This 373-acre preserve is comprised of two noncontiguous areas located south of the Dumbarton Bridge and adjacent to San Francisco Bay. The northern area, abutting the Dumbarton Bridge, is currently closed for salt pond restoration work as part of the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project.
The larger southern area, located near Cooley Landing in East Palo Alto, provides public access, funded by the Coastal Conservancy and made possible through a joint effort between San Mateo County and the District. Access in the southern area includes a bicycle and pedestrian trail along the levee surrounding the marsh, a 12-car wheelchair-accessible parking lot, and two wheelchair-accessible observation decks. The marsh attracts a variety of migrating birds including sandpipers, dowitchers, and avocets. Great blue herons, white pelicans, and egrets are also common.
