Nature Center Has Charm of a Vacant Lot

Shipley Nature Center in Huntington Beach is something that most parks aren’t: overgrown, chaotic, dense with vegetation.

This unkempt corner of Huntington Central Park is a welcome counterpoint to the newly mowed neatness of most county parks. Back in the old days, we had a name for places like this: vacant lots, those bits of undeveloped land where kids could explore nature on their own terms.

Shipley Nature Center is a little more formal than that (you can’t build a fort or wade through the pond), but in other ways it catches the spirit quite nicely.

A small network of trails crisscrosses the center. The best way to get acquainted is to take the loop that circles the center, leaving the other interior trails for a little free-lance exploring later. The half-mile dirt trail takes about 20 minutes to walk, and it’s perfectly flat.

Before the walk, take a stroll through the nature center museum building. There are several live animals on display, including several live snakes (even a rattler) and a turtle pond. Wall displays can help visitors identify some of the many bird species that can be seen in the park.

Once outside, walk along the left side of the building to the back corner and take the trail that leads off, paralleling the fence. The trail begins in a stand of alder and sycamore trees, now mostly bare of leaves, before crossing through a small area of willows, with thick cascades of crawling vines.

On a recent walk, this is where I saw the most birds, including a flock of tiny ruby-crowned kinglets and numerous white-crowned sparrows.

Huntington Central Park, a large swath of green near the coast, attracts a variety of migrating birds and is a favorite area with bird-watchers. Many of the birds can be seen in the Shipley Nature Center.

From the willows, the trail crosses into a large area planted with pines. They’re not exactly native to that locale, so the pines help give the nature center a variety of habitats and add to the visual variety of the walk as well.

The rest of the walk alternates between grassland and willow. About 100 yards before it returns to the nature center, the trail passes a small pond. Ducks, herons and egrets can be spotted here; Western pond turtles, meanwhile, sun themselves on a small island in the middle.

There’s a wooden observation tower at the edge of the pond. Although the room is usually padlocked, the landing at the top of the stairs affords a nice view of the center.

If you’re with kids, this is the time to let them loose on the other trails, to explore the winding paths that take unexpected twists and turns through the trees. No need to worry: All trails lead back to the entrance.

What: Shipley Nature Center loop trail.

When: Open daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Where: Huntington Central Park, Huntington Beach.

Whereabouts: From the San Diego (I-405) Freeway, exit to Golden West Street, go south to Slater Avenue and turn right. Turn left on Edwards Street and left on Central Park Drive East (watch for Huntington Central Park signs). Park at the north end of the lot at the end of the street and follow the pedestrian signs to the nature center.

Wherewithal: Free admission. Trail guide is 25 cents.

Where to call: (714) 960-8847.