Shipley Nature Center

The Shipley Nature Center is such a wonderful place to visit and take a nice long walk. I took my toddler and she enjoyed the scenery and nature walk. There are lots of places to sit and just enjoy the surroundings as well as various paths to take throughout the park. There were a large variety of trees and plants and we stumbled upon lots of animals that my daughter was so excited to see. There is a learning center where you can see all the types of animals that are native to that area. They have many fun learning resources, including a shop where you can buy toys, books, various gifts, and even plants and compost. There are classes offered as well. I highly recommend parents take their kids here or just go on their own for some quiet relaxing walks.

This is a wonderful place with more natural animals and plants. This place has many protrusions so pedestrians can go deeper and explore. Volunteers provide full support with documents and maps to identify and confirm objects. Many colorful flowers of many sizes and shapes, with many diffused scents, perennial trees growing in the forest, and nuts. Animals can see most birds, butterflies, squirrels, and insects. This place is suitable for children to explore and learn about nature. There are also many attractive souvenirs if guests need to celebrate

Free nice nature reserve located in Huntington Beach. They do ask for a $3 donation which helps maintain the area. It is open on a walk in basis Tue, Fri, and Sat from 9am-1. You can schedule a field trip for children outside of the walk in hours listed. There is a garden section which certain items are available for purchase. There is also a building with artifacts and other nature related items on display. They are always looking for volunteers to ensure the safety and care of the habitat to allow it to remain open. There are many well maintained trails located around the reserve with signage provided for information based on the area you are in. No pets, drinks, or bicycles are allowed in the reserve.

No entry fee just suggested donation of $3 per person to assist in keeping the gates open and the habitat safe. It was like stepping into another world, a forest, a swamp, a big garden, the redwoods..different habitats. Hard to believe that its within the city of Huntington Beach near businesses and schools. A must for anyone wanting to enjoy the outdoors and different habitats and species of animals without driving hundreds of miles and camping somewhere. Can visit and experience it all within one day, plus the park nextdoor is full of outdoor activities fot the family as well. Great place in a great area.

Absolutely brilliant. Peak California. Don't forget the kicha - highlight of the trip. I didn't donate but urge everyone to do so. lol

Shipley Nature Center is a wonderful nature experience with paths, learning presentations about gardening, plants and the native animals, birds and butterflies There are presentations, events, musical events and kids classes. It is delightful for all ages. The only times you can get in is Fridays and Saturdays between 9 am - 1 PM. It’s only $3 to explore and enjoy Shipley nature center. Bring friends and family and help support this local treasure In summer the gates open at 4:30 and close at 7:30.

Here’s yet another natural addition to Huntington Central Park! This beautiful section of the park is open to the public on select days and hours, as with the summertime programs. Here it’s possible to see the nursery with native plants, learn methods of conservation, composting and vermiculture. The loop trail provides a pathway thru nature. Trees, shrubs and animals, including squirrels, rabbits and birds may be seen along the way! Going thru this part of Huntington Central Park seems to complete the overall natural experience! Especially satisfying as part of a hike thru the main park with scenic walking trails, the secret garden, open green space, shaded picnic areas, ponds, lakes and Urban Forrest.

10 stars! Minus 1 star for not being open much. This is a great place to bring the kiddos to learn about the awesomeness of nature. Or just come by yourself and stroll around the trails, find a bench, sit amongst the tranquility, read a book or just watch the clouds roll by.

Awesome find in the middle of Huntington Beach. This place is much bigger than I expected, with lots of opportunities for kids to explore and learn. The trail is marked and loops around, so you could easily make your hike as short or as long as you want. The kids get scavenger hunts to use as they explore anything from ducks to egrets, and ponds to redwoods. The nature center is not too big but still has a lot to look at, including a variety of taxidermied animals, bones, and rocks. There is also an interactive area where kids can read books and play with puzzles or puppets. Bonus - the workers/volunteers are so friendly and helpful. We only scratched the surface of seeing what there is to see here, so we will definitely be back again!

