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Jack Dunster Marine Reserve

4.8 (12 reviews)

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Dawn at Dunster
Leslie Y.

We're fortunate to live within walking distance to this scenic urban oasis. The water front view is always inspiring, but it's especially spectacular during sunrise and sunset. The park itself is very small, but the meandering path makes it feel a lot bigger than the total area. Bikes are now allowed inside, but dogs are permitted if they are leashed. There is a bike rack near the entrance of the reserve. The dirt path is very even and it's easily wheelchair and stroller accessible. The trail is well maintained year-round. The wild flower bloom in the spring with brightly colored poppies brings joy to everyone's heart.

Rob A.

A very small and nicely designed nature reserve park right on the corner of a waterway. It has a smooth dirt pathway that winds around and finishes back where it started. Along the path are lush varieties of vegetation and flowers. There are a couple of wooden walkways out to docks over the water. Benches for rest or sitting to unwind are along the paths. If you walked down from Colorado Lagoon Park/Marine Stadium area to the north, you might need the break before your return stroll. The area is clean and well kept.

Grace C.

This was a nice small loop next to a watereay dotted w residential homes and boats. There was some flora but not much since its almost fall when coming here. There are many benches to sit to enjoy the serene beauty of the area. To get an additional walk in though you can park next to row house, park and walk from Colorado lagoon playground is 20 minutes (1 mile each way) or from Marine stadium playground 0.7 mile each way.

The wetlands at the Dunster Marine Reserve
Raphael M.

This is a beautiful spot that nobody knows about! It's a small park featuring salt marshes and coastal sage scrub at the end of the peninsula separating Marine Stadium and Spinaker Bay. The park is only a few acres, but you can walk through trails that pass through beautiful wildflowers native to the coast and to Catalina Island. Tons of boaters and kayakers pass through the waters below. There are two over-water vieing platforms. Benches also offer a peaceful place to sit and relax. The wildlife watching is pretty good here: herons, egrets, pelicans, finches, and doves are almost always here. A colony of cliff swallows live under the docks just north of the park. When the tide is low, you can watch fiddler crabs dance on the mudflats. When the tide is high, look for fish and other kind of crabs! This is a fantastic and beautifully landscaped park. It's truly a hidden gem in Long Beach.

Hiromi I.

I love coming here for a walk with my baby. It's so quiet and serene. You almost forget that you are still in the city! The trail within the reserve is all dirt path but because it's so well traveled, you can definitely bring your stroller in and won't be too bumpy for your baby. It's relatively short loop - it's about less than a mile and if you don't make any stops, you'll be able to complete the loop in about 15 minutes. There are some benches along the way and I love that you can stop and just enjoy the the view and plants/flowers. I've gone mostly in late afternoon and you might see a few people at most. It's a beautiful hidden gem of Long Beach!

The path on the reserve.

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2 months ago

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7 months ago

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1 year ago

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6 years ago

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5 years ago

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7 years ago

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2 years ago

Nice quiet area to bring the family for a stroll and then walk over to the park with a tennis court and a few seating options.

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19 years ago

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7 years ago

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9 years ago

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11 years ago

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Ask the Community - Jack Dunster Marine Reserve

Is this a good place to walk around at night?

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Review Highlights - Jack Dunster Marine Reserve

At the end of Marine Stadium, through a narrow pathway next to the rowing center, is the entrance to this park.

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Shoreline Park - Pierpoint landing

Shoreline Park

4.6(90 reviews)
4.2 mi

A nice sunny afternoon at the park calls for a little picnic. The old days are completely different…read moreat this park. Decades later, it's a whole new place. Still nice but with a major upgrade. It's part of the aquarium of the pacific just along the harbor. There's a parking lot that's part of it but the payment situations was a bit of a mess. Paying with credit card on the machine was a hit or miss. Which i also found out from someone else there. It's probably easy just to do it from your phone. It's a decent size parking lot but there's also parking at the structure just next to the aquarium. It's a cute rolling hill park that looks out to both the queen mary, shoreline village and the harbor. Depending on what side you are. It's a cute little walk around with the lighthouse on top. There's benches scattered throughout the park for seating. There's even a little beach like path along the harbor. Regardless which side you are, the view is quite beautiful. There's also fishing that you could do on the pier. You'll see people about and about walking, picnicking, walking with their dogs or a stroll. Long Beach has its hidden gems and this place was one of them.

I enjoy strolling through Shoreline Park each time I come to downtown Long Beach…read more It is a peaceful spot, passed the Aquarium, unique for the area. Quieter, green grass (it'd be nice to bring a book here) away from the hustle and bustle. And the views are hard to beat, the Lighthouse, the shore with boats and Queen Mary in the near distance. Bring a snack, a drink, take a nice break here, a cool walk to explore the Shoreline Park. Always enjoyable!

