Sweetwater Marsh is a 316-acre coastal wetland reserve on the edge of San Diego Bay, a remnant of the tidal marshes that once lined this entire coastline. Salt marsh, mudflats, and cordgrass habitat support an extraordinary concentration of birds, including migratory shorebirds that use the Pacific Flyway. The refuge is open to foot traffic along the trail network — the main loop offers easy walking with excellent bird-watching at all times of year.
The marsh is best visited at low tide, when the mudflats are exposed and feeding birds are most active and visible. Bring binoculars: snowy plovers, black-necked stilts, American avocets, and long-billed curlews are regular sightings. Winter months bring greater diversity as migrants arrive. Access is shared with the Living Coast Discovery Center on Gunpowder Point.