Oh my gosh! Have you ever been here? It is amazing! This magical natural environment, with a pond and coastal redwoods! There were Osprey nesting in some dead trees right near the entrance. It is right next to the senior center, there is plenty of parking (free). It renews my faith in humanity. This land used to be where they dumped debris from the construction of the 405 fwy. Look at what the well-meaning volunteers have done for us all to enjoy! This is a free benefit for all residents! Please leave a donation so they can continue the good work they do!

We went to visit for the first time this week and I'm so glad to have found such a wonderful trail for toddlers to roam around and explore, but yet is enclosed and is a single manageable loop. You are welcomed by the friendliest people at the entrance with scavenger hunt checklists for the kids and a map of the trail. The checklists are great because they have a couple different kind so you can do ones that are a mix of wildlife and plants, or just flowers, etc. It's a great way to motivate kids to keep walking while looking for things. They have wetlands and redwoods! There are so many dragonflies and butterflies around the trails (not only in the butterfly garden), which makes it so magical. Tip: Part of the trail is blocked because the pond's water levels are too high so you walk one direction and then go back to walk the other part of the loop. The interpretive center has so much for the kids to do: look and feel boxes relating to birds, lots of kids books, lots of bones in a display with different colored lights and even a curtain puppet show play area. Outside is a guess-the-animal flip photos game that is fantastic for kids. The nature center is open from 9-1 on certain days of the week and $3 donation per person is suggested. We are happy to donate to make sure they can keep running and stay open for a long time to come!

One can find a piece of native California in a blissful walk in this cherished place.

Visited this place on a Saturday morning with my daughter. We were greeted at the entrance & supplied us with a map. It's a small nature center, but we were able to see different plants, redwood trees, storks, & other wildlife. There was also a scavenger hunt that my daughter & I completed as we were walking & exploring the trails. We valued our time here. Lovely trails & Family friendly!

Such a nice and beautiful hidden gem. Runs off of donations and wonderful volunteers. On the first Friday of every month they stay open a bit later so it's worth checking out if you have time.

A great little hike for your little ones. We came here when they just reopened and they had hangouts for a scavenger hunt designed for the kids. Very cute. This is more of a little park then an actual hike. My toddler loved running around and there wasn't any hills that would make me worry she would take the wrong step. I would come more often if it lived closer. A great gem for locals with kids!

Wow wow wow. We visit Huntington Beach often as our in laws live here. We are from Vegas and it's a nice break from the heat to come this direction. I had no idea this place was here or that it would be as large as it was. It was so big that even though the parking lot was full as it was a holiday weekend, it still felt as if there were hardly any other people there. We had room to run and play and not worry about social distancing. The park has wide paved trails making it super easy for strollers and littles on their bikes and strollers to get around. The grassy areas are really well kept as well as the plants and flowers. There are benches and picnic tables scattered throughout the park. There is a lake so the park has plenty of geese and ducks throughout which was very entertaining for my two littles. The restrooms, while not super clean, were surprisingly clean for a park. Excited to visit when we are back in the area.

We held our wedding ceremony here and I was really apprehensive! I do not do well with heat and being in direct sunlight. With a three layer suit on, I was really worried about having my ceremony outside at Shipley Nature Center. Did I mention this was on June 24th, at 4:00 PM?! However, the second the ceremony started, I was so relieved and happy to be there! This place was GORGEOUS! There were so many beautiful, beautiful spots for taking the first look photos...and so well shaded! The design of the garden was done so there is a nice breeze even at the hottest time during the day. The amphitheater itself is quite small, which only added to its cozy and close feeling. Sound amplification was definitely not a problem. I wish there were more flowers, but the greens were really good as is. Denise was a pleasure to work with and she was so understanding and accommodating. Overall, we loved having our wedding ceremony at Shipley! My wife loved every moment here. I look forward to visiting this venue during regular hours and just to walk around. I also hope to potentially have future events at this location!

Visited on a Saturday morning around 10am with family. Parking lot looks like it can get full quickly, so if you need to find a spot, you can drive south on Goldenwest to park in neighboring lot. There were 2 greeters at the entrance who were friendly and provided us a map. It's a rather smaller nature center and can be completed in less than an hour, but it was fun to see the different plants, Redwood trees, and wildlife (hawk). Well kept and clean. Bathrooms also available. The adjoining park is great to spend some time at too with kids or dogs. Plenty of space to either relax or run around.

