A 1,400-acre restored saltwater marsh squeezed between Pacific Coast Highway and the Bolsa Chica Mesa, immediately north of central Huntington Beach. The reserve is the largest saltwater marsh between Monterey Bay and the Tijuana Estuary and one of the most accessible birding spots in Southern California.
More than 200 bird species pass through over the year — great blue herons, snowy egrets, terns, godwits, brown pelicans, and the endangered California least tern, which nests on artificial gravel pads here in summer. Paved and dirt trails ring the basins; a good 1.5-mile loop starts from the main parking lot off PCH. Best at dawn or in the hour before sunset.