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Community Corner

San Elijo Lagoon Guided Walk

San Elijo Lagoon Guided Walk


Every Saturday: 10-11 am


No visit is the same! With daily tides and seasonal changes, San Elijo Lagoon yields new discoveries each time. FREE walks are led by San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy naturalists. Recommended All Ages.


Winter Theme: Flyway Buffet

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Winter is peak migration time with birds resting and foraging at one of few salt marshes remaining along the Pacific Flyway. Winter shorebirds and ducks are here to spend the season, many of which come from the High Arctic. The stout Bufflehead may be seen diving in the channels. Dowitchers have a distinctive feeding characteristic described like the rhythm of a sewing machine.


Beginning at San Elijo Lagoon Nature Center, this easy walk provides an overview of life between the tides. You might see mullet emerging from the surface of the water, or glimpse Osprey and Egrets hunting fish and invertebrates in the salt marsh. Enjoy the fragrance of sages described along the way, and see the native red "holly" berries of toyon, offering a splash of color on the hillsides. The ¼-mile loop trail is ADA compliant. 

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The mission of San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy is to protect and restore the resources of San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve, its watershed and related ecosystems, for the benefit of current and future generations.

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