I absolutely LOVE Shipley Nature Center, but I HATE that they close so early. I would love to be able to bring my niece but my current work schedule & the fact they close so early hasn't allowed me an opportunity to bring her. Luckily my work schedule will be changing soon so bringing my niece here is on my list of things to do. What a shame they close so early it truly irritates me. My guess is that they do this in order to avoid having too many people visit here so that the plants may thrive. This place is beautiful & if you're around the area please check it out.

A beautiful place to hike! I really enjoyed it. Not a ton of shade, so maybe don't do it if it's a super hot day

My sons class went last week on a field trip and all the kids had a blast. The ladies who coordinated the field trip were all amazing. First field trip I chaperoned and it was so fun!

Cool little place. Nice to see redwoods. I called and asked if it was wheelchair accessible before coming, but it is not. My parents had to tilt my wheelchair back on it's rear wheels in order to go on the trails.

Loved this walk, parking was easy, trails were marked. Tons of places to sit & relax. Stroller & kid friendly. Pretty views. And It's free, which is always a plus.

Finally made it here last week and it was so much more vast and beautiful than I expected! The nature trials are lovely and basically one large loop...large loop! Lots of trees but it does get hot so go early or late and I suggest leaving the strollers at home or parking at the front gift shop area and leaving them while you walk. Already looking forward to going back and exploring the rest of the trails! There is also a quaint indoor center where kids can play. Check it out!

It's places like Shipley that make me so very grateful to live in Huntington Beach. I frequently bring my kids here for the Nature Center's Wednesday parent and me event, which we all love and appreciate so much, but this past weekend I decided to go kid-less and attended their composting class. It was so interesting to learn about the different types of composting and they even gave out vouchers to HB residents to get started at home for FREE. I also love how much they do (again, completely FREE) for our schools to bring awareness about reducing trash through composting. Sincerely, One very grateful HB resident who vows to master composting at home and will also make sure that my kid's school does too!!! Thanks again for this wonderful community event. :)

Beautiful, peaceful spot with lots of trees, plants and especially egrets nesting in the trees. Wonderful docent to guide you.

" Well, I'll be! You mean to tell me there's a Nature Center in 'em Huntington Beach?!" That's me, channeling my inner Huell Howser. Good ole' Huell Howser's show on KCET introduced me to the Shipley Nature Center. Huell Howser, with his Gommer Pyle meets Andy Griffin style of presenting. If you know Huell, you know his style of reporting well make you curious for the places he showcases;Or, he will annoy you. Huell approaches reporting with a naiveté and childlike innocence, that has been his quirky trademark. Huell has introduced folks to California businesses and landmarks throughout the state for years. Huell's piece on Shipley made me curious for this nature center, that I paid it a visit. And now, I can't get enough of this place. I like to neander through the trails and paths, and admire the trees, the California native plant life and the visitor's educational center. This nature center is a great center to visit, especially right now, when the California poppies are available and in full bloom. The center is really lush and green at this time of Spring and definitely worth a visit. I really like admiring the variety of plant life which volunteers have planted and helped to care for at the center. Succulents to California poppies, to pine trees are some of the species that thrive in this little biosphere of nature. Spring is a good time to visit Shipley, when you have a lusher, green vegetation, as well as the California poppies. Quick tips: *Admission is FREE (donations are optional; and do help to keep the center open) *Parking is FREE! *The Center is Open only between 9 AM to 1 PM, Monday to Saturday (The Center is Open for a short time span, which is a bummer) *The Entrance was initially hard to find for me, but know that if you walk into the park, past the parking lot off of Golden West, you well come across the main gates to Shipley's entrance. Thank you, KCET and Hugh Howser for introducing me to Shipley. I love this nature center. To view Huell Howser's piece on Shipley, hit up the following link: http://www.ci.huntington-beach.ca.us/Residents/videos/attractions/central_park.cfm Enjoy your time venturing to the center!

I love coming here to unwind and relax. Just a nice stroll thru this nature park will calm the stress levels. I always see tons of hummingbirds and butterflies. Sometimes they'll have plant sales, gardening classes, and music. My biggest issue though is I arachnaphobia and this place loaded with grape sized spiders... and since not many people come thru this place they hang out all over the walk ways. Yikes!

