Wetlands habitats such as Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in Huntington Beach free to tourists, offer an attraction experience with birds, plants and wildlife.

If you could park your car for free and wander amongst a flying, dive-bombing parade of graceful wings, hear chirps of these fast-moving creatures zoom past you, above and beside you, this A-ticket attraction would astound you with its surreal, 3-D effects. Oddly enough, it really exists and it really is free. And it's as good as any show gets (better than Disneyland or Knotts). Why? Because it is constantly in motion, always changing and you never know what to expect.

Welcome to the real world of the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve wetlands, a habitat for endangered species of birds, plants and rodents.  For tourists dropping by from New York or Miami...you think your flight was long? Some of the winged creatures at the Huntington Beach wetlands have been traveling for months from one end of the globe to the other. Kestrels, for instance, may travel as far as the southern tip of South America, then head back north the U.S. And they don't do this once in a lifetime. They do it annually!

At the Huntington Beach wetlands the landscape is somewhat barren, mixed with a prominent bridge spanning what appears to be a swamp or lake.  For a long time this watery home was fed saltwater through a waterway system cut-off from the ocean by Pacific Coast Highway (1).  Then in 2006 an incredible multi-million dollar project created an inlet for ocean water to enter the wetlands so that now more than ever, you can witness the ebb and flow of the daily tides. 

In addition to your time arrival for the tides and their height, you will also discover the birds tend to be more active in their fishing and feeding during certain hours.  You can arrive and barely see activity within a one and a half mile trail that encompasses the wetland area. Or you can get there during a feeding frenzy and be in awe of the skill that the terns, herons, pelicans and other birds employ to capture their pray and dine on a delicious meal.

For vacationers seeking a perspective about the Bolsa Chica wetlands, Bolsa Chica Interpretative Center contains  maps and exhibits highlighting the coastal environment. Souvenir books, calendars, Tshirts and postcards are often sold there. Bolsa Chica Conservancy staffs this facility located in a trailer (free public parking lot) on Warner Ave. near Pacific Coast Highway intersection.

Did you know that California has experienced over 90% wetlands loss? Greater losses than any other state in the USA bring dire consequences as the survival of these beautiful birds increases. While human hands are largely responsible for bird losses, the development of the prime coastal lands in Southern, Central and Northern coastal California, the inland swamps and deltas are not immune to this degradation and loss of habitats for ducks, Mergansers, Clapper Rails, Sparrows, Snowy Egrets and a host of gorgeous, graceful birds.

Bolsa Chica Conservancy (714) 846-1114.  Location: Pacific Coast Highway between Seapoint & Warner Ave., Huntington Beach, California
Size: 300 acres 
Free admission & parking  Hours:  Daily sunrise to sunset 
Restrictions:  No bicycles, dogs or horses