Most of the Ballona Wetlands Is Behind a Gate. Here's How to Get In This Fall.

The Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve covers 577 acres. It has entry points in both Playa del Rey and Playa Vista, but most people who live nearby only see it through a fence. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife lists one lot for self-guided walks, and that lot is open four mornings a week. The main Playa del Rey lot opens only when an organized event is running. So for most of the marsh, the way in this fall is the event calendar.

That calendar is fuller than it looks. Between October 10 and November 22, Friends of Ballona Wetlands and CDFW have scheduled cleanups, birding walks, marsh tours and restoration shifts. Almost every weekend has at least one. Each event starts from one of three places, and each place has its own rules.

Three ways in, three sets of rules

CDFW's reserve page and the Friends calendar list three starting points:

• West Culver lot, Playa del Rey. CDFW lists this lot behind the business at 301 Culver Boulevard and opens it for guided events only. Friends of Ballona tells volunteers to meet in the dirt lot behind Local Market at 303 Culver Boulevard.
• Fiji Trail lot, Marina del Rey side. This is the only lot open for self-guided walking, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday. CDFW gives the address for volunteer events here as 13730 Fiji Way, with first-come parking.
• Ballona Discovery Park, Playa Vista. Friends runs its tours from 13110 Bluff Creek Drive, Los Angeles 90094.

Even on a guided walk, some areas stay closed. The Friends listing for the October 11 Beginner Birding Tour says the group will not go behind the closed gate because of sensitive nesting birds. Being on a tour gets you closer, but it doesn't open everything.

The fall calendar, sorted by starting point

The easiest way to plan is by which lot is closest to you. Friends events require advance registration.

From the West Culver lot behind Local Market, 303 Culver Blvd.

1. Saturday, October 10, 9:30 a.m. to noon. Ballona Creek Cleanup. Registration and a waiver are required.
2. Sunday, October 11, 9 a.m. to noon. Open Wetlands at the Ballona Salt Marsh. Los Angeles Audubon and Nature Nexus volunteers run bird viewing and set up microscopes for looking at aquatic invertebrates.
3. Friday, October 16, 3 to 5 p.m. Friday Habitat Restoration. The suggested donation is $5, and rain cancels the event.
4. Saturday, October 24, 9:30 a.m. to noon. Community Habitat Restoration.
5. Saturday, November 14, 9:30 a.m. to noon. Ballona Creek Cleanup.
6. Friday, November 20, 3 to 5 p.m. Friday Habitat Restoration.
7. Saturday, November 21, 9:30 a.m. to noon. Community Habitat Restoration.

On Saturday, October 17, CDFW is also holding an invasive-plant removal at Area C-South, which it calls the "Ballfields," at 13200 Culver Boulevard, from 9 to 11 a.m.

From Del Rey Lagoon, 6520 Pacific Ave.

The guided "Birding with Bob" walk starts from the west-side lagoon lot. It covers the lagoon, Dockweiler Beach and the Ballona Creek estuary. The October 18 and November 15 walks both run from 8 a.m. to noon. Of all the fall events, this one covers the most ground.

From Ballona Discovery Park, 13110 Bluff Creek Drive.

• Sunday, October 11, 8 to 10:30 a.m. Beginner Birding Tour.
• Friday, October 23, 10 a.m. to noon. Freshwater Marsh Tour.
• Saturday, November 7, 10 a.m. to noon. Freshwater Marsh Tour.
• Sunday, November 8, 8 to 10:30 a.m. Nature Walk for Photographers.
• Sunday, November 22, 10 a.m. to noon. Freshwater Marsh Tour.

From the Fiji Trail lot, 13730 Fiji Way.

CDFW's volunteer invasive-plant removal on Saturday, October 10, runs 9 to 11 a.m., and you sign up on site. It's the same morning as the Friends creek cleanup in Playa del Rey, so you can choose either side of the reserve that Saturday. Outside of events, Fiji Trail is the one place you can walk on your own, Wednesday through Saturday mornings.

One event won't work for most people this year. Friends of Ballona's 20th annual Moonlight on the Marsh is on October 17 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. at Centerpointe Club, 6200 Playa Vista Drive. Its event page says tickets are sold out.

Why the gate is still there, and why it may not stay

The current access rules come from a restoration plan that has been held up for years. In May 2023, a court ruled that CDFW's environmental impact report needed more analysis of its flood-control design. The court rejected the other challenges to the report. CDFW then decertified the report on September 28, 2023, so it could be revised. Community Sentinel reported on September 10, 2026, that the state was preparing to release a new restoration plan, and that CDFW was still finalizing a draft of it. CDFW says permits are needed before work can start, including a U.S. Army Corps permit for changes to the Ballona Creek channel and levees. No construction start date has been announced.

The plan would change how you get in. The Sentinel describes a network of walking and biking paths and several entry points from the surrounding neighborhoods. It also includes boardwalks, bridges, viewing areas and more docent-led tours. CDFW has also started drafting a long-term land-management plan for the reserve. If the plan moves ahead, the guided-event-only rule at the West Culver lot would be a temporary arrangement, and this fall's calendar would be one of the last seasons that works this way.

What's near each starting point after the walk

Each starting point is close to something else on the fall schedule, so a morning at the marsh can turn into a longer outing.

Playa Vista, after a Discovery Park tour. RUNWAY Playa Vista at 12775 Millennium Drive has a busy October. Fall Fest is on Saturday, October 17, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with local makers, live entertainment and pumpkins. That's the same morning as the Area C-South plant removal, which ends at 11. The Halloween Bash on Sunday, October 25, runs 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It has crafts, a petting zoo and community trick-or-treating from 1:30 to 2 p.m. Spooky Movie Nights run October 6, 13, 20 and 27, showing Hocus Pocus, Casper, The Addams Family and Coco. Each night starts at 6:30 p.m., and the movie starts at 7. On Sunday, November 1, the free Howl'O'Ween costume contest and Paw'rade runs 3 to 4 p.m., with proceeds going to Wags & Walks of Los Angeles. Farm Habit lists the Playa Vista Certified Farmers' Market at the same address every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

RUNWAY is also hosting sunset yoga with LivWell Playa on Mondays from October 5 through October 26. The Argonaut reported that LivWell Playa is a new studio from the owner of Joliet Café & Bar. It is being built in the Free Market space across from the restaurant, with an opening planned for October or November.

Playa del Rey, after a Culver lot shift. Petros is planning a new spot called Petros Speakeasy at 431 Culver Boulevard, next door to Petros Kafe at 427 Culver, WhatNow reported on September 18. CurationsLA reported on September 17 that the liquor license application was still pending and that occupancy and health approvals hadn't been issued yet. No opening date has been set.

Two more October 24–25 options. LA County's free Marina Spooktacular runs 4 to 10 p.m. on both days at Burton Chace Park, 13650 Mindanao Way. Del Rey Day is on October 25 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Bill Rosendahl Del Rey Park. It includes food vendors, community booths and a dog costume contest. The park is at 4601 Alla Road. That means the October 24 restoration shift, the Spooktacular and Del Rey Day all fall on one weekend.

Organizer pages can change, and Friends events require registration. Register through Friends of Ballona Wetlands or check CDFW's monthly calendar before you go.

At Nicol Real Estate, we're following the Ballona restoration as it goes through review, including where the proposed trails and entry points would connect to Playa Vista and Playa del Rey. If you'd like to know how those plans relate to a specific block near the reserve, reach out and we'll walk you through what's been published so far.