Best parking is found along Rio Vista Drive. There is a wooden bridge connecting Rio Vista Drive to the park. This bridge is also home to the best birding as it gives an unusual vantage point of ~8 feet above the creek bottom. However, all of the trees hold birds.

This park contains a playground and is popular with families and dog owners. Birding fairly early in the morning is recommended if you wish to avoid others.

Typical riparian forest birds for the area include Spotted Towhee, Orange-crowned Warbler, Bushtit, Ruby-crowned Kinglet (winter), California Scrub-Jay, and Song Sparrow. In spring, migrants can be seen here, including Warbling Vireo, Bullock's Oriole, Yellow Warbler, and Black-headed Grosbeak. Rarer finds include Common Ground-Dove, White-winged Dove, Red-headed Woodpecker (in 1989), Bendire's Thrasher (1984), and Gray Flycatcher.

This is a small park with a creek running along the east side. The riparian zone contains many oaks and sycamores. The understory is mostly ivy. 

The creek running along the park's east side flows longer than most creeks in Goleta. There is also a deep pool in the creekbed that holds water all year.