Hidden Gems in Huntington Beach
5 spots in Huntington Beach, CA that locals know about and most visitors walk straight past.
1 of these you cannot simply turn up to — docent-led hikes, scheduled access days, or a few open hours a month.
Every location below was checked against Google Maps; anything that could not be verified was left out rather than guessed. Descriptions come from the sources credited under each entry.
Open these in the app →
Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve
Trail · Easy
"More than 1,400 acres" of saltwater marsh on Pacific Coast Highway, hosting over 200 bird species and recognised by the National Audubon Society as an Important Birding Area. Open daily 6am to 8pm with free admission and parking; no dogs, bikes or drones, and Amigos de Bolsa Chica run first-Saturday wetland tours and last-Saturday bird walks.
- Hours: Open daily 6am to 8pm. Free admission and parking.
- Dogs: No dogs, bikes or drones anywhere in the reserve.
- Parking: The PCH and Warner lot fills early at weekends.
Described from amigosdebolsachica.org, bolsachica.org
Old World Village
Oddity · Easy
A Bavarian-styled enclave founded in 1978 by German immigrant Josef Bischof, with cobblestone streets, stucco facades and painted murals. It is built as 53 live-work condominium units, roughly 40 families live above their shops, and the village runs an annual Oktoberfest along with dachshund races.
Described from en.wikipedia.org
Shipley Nature Center
Trail · Easy
A fenced preserve inside Huntington Central Park with eight native habitats including oak woodland, meadow, a redwood grove and Blackbird Pond, linked by "over 4,000 feet of wood-chipped trails." Admission is free with a suggested $5 donation; the Friends of Shipley list hours as Tuesday to Saturday 9am to 1pm, though a LAist roundup gives the days as Monday to Saturday.
- Hours: Short opening hours, roughly 9am to 1pm, and sources disagree on which days - the centre says Tuesday to Saturday, another listing says Monday to Saturday.
Described from shipleynature.org, laist.com
Bartlett Park
Viewpoint · Moderate
A 27.73-acre city park in a "rustic/natural setting" with walking paths and no developed amenities, dedicated in November 1984 and named for Mayor Ted W. Bartlett; parking is behind the Newland House Museum. LAist reports ocean, Old Saddleback and San Gabriel views from the upper end and wetlands below, but also that the park "has a lot of trash and graffiti" and a reputation for squatters.
- Safety: Undeveloped and little used. Reports of trash, graffiti and people camping. Go in daylight.
Described from huntingtonbeachca.gov, laist.com
Norma Brandel Gibbs Butterfly Park
Oddity · Easy
Named for Norma Brandel Gibbs, a former mayor of both Seal Beach and Huntington Beach, in recognition of her backing for its restoration. Sun News reports the work began in 2007 when volunteer Leslie Gilson found hundreds of dying eucalyptus nearby; a state grant funded removing them and planting milkweed and other natives for migrating monarchs.
Described from sunnews.org
These places change and we do not get to visit them all. If something here is closed, moved, or just wrong, tell us and we will fix it.
Hidden gems in other towns
Open the Gems tab to see these with directions, or let No FOMO Here build the rest of the day around one.
Browse all hidden gems →