The hook
Tucked behind the yacht harbors of Newport Beach is one of the last big estuaries in Southern California, loud with birds.
01Why it's worth it
Almost all of Southern California's coastal wetlands were filled and built over; the Upper Newport Bay is one of the few that survived, seven hundred and fifty acres of tidal marsh where fresh water meets the sea. It's a major stop on the Pacific Flyway, home to around two hundred bird species, and in the winter migration as many as thirty-five thousand birds can be on the water at once, several of them endangered. A loop trail runs the bluffs above the water and a paddle route threads the channels below, so you can walk it, ride it, or kayak it, all of it a couple of minutes from some of the most expensive real estate in the county and somehow still wild.
02How to experience it
It's in Newport Beach, about seven hours from the Bay. Free. The bluff loop is easy walking or biking; rent a kayak at the lower bay to get out on the water. Early morning is best for birds and calm, and winter is the peak of the migration.