I love coming here to photograph the birds, butterflies, rabbits and anything else I run across!! It feels like I'm in Oregon and NOT OC...Feels magical :) Last time I was here I was randomly walking around and ran into someone from HS (We didn't go to HS in HB or anything so it was super random) He was also there taking pictures! I love this place - its free! And only a couple miles from home woo hoo!

One of many great places in Huntington Beach (other than the beach, but these days even the beach isn't fun). Key word is "nature" and this center has got plenty of that! Once inside I forget I'm in HB, and having that feeling of being submersed into nature is amazing! Shipleys Nature Center provides a wonderful trail that allows explorers and nature lovers to observe and photograph a variety of flora and fauna. They use a lot if California native plants and provide information and how to's for your own yard. The benefit of this is attracting native animals in to there natural habitat. Insects and birds are the most frequent types of wildlife. They have a butterfly garden which is amazing during the spring. The colors of the blooming flowers are so vibrant and attractive. Hummingbirds as well frequent the butterfly garden. Lizards will dart by as you walk the windy trails, bees will buzz as they collect nectar and you may even end up with a little praying mantis hitchhiker on you! It has a composting expo that's pretty informative and explains the process and benefits of composting. They also have a stinging nettle garden so beware! If you've ever been stung by nettle, you'll be right to be cautious. If you don't know, they have signs to guide you away from it. Admiral butterfly's love nettle so that is the reason they leave it. There is a small pond inside the center but it's really hard to see unless it's full. You'll hear the ducks quacking and splashing but it's covered very well so it's hard to spot them. I really love the waterfall next to the building. It's recirculated so it's always flowing! There's a bench next to as well to sit and listen to the flowing water. Very relaxing indeed. They also provide tours school field trips which is a lot of what I see when I am there. Shipleys is a great place to enjoy nature without driving hours to get away!

This is the best way to teach your kids about Nature. Go to all the Nature Centers you can find. This was our first and we continue to come week after week, year after year with all the grand children. Shipley's is as natural as you can find. The trails are fun and easy to figure out. See the natural plants, the Butterfly gardens, the compost area, the Nesting of the Egrets area, and all the sightings of squirrels, hawks,birds, rabbits, and sometimes coyotes. My grandkids and I have been coming here for 8 years now and they always want more.

This is a nice little place to get away. It's situated next to a small park and across the street from the HB Library and sports complex. I came during their Spring Festival (?) where they had a lot of activities for children so there was limited parking but I don't think it's usually an issue. We had to park across the street this time. Once inside you're pretty much free to walk around as you please. It's mostly shrubs and trees though, so don't expect to see a bunch of flowers in bloom. It took about 30 minutes to leisurely stroll through the entire area. Some trails are blocked off so we had to double back but that's all right. We got to see some lizards, squirrels and red tailed hawks during the walk. Not a bad way to spent part of a morning in beautiful Huntington Beach.

I love this place. It's right around the corner and I can putt around anytime I have nothing to do. My daughter loves it here as well. There is a lot of educational stuff here, and an abundance of little critters to watch. When ladybugs are in season, they breed and sell them. We usually buy a bunch just to let them go. Great place, I just wish the hours of operation were a bit longer.

First time going here. Enjoyed the scenery. Staff was friendly, park was clean, too bad some of the walk exhibits were closed, will definitely return n hopefully the rest of the exhibits will be open.

Only open 9-1... no restrooms literally everyone is so rude. The only restrooms in the park were flooded so bad, I decided to go to the little red restaurant in the park overlooking the lake. Sure enough it said no public restrooms, so we bought a few items. The ladies were so extremely rude. And gave me a hard time just to use it even after we paid!!!! I love going to parks and enjoy even the simplest neighborhood parks. But THIS PARK SUCKS

Make sure to get out by the time they close or you will get locked in. We had to call the PD to get us out! The did not have a key so they had to help us climb over the barbed wire fence.

