Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve

Overview

Along the heart of the Los Angeles coastline, the Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve protects nearly 600 acres of coastal habitat surrounding saltwater estuary. A Ballona Creek bike path, guided tours, and community restoration events are highlights of this coastal gem located just steps from the beautiful community of Playa del Rey and minutes from Los Angeles’ most iconic beaches. Following many decades of habitat degradation, CDFW has plans for large-scale tidal habitat restoration for this property, to reconnect Ballona Creek with its historic floodplain and bring back lost coastal estuarine habitats that once supported rare species. To learn more about this project, including the environmental documents, please visit the Ballona Wetlands Restoration Project page.

Location

Activities

The Ballona Wetlands has volunteer events including salt marsh and dune tours, habitat restoration, and creek cleanups. Visit the CDFW Events Calendar to view opportunities.

Fishing

Fishing is allowed only in designated areas on the north side of the creek parallel to the Ballona Creek Bike Path.

A valid CDFW fishing license is required. Check fishing regulations for current licensing fees. Licenses are not available at Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve and must be purchased before arrival.

Rules and Visitor Use

Be aware of the following rules while visiting Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve:

• No hunting
• No pets
• No horses allowed
• No bikes allowed
• No drones allowed without a Special Use Permit (PDF)

In addition to the above, visitors are responsible for knowing and complying with all Rules and Regulations in effect at Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve.

For specific questions regarding use of this land, contact the South Coast Region San Diego office at (858) 467-4201 or AskR5@wildlife.ca.gov.

Facilities

The primary improvements to this property includes a short nature observation path accessed via Fiji Way and a youth-sized baseball field off Culver Drive. There are no public restroom facilities or drinking water available on site. Public parking at the reserve is very limited.

There is an educational facility with porta-potty, available through managed access only. Contact South Coast Region San Diego office for more information at (858) 467-4201 or AskR5@wildlife.ca.gov.

Connectivity

There is cellular phone service available on this property. There is no public Wi-Fi service available.

Area History

Past land use in the area of Ballona Wetlands included ranching, farming, and, more recently, recreation. Ballona Wetlands was acquired to preserve, protect and restore the coastal wetland habitat and associated species. The property was designated as an Ecological Reserve by the Fish and Game Commission in 2005.

Land Management Plan Development

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has initiated the development of a Land Management Plan (LMP) for the Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve (BWER). An LMP is a long-term planning document that identifies current conditions, assesses issues and opportunities, and outlines management goals and strategies for comprehensive management of the Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve over the next 20-30 years.

As CDFW embarked on the development of this important plan, we began by establishing an internal Planning Team (PDF). We are currently working on writing the draft LMP and have begun engaging with tribes, focus groups (i.e. stakeholders), and the public to inform our process. Tribes whose ancestral homelands included what is now BWER were contacted in early 2026, inviting them to engage as part of our request for input and/or consultation. Engagements with tribes are confidential and ongoing. Focus group engagement meetings were held virtually in April and May 2026 and consisted of a PowerPoint Presentation (PDF) followed by open discussion.

An in-person public engagement meeting will be held on July 9, 2026 from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm at the Westchester Municipal Building (7166 W Manchester Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90045), all are welcome! Doors will open at 6:15pm. If you require reasonable accommodation for the public meeting, please contact us at LandMgmtPlanning@wildlife.ca.gov.

The public meeting will begin with introductions of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife staff and meeting logistics, followed by a 20-minute presentation “What is a Land Management Plan”.  Then, you will have the opportunity to participate in small group discussions and activities at workshop stations. We will rotate through three rounds of stations focusing on:

• Help us Design a Balanced Future
• Sense of Place and Community Engagement
• What does “protect” and “restore” mean to you?
• Vision for Volunteer Opportunities
• Complete the Public Survey

You can also take the Public Survey online if you would like to complete it at another time or are unable to attend the meeting. During the public meeting we will have tablet computers available for you to complete the survey as well as a QR code for you to complete it on your own device. The survey is open now through Sunday, July 26, 2026 and takes 5 to 10 minutes to complete. You may only complete the survey once. The survey requires you to provide your name and email address, which will be used to confirm unique responses. Your ZIP code is also required so we may analyze the geographic distribution of survey responders.

If you would like to be notified of events related to the LMP or participate in the development of the LMP by providing input or comments, we encourage you to join our email distribution list. We will keep you informed of the upcoming meetings and other opportunities for engagement and comment. You can fill out this LMP email distribution list form to sign up. If you have questions about the Land Management Plan, email LandMgmtPlanning@wildlife.ca.gov.

Contact

For more information, contact the South Coast Region San Diego office at (858) 467-4201 or AskR5@wildlife.ca.gov.

Related Information

• Fishing and Hunting Regulations
• Hunting Licenses and Tags