Donald D. Shipley Nature Center in Central Park is an 18-acre forest in Huntington Beach, California, USA. 

Shipley Nature Center has many friends who have rallied to make it the best little nature hideaway in the County of Orange. While once falling into disrepair, a theme has consistently carried this Central Park gem through its wear and tear, into a renaissance in which it has blossomed. Beloved by friends and neighbors, the gated center has been carefully reconstructed and and filled with native plants, special gardens to attract Monarch butterflies, compost gardens, and educational information to teach and delight the public and school children alike.

In addition to a mainstay grove of Redwood trees, it consists of a variety of habitats frequented by birds and native wildlife such as raccoons, snakes, turtles, opossums and coyotes. For over 25 years, it has been the wild and natural area where bunnies gingerly bite on tall grass stems, turtles crawl through hidden ponds and huge spiders hang from trees. 

Shipley Nature Center Links

1.  Shipley Nature Center welcome from Kay Goddard

2.  Maypole Dance

3.  Shipley Nature Center leaders / community volunteers

4.  Photo of attendees Gil Coerper and Tom Livengood

5.  Kids play games at the Spring Festival

6.  Shipley Nature Center sponsors and community groups at Spring Festival

7.  Shipley Nature Center Kicha with Manager Juana Muller

8.  Visit Shipley Nature Center

9.  Shipley Restoration

10. Shipley Nature Center History Lecture

11. Shipley's Cool Summer Nights Events

Like props for his presentations, former park ranger Dave Winkler used to reach up and let the spiders walk gently onto his hand for presentations he made to thousands of children visiting the Center on educational trips. Winkler worked there for over 25 years, providing entertaining and educational information to people of all ages who wandered into the red brick building that featured displays and a starting point for information and brochures before entering the trails.

Friends of Shipley Nature Center is a non-profit volunteer organization formed to manage Shipley Nature Center for the City of Huntington Beach. It is located in Huntington Central Park on Golden West Street between Slater and Ellis Avenues. There is a large sign at the parking lot on Golden West St.

Shipley Nature Center is comprised of 18 acres of natural habitat. Four years or restoration by the Friends has involved many efforts that include removing non-native invasive plants and restoring them with native Southern California trees and plants. There is a trail system that runs through 8 habitats that include: Oak woodland, Redwood grove, Meadow, Coastal Sage Scrub, Willow wetlands, pond, Riparian woodland and Torrey Pine grove.

There is an interpretive center in a building that features educational displays, Demonstration Garden, and a Conservation/Education Yard with a nursery and recycle/ compost area.

Volunteers to help manage these natural assets in some of the priciest land in Southern California just a few miles from the Pacific Ocean include trail work, maintaining structures, building projects, research and development of special projects, planting projects, etc. Call Carol Williams at (714) 842-4772 Postal: PO Box 1052, Huntington Beach, CA 92647

Donald D. Shipley Nature Center was named for a former Huntington Beach mayor who worked as an advocate for natural spaces.  Donald Shipley has passed away but his memory lives in the namesake nature center. Many believe that Shipley would be proud of the efforts to keep the Nature Center open.  On a stone plaque at the entry to the Center, a picture of Donald Shipley and his favorite quote are etched for all to read and ponder: "We sleepwalk through our environment. Most of us are totally unaware of how little of our natural environment now remains in coastal Southern California. I submit that man may need some natural areas in his human environment much more than does our depleted wildlife." -Donald Shipley

Where is the Donald D. Shipley Nature Center?  From the San Diego Freeway (405) exit Golden West Street. Drive west for several miles to Slater. Turn right. At the next stoplight, turn left on Slater. At the stop sign which is a 4-way stop, turn left onto Central Park Drive. Veer slightly left into the parking lot near the tall shade trees. Go left and find the cement, paved trail, following to Nature Center. For more information, visit, shipleynature.org

Huntington Central Park in Huntington Beach, California - Huntington Central Park is a 356-acre park located in the heart of Huntington Beach. Established in 1968, the citizens of Huntington Beach approved a $6 million park bond which helped finance Central Park. Extending across Golden West Street between Slater Avenue and Ellis Street it includes Central Park West and Central Park East. An architectural centerpiece, Central Library and Cultural Center, was designed by the famed father-son Neutra team. Many attractions at Central Park include Huntington Central Park Equestrian Center, H.B. Dog Park, H.B. Disc Golf Course, Huntington Beach Playhouse, Alice's Breakfast in the Park, Park Bench Cafe, Lake Huntington, Central Park Amphitheater, Adventure Playground, Par Course, Shipley Nature Center, playgrounds, picnic tables, BBQ grills and special events throughout the year. Each year Central Park hosts Civil War Re-enactment, Concours d'Elegance, Shakespeare in the Park, athletic events, contests, BB Jazz Concert, and Huntington Beach Concert Band Summer Concerts.

Central Park West features Lake Huntington, Huntington Central Park Equestrian Center, Huntington Beach Disc Golf Course, Alice's Breakfast in the Park, H.B. Dog Park, Shipley Nature Center (open on the third Sunday of each month), covered picnic shelter rental, barbecue grills, playgrounds, dirt and cement trails for walking, bicycling and jogging, nature and bird watching and more. Central Park West parking lots  located on Golden West Street, Inlet Drive and Central Park Drive provide free parking.

Central Park East includes Central Library and Cultural Center, Huntington Beach Playhouse, Adventure Playground, HB Sports Complex, a new addition to the park with baseball and soccer fields, Park Bench Cafe, walking and jogging trails, exercise par course, picnic tables and grills, an  amphitheater set in a shady eucalyptus grove and a bandstand. Free and paid public parking is available in lots located on Golden West and Gothard Streets and Slater and Talbert Avenues.

Meeting Facilities and Rental Facilities for birthdays, anniversaries, company picnics and corporate team building include Central Library and Cultural Center, Central Park Amphitheater, Sports Center, Central Park Equestrian Center and a covered outdoor facility in Central Park West which seats 200 people, provides barbecue grills, electricity and sinks. For rental, call 714-536-5281.So numerous and interesting are the activities within the park that these pages were created and photos taken to show you all the great things one can see when visiting Central Park.