Jack Dunster Marine Reserve

My boyfriend and I took our toddler, newborn, and nephew (9) here. We parked at Colorado Lagoon Park, the kids played on the playground, and then we walked to the biological reserve. You can drive your car right up to the rowing center, which is next to the reserve, but walking alongside the water was so much better! We saw Mother’s Beach and two wake boarders, one of whom was doing some pretty sweet tricks. The walk took about 20 minutes one way, but we were slow. The reserve is pretty small, but it was nice and quiet and had a great view. I was born and raised in Long Beach/​Lakewood and never knew this place existed. I’ll definitely go back.

I love running through the Dunster Marine Reserve & the adjacent Marine Stadium! The flowers are gorgeously vibrant here. Even more so after a good rain! Go here to slow down, smell the flowers and get out in nature for a bit. It’s also right next to the marina filled with awesome yachts. There are a lot of benches where you can sit and take in the views.

Great place for a walk.

Listen to Emily. nothing to see here… keep movin’ on…
Because then I can keep it all to myself bwahahahaha!
Great place to sit and enjoy the birds and boats going by. Shhhhhh!

its kinda small with not much to it. There are plants, water, and sand. I guess you could come here to make out? i don’t know…

Wow! A park in Long Beach done right! I was so impressed and curious after reading Raphael’s review that I walked halfway across town to check it out that very evening. Since it is my goal to cover as much of Long Beach as I can by foot, this made for a great destination for my evening walk. Plus, it’s always pleasantly shocking when I hear about some place in Long Beach I’ve never been.
Raphael already described it very well, and I encourage to you read his review. This is a delightful marine reserve with winding dirt paths and very tastefully landscaped native plants. I saw many interesting birds that usually you’d have to go to Bolsa Chica (
) or the El Dorado Nature Center (
) to see. The atmosphere is very tranquil, and there is an incredible view of Marina Pacifica. (Funny, I’d always heard that Tantalum has a stunning view; you can see Tantalum from the Marine Reserve, and so now I can see why people would say that — one of these days I’ll actually have to go there.) There are many park benches throughout where you could sit and watch the ocean and wildlife. It was also very clean, unlike the Pacific Electric Greenbelt restoration area, which reeks.
As Raphael described, this is at the end of the peninsula between Marine Stadium and Spinnaker Bay, and until his review I really didn’t know that this peninsula even existed — some parts of Long Beach you can’t learn about by driving, you have to discover them by foot or by boat. You can drive all the way up to it if you drive up Boathouse Lane and park at the Rowing Center (
). However, I think it makes for a much better walk if you start at the Colorado Lagoon and walk along the water on the east side of Marine Stadium until you get to the rowing center.
I just wish Long Beach could make the Pacific Electric Greenbelt area as pleasant as this. I think this is a shining example of what is possible in terms of native habitat restoration, and I encourage further such efforts.
My only complaint is that it’s a little small, although of course that’s understandable. I would still go to the Nature Center for a more thorough experience and a longer walk, but this is great for what it is. The Nature Center closes its trails way too early, so this is a nice place to head after work to take in some nature. Highly recommended.
Thanks to Raphael again for reviewing this — it just goes to show that you can discover more on Unilocal than new restaurants!

This is a beautiful spot that nobody knows about!
It’s a small park featuring salt marshes and coastal sage scrub at the end of the peninsula separating Marine Stadium and Spinaker Bay.
The park is only a few acres, but you can walk through trails that pass through beautiful wildflowers native to the coast and to Catalina Island. Tons of boaters and kayakers pass through the waters below.
There are two over-​water vieing platforms. Benches also offer a peaceful place to sit and relax.
The wildlife watching is pretty good here: herons, egrets, pelicans, finches, and doves are almost always here. A colony of cliff swallows live under the docks just north of the park. When the tide is low, you can watch fiddler crabs dance on the mudflats. When the tide is high, look for fish and other kind of crabs!
This is a fantastic and beautifully landscaped park. It’s truly a hidden gem in Long Beach.