsa Chica is more of «Walking Trail» and not a necessarily a «Hiking Trail.»
It is a great place for a morning run/​jog/​walk since the temperatures are still pretty cool, but the trails for the most part do not have any shade. So bring a hat and some water if you visit in the afternoons. Morning times seem to be a little less congested– I tend to steer away from the crowd, to help with the whole «ONE with nature» thing. But the other walkers/​hikers are so friendly here! I think everyone we passed last Sunday said some sort of salutation to us! It was a great morning! Thanks for all the smiles! d=)
Parking is free and the Warner entrance is my preferred entrance. PCH also has an entrance, but it’s easier if you are heading North on PCH to access that parking lot.
The Ecological Reserve is a nice size so be prepared. Bring water and a snack, go to the restroom before you start the trails, and know that you will not be the only one on the trails, so please be courteous! If you want to walk or run the whole entire reserve plan on spending at least an hour and a half.

If I lived nearby I would be in tiptop shape, because I would walk around the trails at least once a day. We stopped here to view the wildlife and although Kevin said there was more to see when he was here in March, I certainly wasn’t disappointed.
There are several flat dirt trails to walk along in this sanctuary. The birds are not too wary of people; I suppose that’s because they share this area with joggers and baby strollers.
The reserve had a long and diverse history before becoming protected wetlands. It is believed that it was a popular hunting ground to Native American tribes at one time, then in the 1895 it was transformed into the Bolsa Hunting Club, a prestigious duck and fowl hunting club with steep membership fees. During the 1920 oil strike the land was leased to Standard Oil for drilling. In World War II, a portion of the wetlands was used by troops to watch for enemy attacks and it’s still possible to see the artillery mounts. By the 1950s Standard oil filled the area with oil derricks. In the 1970s there were lengthy battles between developers and conservation groups. The first phase of restoration comprised 370 acres of full tidal and 180 acres of muted tidal habitats is now protected wetlands.
There is an interpretive center that is opened daily and a lot of birds.

love bolsa chica beach!

I love natural parks! Anything that is being protected and available to the public deserves 15 stars and my tax money!
They do a great job making as much of this area open to the public for nature walks and dog trails. My pup loves coming here! I just wish other owners would leash their dogs in these areas and keep their pets on the trails.
This place is massive and you can park in the private lot or at the beach and walk over. Anywhere you start your walk here is gorgeous. There are benches and informational boards around the nature walk to describe what is being protected and what animals you can see there. So many birds!
Watch your step on the dirt trail, you are sharing the road with giant ants, beatles, lizards, and other mini critters. Let’s not squash ‘em! :P
Beautiful place to bring the family/​kids, the significant other, and the mutts! Make sure you check out the hours on the website.