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Sweetwater Marsh Wildlife Refuge

Part of Coronado & South Bay, our guide to Coronado, the South Bay and the bayfront.

The Sweetwater Marsh unit of the San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge protects some of the last coastal salt marshes and mudflats in the region, with over 200 bird species recorded. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says access is limited, by free shuttle from the Living Coast Discovery Center. Dogs are not allowed.Checked October 23, 2026.

200+bird species recorded
Freeshuttle from Living Coast
Limitedaccess, per USFWS
No dogsallowed
Salt marsh pools and low plants at Sweetwater Marsh with the bay and mountains in the distance
Sweetwater Marsh (U.S. Department of the Interior photo). Department of the Interior. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. , Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
AccessLimited. A free shuttle runs from the Living Coast Discovery Center. USFWS tells visitors to check the Center’s website for the schedule.
DogsNot allowed.
Nearby alternativesWhen the Discovery Center is closed, USFWS suggests places such as the north end of 13th or 10th Streets in Imperial Beach, or the Tijuana Estuary.

About The Refuge

The refuge says it has two units, Sweetwater Marsh and South San Diego Bay, and provides habitat for four endangered or threatened species. See Living Coast Discovery Center for the shuttle.

Sweetwater Marsh Wildlife Refuge Open the map. © OpenStreetMap contributors.

What We Could Not Verify

  • Hours, an address and the shuttle schedule are not on the USFWS page. The map point is the Living Coast Discovery Center, not the refuge itself.
  • A USFWS notice mentions contaminant sampling in the F&G Street Marsh; the page does not describe a closure.

More in Coronado & South Bay

FAQ

How do I get into Sweetwater Marsh?

By the free shuttle from the Living Coast Discovery Center, per the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Check the Center for the schedule.

Sources

  1. USFWS: San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge
  2. Visit the refuge

Checked October 23, 2026 by It’s San Diego. Cite this page: It’s San Diego (itssandiego.com), checked October 23, 2026. Free to quote with a link to this page; tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.