Shipley Nature Center

Covering 18 acres of natural habitats inside Huntington Central Park, the non-profit Shipley Nature Center provides an ecological sanctuary for plants and wildlife native to California. A key aspect of its mission is to offer environmental education within an urban setting. It has been open to both residents of the local community and visitors to Orange County since 1974.

Owned by the City of Huntington Beach, the center takes its name from former Mayor Donald D. Shipley. The grounds here were once overrun by invasive plant species. Using volunteer labor, projects were undertaken to restore Blackbird Pond and its surroundings, including the removal of non-native plants, improving the trail system, installing a drip irrigation system, creating a freshwater stream, and planting 50,000 California native plants.

Today, visitors may enjoy over 4,000 feet of well-maintained trails that pass through various habitats, such as woodlands of oak and Torrey pines, lush meadows, and a wetland with willows and sycamores. Also on the premises is an Interpretive Building, featuring 1,500 square feet of exhibits on California wildlife and ecology.

The Shipley Nature Center is located within Huntington Central Park, just south of Slater Avenue, at 17851 Goldenwest Street, Huntington Beach, California 92647. The hours of operation are from 9am to 1pm on Monday through Saturday; closed on Sundays and all major holidays. Admission is free of charge. Friends of Shipley Nature Center offer annual memberships from $20 per individual or $30 per family.