El Dorado Park Nature Trail

These trails are hidden gems in the busy city of Long Beach. You would never know that you were not lost in hidden woods, rather then less then 1/2 mile from a busy freeway. The nature center itself is very good, featuring a little menagerie of local wildlife, and educational things for children. They sell items, and they occasionally have special events like informational hikes looking for butterflies or birds. It is totally worth a stop to check it out before going on the trails. The hikes are easy. On a weekend, you will find many families with children on the trails. They do not permit bicycles or dogs on the nature trails, though they are both allowed in the rest of the park. There is a lot of wildlife to see here too. You will find egrets and herons in the lake, lizards running around in the sun if it's warm, bunnies if you're lucky, possibly a hawk or two soaring on the thermals. It's a great escape from city life, and extremely easy to get to. Vehicle entry fees are CASH ONLY: $5 Monday through Thursday; $6 Friday: $7 Saturday and Sunday $8 on Holidays (Holiday rate includes the following days: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr Day, President's Day, Easter Sunday, Memorial Day weekend (Sat, Sun & Mon), July 4th, Labor Day weekend (Sat, Sun & Mon), Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, Mother's Day and Father's Day.