San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve

San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve is one of the largest wetlands in San Diego, a mostly shallow-water estuary where Escondido and La Orilla Creeks meet the Pacific Ocean. People come to run, hike, watch birds, take photos, or paint, and the reserve also hosts weddings and special events.

About 7 miles of easy-to-moderate trails are open from sunrise to sunset, passing through salt marsh, freshwater habitat, and scrub. The quarter-mile Annie's Canyon Trail, which starts at 900 North Rios Avenue in Solana Beach, is a bit more demanding. Several other trailheads can be reached from Solana Beach neighborhoods. For children, TRACK Trails turns a walk into a nature scavenger hunt, with prizes claimed online.

The LEED Platinum-certified Nature Center at 2710 Manchester Avenue in Cardiff-by-the-Sea has exhibits on the reserve's history and on the plants and animals that live there, and it is a good place to plan a hike.

Twice a day the incoming tide covers much of the lagoon with salt water. As it goes out, it exposes mudflats full of invertebrates that feed shorebirds and ducks, while fresh water from creeks and storm drains mixes in. The plants and animals here are adapted to life where land meets ocean.