Our first visit today! The parking lot was closed which we knew via their website so we simply parked in the residential area across from the Park Bench Cafe. The full trail was closed at a few points due to high water so we couldn't do the full loop. No big deal, we live in SoCal so I'm not about to complain about a little "extra" water. Went with my 4 year old, perfect amount of time for her interest and attention span. We saw some squirrels, lots of lizards and butterflies. Wildflowers were beautiful and blooming away. It's a great place for young kids to learn and experience nature and the habitat of local wild animals. I loved the opportunities for great photos, it's such a gorgeous little spot. Definitely will be visiting again!

writing a 1* review for the Shipley nature center makes me really sad! Took lo here today and the place was absolutely atrocious!!! Outside the gate is a nice park, walk in the center and it looks like a homeless camp. I felt a little unsafe inside the gates. The pictures shown on this site look nothing like what I saw! Quite a bit of trails were closed and the ones that were open were in pretty bad shape. So much over growth and dead plant material, that it was hard to walk on the paths as well as mixed in wood chips. I thought I remembered coming here as a kid but this place doesn't resemble my thoughts one bit :( so disappointed. Sadly, we won't be back:( On the plus side we saw one hummingbird and 2 butterfly's

very nice staffs, small but nice for little kids, used to have so mich more butterflies & more wildlife. nice place for the kids. Make sure to check the schedule before coming.

Very beautiful with redwood trees, California poppies, native plants, and a small lake. Great talks on local wildlife and ecology in the summer. They are also a good source of outdoor water conservation tips for the public. I do wish the trail loop was a bit longer though.

Every now and then I like to go here to space out. It's packed with vegetation and fenced off from the rest of Huntington Central Park so you'll rarely see people here. I'm particularly fond of the hiking trail portion in the northwest (looks like a desert there) and the pond with the red-eared sliders and mosquitofish. Beware though, lots of bugs and spiders live here and they really like to wander around when it's warm. I haven't been in the on-site visitor center in years, but I do recall seeing museum-like displays and local animals who obviously had an encounter with a taxidermist.

My husband, son and I recently spent an afternoon here. Go figure, I've lived in the area almost all my life and had never been to the Shipley Nature Center (that I can recall). I'd walked/run by the entrance so many times while working out at the adjacent Huntington Central Park but never took the time to venture inside. What a gem! Lots of walking trails, most of them were pretty easily accessible even with a stroller. At the time of our visit, the last of the Monarch Butterflies were hatching out of cocoons and the entire back area of the nature center was covered in butterflies. They were so beautiful, as were the colorful wildflowers dotting the landscape. We got some rest under the shade of some oak trees and spent a little while milling around inside the visitor's center. We will definitely be back for more!

We didn't spend a lot of time at the Shipley Nature Center when I was there a few weekends ago, but I was really impressed by the nature preserve. There's a visitor's center with a small shop and really kid-friendly displays, dioramas, and hands-on learning opportunities. There's also several walking trails. We walked to the pond area, which had recently overflowed, so much of the trail was inaccesible. And we checked out the area on the other side of the center, which featured different habitat and is said to attract a lot of wildlife. I'll be sure to return and spend more time!

This trail is really cute and for a while you don't feel like you're in Huntington Beach. I went there yesterday on my own to test out my new camera. Had a lot of fun, ran into other people along the trail along the way that were friendly. I'm not sure I fully explored the entire trail, but definitely worth checking out. Note: parking is free in the Goldenwest side, but it is a dirt lot so don't bring your just washed car there. Definitely worth checking out and it was surprisingly busy for a Friday at 10:30am.

Great park but I left my purse in the car for about10 minutes only to come back to all my money and cards stolen ! People are assholes ! 4 stars for the park Just don't left your stuff in attended