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Shoreline Park - At night, view of Downtown

At night, view of Downtown

Shoreline Park
Shoreline Park - One of the ways to reach the lighthouse

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One of the ways to reach the lighthouse

Drake Park - Artwork by the tennis courts

Drake Park

4.1(22 reviews)
4.8 mi

A quiet park, that can quite noisy when soccer is being played. On a football sunday, there was no…read moresoccer so my daughter and I took a leisurely walk around the park, following a Pokemon route that somebody had established (no worries if you have no idea what I'm talking about...somebody who plays Pokemon Go would understand). There are two tennis courts here, with lights allowing for nighttime play. There is also a small skate park. Alas, neither were being used...in fact, there were hardly any children around, even on a beautiful sunny Sunday afternoon.

My daughter had a soccer game here on a Sunday morning, Sept 2022. While the soccer pitch is…read morelocated "across the street" Drake Park, we could not seem to find access to the lower field from Loma Vista, and made a left on Chester and another left in DeForest to access the small lot for the "Drake/Chavez Greenbelt Park." Assuming this is all part of the Drake Park proper, but it took a little intuition to find the entrance for our first visit. And still, the parking lot is small, filled with litter, human waste, and lots of broken auto glass... And it's about a 200 yard walk to the entrance of the artificial turf soccer field. Much of the human detritus in the parking lot is likely attributed to the considerable homeless population that is evident in the immediate area: dozens of people were camped out just across the street, in the dirt lot area adjacent to the river channel. That same dirt lot is variably covered with piles of demolition construction materials haphazardly dumped by who knows who? In pure defiance of posted signs prohibiting dumping. Other "unhoused Angelinos" seem to be wandering about the park, utilizing senses beyond my standard five (sight, smell, taste, hearing, and feeling) to experience things I can only imagine.... and a couple had set up camp in the park's landscaping adjacent to the walking path. Not so much unsafe as much as unsanitary This part of the park features what appears to be some kind of community garden - - locked and secured behind 10 foot chain-link fences. there is a public park restroom with only 2 of the 8 single seater stalls unlocked, and both are horrific inside. Some beautiful wall murals are marred by tagging. Much of the park here is adjacent to industrial yards, and most of the bordering landscape is littered with garbage. The soccer field is actually quite beautiful: artificial turf field with a perimeter fence. I laughed a little bit at the idea that this was a "green belt" and the soccer field was artificial turf... But there is certainly some actual real grass field in this park, and some California native plants along the periphery. So I guess that counts in the midst of This residential-industrial interface. The air was pretty heavy with the smell of oil refinery and low tide from the nearby river channel, which was probably a bigger deal to the soccer players than it was to me as a spectator. A generous three stars for the really nice soccer field and the fact that my truck windows weren't added to the considerable collection of broken auto window glass on the ground in the parking lot. My only other Long Beach Park frame of reference is Bluff Park, so I can confidently say this is nicer.... relative, though, that comparison is...

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Drake Park - Artwork by the tennis courts

Artwork by the tennis courts

Drake Park - Artwork by the skate park

Artwork by the skate park

Drake Park - Drake Park in the City of Long Beach

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Drake Park in the City of Long Beach

Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden

Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden

4.4(403 reviews)
1.6 mi

The Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden is a beautiful spot if you are looking for a peaceful walk…read moresurrounded by Japanese foliage and well-maintained landscaping. The garden features a large pond filled with koi, including around 30 big koi and what looks like hundreds of smaller ones they are raising. It is a relaxing place to watch the fish swim by and enjoy the scenery. One of the best parts is that visiting is free, but you do need to make a reservation ahead of time. They allow up to six people per reservation, and they typically do not take walk-ins, so plan ahead before coming. The garden itself is on the smaller side, and the walking path takes about 15 minutes at a casual pace. Still, there are plenty of places to sit and enjoy the surroundings. You will find charming bridges, small waterfalls, lily pads throughout the pond, and even a little Zen garden area. Even though it is compact, the peaceful atmosphere and the well-kept grounds make it a great visit. I highly recommend stopping by if you are in the area and want a quiet, refreshing escape.

Beautiful, yes. Quiet, yes. But the staffs really do make people uncomfortable. As if they're the…read morestrict parents or mall cops, telling you to move, to not stand there too long, no picture setup, don't stop for more than 30s, don't talk too loud The garden is the size of a small practice soccer field and there are at least 10 staffs

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Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden - Enjoying the fall colors

Enjoying the fall colors

Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden
Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden

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Jack Dunster Marine Reserve - parks - Updated May 2026

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