Batiquitos Lagoon is one of the few remaining coastal wetlands in Southern California that still receives regular tidal flushing, and the result is a thriving salt marsh that hosts more than 130 bird species throughout the year. Great blue herons stand motionless in the shallows, osprey patrol overhead, and in winter the lagoon attracts diving ducks and shorebirds in numbers that serious birders travel far to see.
The north-shore trail runs for roughly three miles along the water's edge, passing through coastal sage scrub before ending near the western inlet. It is flat, easy walking suitable for all ages, and the views across the lagoon change with the light and the tides. Access is free, parking is available at the trailhead on Gabbiano Lane, and the Nature Center near the eastern end has interpretive displays about the lagoon's ecology and restoration history.