San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary Day Trip Irvine California

San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary is accessible to the public and is open from dawn until dusk, seven days a week. This fantastic hidden oasis is a picture-perfect place to visit. Take a walk and enjoy the sights and sounds of nature minutes away from high-rise buildings and the San Diego freeway.

The sanctuary features 12 miles of trails with numerous benches for relaxation. Keep an eye out for over 200 bird species sighted in the reserve.

The marsh is a ten-minute walk from UC Irvine, and a bike trail leading to Newport Bay runs adjacent to the wildlife sanctuary. No bikes are allowed in reserve, so park them at the Audubon house and head out.

San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary Audubon House

Audubon House is home to the Sea & Sage Audubon Society at the San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary. Inside, you can learn more about the sanctuary and its feathered inhabitants.

Browse through a selection of books and pamphlets, check out a couple of stuffed birds, and chat with one of the volunteers, who is more than happy to answer any questions.

Birding at San Joaquin Wildlife Marsh dates back over 100 years when this area was a private duck hunting club. These days, the only bird shooting is with cameras. The duck club building was originally from the Tustin Air Base duck hunting club, not from the San Joaquin Marsh.

San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary Duck Club

By the early 1960s, only two of these clubs remained: the 20-Ranch and the Old San Joaquin. In the mid-1980s, hunting ceased as the Irvine area population increased and the city began filling in. The former duck hunting clubs and water treatment settlement ponds adjacent to the banks of San Diego Creek once again became a sanctuary for migratory waterfowl.

Plan on spending at least one hour here, longer if you are a bird watcher or want to sit back and relax and enjoy nature. Parking and admission are free. Donations are welcome and can be given at the Audubon House. There are a couple of picnic tables near the entrance, plus restrooms.

San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary is adjacent to the UC Irvine campus upstream from upper Newport Bay 5 Riparian View, Irvine, CA 92616. We highly recommend picking up a map at the visitor center before heading out on the trails. Getting lost on the trails is easy, so a map is handy.

The access road to Audubon House, the Duck Club, and the San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary changed. You now enter from Campus Drive instead of from Michelson. Dogs and other leashed or unleashed pets are not permitted on the property. The sanctuary is free to the public and opens from dawn to dusk, seven days a week.

Nearby Tanaka Farms

Kids will get bored after about an hour, so have a backup plan ready and take them to nearby Tanaka Farms.

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