I had the opportunity to be educated on how Shipley Nature Center is run and thier purpose. Shipley Nature Center is a non-profit, volunteer run center. They get almost all of there help from volunteers!! The center is very safe, and they do tend to close off trails due to fallen trees. They house and maintain 8 Habitats. 8!! The center has experienced several different and important historical periods, back in the day it use to be home to the Native Americans then went through the Mission era, Spanish land grants and agricultural era. The purpose of the center is to educate the community and to keep the center as natural as possible. They do not do much clean ups of dead plant life, as that wouldn't be natural. They let dead plant and trees decompose back into the wild! They only take out Weeds and keep paths as clear as possible so people can walk through. They reuse the fallen branches by cutting them up into little wood chips and spreading them throughout the path. They have barrels in the facility to collect rain water so that too can be reused, One habitat that I love, is the Redwood habitat. Yes REDWOOD!! Redwoods grow in Northern California from Monterrey to Oregon but, thousands of years ago they grew in Southern California in costal areas. Evidence of their existence was found during an archeological dig and Shipley Brought them back!!!!! 40 years ago Shipley decided to bring back these beauties Which brings me to my next favorite habitat, Black bird pond. Black bird pond is one of the few remaining natural freshwater wetlands in the area. It is home to many animals and plant life. When going to Shipley you can not expect a clean Zoo like walk way. It is maintained to be nature like and if trees have fallen then trails will be closed for safety. Put it this way, if you go to a National Forest you will see plants and animals in their natural habitat. Well this is what Shipley strives for, for natural. This is truly an amazing place to visit and to be educated! I defiantly recommend this place to everyone. They have redwoods!!!

This place is awesome. The people are incredible and so good with the kids. The story and craft time is fun! It has clean restrooms. I chaperoned a field trip with the kids and learned more than when I visited on my own. It's a treasure of a place!

Alot of the trails are closed. Youd walk and walk and TRAIL CLOSED sign would be there. Turn and go the other way and TRAIL CLOSED sign is there. Its been this was for over a year now. Voulenteers are not maintaining their areas. There will be a plackard saying this area maintained by: and the area is trashed. Plants dead, over grown. I dont think we will be returning. This was our 4th visit since they re did the place. They should have left it alone. It was great before.

I came here on a recent field trip with my daughter. We had a good time walking through the grounds and learning about nature. What I really liked is how they brought it down to a level she could understand and still learn something. Best part is that anyone can visit and its free.

Went there in mid-summer, during a very dry year, and found several of the trails closed by flooding! A sign said water was seeping up from the aquifer. Too bad. Otherwise a nice display of mostly native vegetation. Was impressed to see Redwood trees in HB. Would be best in the spring when plants are in bloom.

This is a nice large park. The trails are (mostly) paved. Lots of ducks and geese in the lake. Lots of tables or just find a dry spot in the sun for a picnic or nap.

Came here with my daughter's first grade field trip 2 weeks ago & it was awesome! Sean, our guide was excellent! He has so much character and really knows how to interact with kids. The kids and adults learned so much! I highly recommend this place!

I love this nature center, it's small and the hours are abridged-but it is a lovely area to hike and appreciate the foliage and birds. My 2 young girls participate in the summer camp every year held here called Inside the Outdoors, and they get a wonderful experience learning about nature, hiking, and doing arts and crafts. A gem!

great place to take your dogs and go for a run! enjoy the water and the ducks. there is a great hiking spot by the horses and i love the tree garden!

Went here with a field trip but I drove myself and arrived over an hour before the kids arrived, so I walked around on my own a bit. Lovely park in general, but the nature center is the jewel of the place. Lots of gorgeous mature native plants and trees. It is well kept but with enough restraint that the plants don't look overgroomed. This actually looks like a natural environment. This was one of the best field trips I've been on. The staff member that led our tour was wonderful. She knew how to engage the kids and keep their interest while she presented the information about the Native American cultures represented there and made us feel welcome the whole time. She even pointed out a hummingbird nest near the trail that had Mamma bird sitting in it, which was an extra treat. The activities were interesting and fun and all 19 kids in my group liked all of them (quite a feat!). If I came here with kids I would definitely feel it was worth my while to join a tour if they offer that to us scheduled visitors, because the staff member added so much to the experience. Even the woman in the gift shop was very kind, helping me on the phone with directions and advice on how to find the entrance (thank you to the reviewer who mentioned that or I might have ignored that part of the directions) and then once I'd arrived she gave me suggestions for enjoying my time in the area until the students arrived.

I remember going here for a bio project to look at the plants and wildlife. Unfortunately, this center has seem to have fallen on hard times. The pond was pretty much gone, since the time I came here as a kid. There are still a good number of plants, but it is a shame that a lot of the park seems to by dying. Well at least the place is free! Overall, this place used to lush with life and greens; so hopefully, it can be restored to it's former beauty.