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Photo: Jengod, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The Ballona Wetlands is one of the last wetlands in the Los Angeles basin. While it used to encompass much of Marina del Rey, Playa del Rey and Venice, today the area is much smaller, with much of it in a degraded state pending future restoration. The freshwater portion of the wetlands, located along Jefferson and Lincoln boulevards, features a walking path and is home to all manner of waterfowl. The saltwater portion of the wetlands is closed to the public on most days, but tours are offered on the second weekend of every month (check the Friends of the Wetlands calendar for times, park behind Gordon's Market at 303 Culver Blvd).
Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve is a protected area that once served as the natural estuary for neighboring Ballona Creek. The 577-acre (2.34 km2) site is located in Los Angeles County, California, just south of Marina del Rey. Ballona—the second-largest open space within the city limits of Los Angeles, behind Griffith Park—is owned by the state of California and managed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The preserve is bisected generally east–west by the Ballona Creek channel and bordered by the 90 Marina freeway to the east.
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A long, wide stretch of beach that sits under the flight path of many departing aircraft from adjacent LAX and is one of the least crowded beaches in the Los Angeles area. Dockweiler has fire pits, making it one of the few L.A. beaches where bonfires are allowed.