Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, Protected marine area in Moss Beach, California.

Fitzgerald Marine Reserve is a protected coastal area along California's Pacific shore featuring tide pools, rocky outcrops, marsh areas, and cypress groves spread across its landscape. The varied habitats allow visitors to explore multiple ecosystems within a single location.

The area became a state reserve in 1969 and took its name from James V. Fitzgerald, a former San Bruno mayor. The designation reflected efforts to protect the region's diverse marine ecosystems.

The tide pools draw school groups and nature enthusiasts who come to observe starfish, sea urchins, and small fish in the rocky basins. This direct contact with marine life makes the reserve a valued place for environmental learning and hands-on discovery.

Access is from the beach at the end of California Avenue in Moss Beach; the reserve runs three miles from Montara light station south to Pillar Point. A footbridge crosses San Vicente Creek, and from there the bluff trail climbs about 30 metres above the beach, giving views over Frenchmans Reef. The tidepool rock is granodiorite, so wear shoes with grip.

The reserve's tidepool habitat is one of 34 California coastal sites designated as having "Special Biological Significance." The rare plant Hickman's potentilla was observed near the mouth of San Vicente Creek by E.C. Suttliffe in 1933, and the endangered San Bruno elfin butterfly has been sighted in adjacent Montara.