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All the United States California Los Angeles The El Segundo Butterfly Preserve

The El Segundo Butterfly Preserve

A ghost town at the airport is now a refuge for blue butterflies.

Los Angeles, California

Added By
Thomas Ochoa
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El Segundo Blue Butterfly   stonebird/Flickr
Palm trees lining abandoned streets   Thomas Ochoa / Atlas Obscura User
El Segundo Blue Butterfly Habitat Restoration Area   Thomas Ochoa / Atlas Obscura User
Airplane Flying Near the El Segundo Butterfly Preserve   Thomas Ochoa / Atlas Obscura User
Archive photograph of houses on Vista Del Mar   Los Angeles Public Library
A plane flies over the area formerly known as Surfridge   Avoiding Regret
July 2022   ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
  Avoiding Regret
July 2022   ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
July 2022   ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
July 2022   ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
July 2022   ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
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Now entirely fenced-off from the public, the El Segundo Butterfly Preserve is a wildlife sanctuary dedicated to the endangered El Segundo Blue Butterfly.

The preserve is located on the remains the ghost town of Surfridge, California. Surfridge was once a wealthy beachfront enclave neighborhood and was frequented by Hollywood's elite include Cecil B. De Mille,  Mel Blanc, and Mae Murray.

Today a four-mile path surrounds the perimeter of the preserve and is an excellent place to see the ocean, watch planes take off and land at LAX, and see the remains of Surfridge and the reclaimed habitat of the El Segundo Blue Butterfly. The best time to see butterflies is during the later summer months when an estimated 125,000 butterflies now take flight within the preserve. 

Related Tags

Butterflies Ghost Towns Animals

Know Before You Go

Lot parking is available to the West at Dockweiler Beach and street parking can be found to the North along Waterview Street or to the West along Vista Del Mar.

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Added By

Thomas Ochoa

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Allison, Avoiding Regret, ccesare

  • Allison
  • Avoiding Regret
  • ccesare

Published

October 11, 2013

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The El Segundo Butterfly Preserve
Vista Del Mar Boulevard and Imperial Highway
Los Angeles, California, 90293
United States
33.930876, -118.432338
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