I live in California and we’ve had a lot of rain in the last few days. Even more rain was forecast for this week, so I was happy to see sunshine for a few hours yesterday. I took advantage of it by going outdoors with my boyfriend. We decided to hike the San Joaquin Marsh & Wildlife Sanctuary, which was a first-time visit for both of us. We were surprised that such a beautiful place existed, considering we’ve lived here for years and only discovered it this weekend.

The San Joaquin Marsh & Wildlife Sanctuary consists of over 300 acres of coastal freshwater wetlands, and it has more than 200 bird species and 12 miles of walking trails. It was a breath of fresh air to be walking on trails in pure quietness with little to no crowds. My boyfriend and I saw quite a few birds that were beautiful and big flying and swimming gracefully. It was a true paradise for those who are into bird watching.

Besides that, it seems like you can also rent out one of the buildings near the parking lot area as we saw someone having a party celebrating a birthday. It’s great that the sanctuary offers this option for people to host events and enjoy the beautiful scenery. It’s definitely something to consider in the future. Also, while we were there, we noticed there were some benches to sit on and some historic buildings to explore, which was pretty interesting.

Overall, San Joaquin Marsh & Wildlife Sanctuary is a hidden gem that’s perfect for a peaceful and scenic outdoor activity in Orange County. It was such a great experience for us that we can’t wait to explore more hidden gems like this in our neighborhood. If you’re looking to get some fresh air and exercise while enjoying stunning views, we highly recommend checking out this sanctuary!