Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District

Although the entrance to this wetlands is stinky it is worth coming here for bird watching. There are hundreds of waterfowl during migration and you can see them really well with binoculars. A scope would help for identifying some smaller shore birds. Popular with people walking around the ponds. Parking is limited and be aware that there is only a port-​a-​potty.

This place is great for bird watching, especially during the fall and winter months when migratory birds of all kinds stop here to rest. You can find many different types of birds here, including American White Pelicans, Northern Shovelers, Barn Swallows, American Avocets, Black-​Necked Stilts, Great Blue Herons, Great and Snowy Egrets, Northern Harriers, Black Phoebes, and many other species depending on the time of year. It is a great place to take photos of wildlife.
This is also an awesome place to take a walk or bike ride while enjoying the wildlife.
Definitely bring binoculars because there is a lot to see. :)

You might think it silly to write a review about a sanitary district. And if this review was only about the treatment plant here you would be correct. What you don’t know about the sanitary district is the wildlife refuge/​ponds that the plant maintains plus miles of fire roads good for walking and biking on. In prime bird weather you will find numerous birders out w/​their binoculars spotting the bird population. For the ambitious walker or mountain cyclist you will find trails along the levees all the way out to the bay lands restoration at Hamilton Field. HF was formerly the largest Naval Air station on the West Coast and has been decommissioned. All of the runways are being dug up and being restored to tidal marsh. All this can be your after several miles of hiking, jogging or biking.
One note, on certain days with the wind is blowing up the bay, wait until another day — the treatment plant can be rather ripe. Second caveat is bring bug spray. There is a reason why all those birds like it there, there are plenty of swarming insects to feed upon.
I like this place because its close-​by and not a whole lot of people know about it, and the setting is very serene.