Places to Connect with Nature in Long Beach
While Long Beach is one of California’s largest cities, its urban setting is offset by its proximity to and incorporation of nature. Its location along the coast and ample green spaces provided by the city’s park system create numerous places to connect with nature throughout the city. Here are a few of our recommendations for immersing yourself in greenery, seeing wildlife, and getting inspired about our planet.
AN AWARD-WINNING PARKS SYSTEM
Established in 1888 and operating 166 parks, five golf courses, six miles of beaches, and the largest municipally operated marina system in the nation, the Long Beach Parks, Recreation and Marine department plays a key role in the lives of Long Beach residents, creating opportunities for the public to enjoy recreation and green spaces year round. The department is the four-time winner of the National Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management and is regularly ranked in the top 100 park systems in the country by the Trust for Public Land. Visit longbeach.gov/park to find a park near you.
COLORADO LAGOON
At the Colorado Lagoon (5119 E Colorado St), you can see examples of several important habitats, like salt marshes, dunes, sandy beaches, and coastal scrub, along with the native plants, wetlands birds, and other marine life that thrive there. Walk the path that leads from the Wetlands and Marine Science Education Center around the lagoon. Kids and families can enjoy the nearby playground and picnic tables. The lagoon is currently undergoing a project to reconnect it to the open ocean, but the park’s amenities are still accessible.
WHALE WATCHING
The channel between Long Beach and Catalina Island is one of a few places where people can easily spot the largest animal ever to have lived on Earth–the blue whale. In the summer months, blue whales are off our coast feeding on krill, and in the late fall and winter you can spot gray whales on their annual migration. Year round you can also see harbor seals, sea lions, and massive pods of dolphins in our local waters. Harbor Breeze Cruises (100 Aquarium Way, Dock #2) offers daily whale watching trips narrated by an Aquarium of the Pacific naturalist.
AQUARIUM OF THE PACIFIC
Unless you’re a scuba diver or snorkeler, you might not have many chances to see what lives beneath the ocean’s surface. But at the Aquarium of the Pacific (100 Aquarium Way), you can see thousands of creatures that live in the Pacific Ocean, from massive California sea lions to adorable tiny sea jellies. This up-close reminder of the beauty and diversity of our ocean will get you thinking about how to preserve and protect it. Read more about the Aquarium’s conservation work and how you can get involved at aquariumofpacific.org/conservation.
EL DORADO NATURE CENTER
Studies have shown that time spent in nature has measurable benefits for humans. The Japanese practice of forest bathing is intended to harness these benefits, and you can experience it at the El Dorado Nature Center (7550 E Spring St), where the walking trails provide a calming and restorative way to see pine, oak, and sycamore trees, lakes, birds, squirrels, wildflowers, and native plants. Don’t miss the visitor center with interactive exhibits or the turtles sunbathing around the bridge at the trails’ entrance.
EARL BURNS MILLER JAPANESE GARDEN
The Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden (Earl Warren Dr) offers an experience of natural elements shaped by human design, with carefully planted and maintained Japanese maples, bonsai trees, and a burbling stream. Make a reservation to visit, then feed the koi fish in the pond, stroll the gently curving path through the garden, and take time to rest on a bench, feel the breeze, and perhaps meditate. The garden offers regular yoga, sound bathing, and art workshops for an even deeper nature experience.
A GREEN PORT
One of the busiest ports in the nation, the Port of Long Beach has developed a Green Port Policy to reduce harmful air emissions, improve water quality, protect wildlife, and implement sustainable practices at the port. The public can get an up-close look at the results on monthly 90-minute harbor tours offered during the summer months. Spot local marine wildlife, including sea lions and seabirds, and learn about the port’s efforts to protect the environment.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
If you would like to roll up your sleeves and make a difference for the environment in Long Beach, there are several volunteer opportunities worth your time. The Aquarium of the Pacific hosts a wetlands restoration event on the first Saturday of every month at the Los Cerritos Wetlands to help clean up these sensitive wildlife areas. On the second Friday of every month, you can help with trail maintenance and tending native plants at Willow Springs Park with the City’s Office of Climate Action and Sustainability. Beach clean-ups are hosted regularly by community organizer Justin Rudd, Surfrider, and other local groups.
RIVER WALKS
Long Beach is nestled between two major Southern California rivers, the Los Angeles River to the west, and the San Gabriel River on its eastern edge. Both rivers have walking and cycling paths, drawing many pedestrians and cyclists to check out these major waterways as they get a workout in. There are a few places along both rivers for fishing and spotting wildlife. The LA River meets the ocean in Long Beach at a protected wetlands area, the Golden Shore Marine Biological Reserve, great for bird watching. And many are surprised to know that green sea turtles live in the San Gabriel River and are easily spotted floating in the current, peeking their heads above the surface.
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