This is one of my favorite places to go for a walk in Long Beach. While its not the biggest park, it is normally easy to find parking and there is a lot more to see than you’d think. In my opinion the best time to come here is around sunset. The way that the sunset reflects off of the water is absolutely beautiful.
This park is mainly a coastal wetland, with a sandy trail lined with shrubs and trees. The bridge that crosses the lagoon provides an interesting habitat for kelp and small fish. I love looking over the edge hoping to find moon jellyfish. I have even seen a sea turtle here before!
You can spot stingrays swimming along the edge of the shore around dusk. I assume that’s when they like to look for food, or maybe they could be doing something else?
Colorado Lagoon
My Visit:
Date: June 9, 2026
Time: 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm
Weather: Sunny, ~70 F
Habitat: This park is mainly a dry dusty trail that loops around the lagoon. There are plenty of tall trees and shrubs that line the trail.
Observations:
The air was so crisp and refreshing. The air was fairly still which made the water look super glassy. We saw a ton of moon jellyfish floating around beneath the bridge. There were a lot of birds around the lagoon. A cormorant was just chilling out on a buoy, a mourning dove was hiding in the brush, and seagulls were flying around overhead. The ducks preferred hanging out at the far end of the lagoon where there isn’t much current, a few of them were up on the grass taking a nap. I also saw a ton of geese! They seemed to be eating the grass, or maybe they were eating bugs in the grass, or maybe both? No luck seeing any sting rays this time. :(
The trail was relatively free of trash. I only picked up a couple pieces, but the area by the bathrooms was horrible! There definitely needs to be a better system in place here, the one singular trashcan was filled to the brim and overflowing onto the ground.
Species account:
Yellow-footed Gull
California Towhee
Mallard Duck
Mourning Dove
Pied Cormorant
Canada Goose
Coastal Goldenbush
Red Sand-Verbena
Beach Suncup
Prickly Pear Cactus