Palos Verdes Peninsula Day Trip Things To Do

Get out your hiking boots and explore the over 1,600 acres of open space on the Palos Verdes Peninsula.

Ten of the area’s largest preserves consist of rolling hills, steep canyons, and rocky outcrops, with natural habitats and views of the Pacific Ocean and Santa Catalina Island. Rancho Palos Verdes owns part of the peninsula, which is managed by the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy.

Palos Verdes Reserve, Abalone Cove Ecological Reserve, Agua Amarga Reserve, Alta Vicente Reserve, Portuguese Bend Reserve, Forrestal Reserve, Three Sisters Reserve, San Ramon Reserve, Vicente Bluffs Reserve, and Vista Del Norte Reserve are accessible to the public and offer their distinctive blend of beauty and adventure.

Few places offer a unique opportunity for horseback riding, cycling, or hiking in Los Angeles County.

The many trails here vary from wide fire roads to small switchbacks that meander through lush native vegetation. The elevation ranges from approximately 50 to 1,300 feet. Trail signs indicate who may use each well-maintained trail. Visitors share the land with wildlife, including coyotes, skunks, rabbits, raccoons, foxes, snakes, and birds.

Point Vicente Lighthouse

Point Vicente Lighthouse is one of the most prominent features of the Palos Verdes Peninsula. The 67-foot-tall lighthouse was built in 1926. The lighthouse grounds are closed to the public except for the second Saturday of each month.

Point Vicente Interpretive Center

Before heading out on your hike, you will want to visit the Point Vicente Interpretive Center, where maps of the various preserves can be found.

You can take a delightful walk from the Center along the blufftop to the western parking lot and back, where you will discover California gnatcatchers and other birds flourishing in their native habitat. Then, you’ll be off to the area’s other destinations.

Abalone Cove Palos Verdes

First, and probably the most popular, is Abalone Cove, known for its tide pools teeming with anemones, starfish, small crabs, limpets, mussels, and sea cucumbers. Visitors must hike down to this gorgeous rocky stretch of beach. You will walk on rocks most of the way, so wearing shoes might be a good idea.

Sacred Cove Palos Verdes

Adjacent to Abalone Cove is Sacred Cove, known for its magnificent sea caves, black sand, and rare plants. Visit Palos Verdes sea caves at low tide only. And when sea conditions are calm.

Agua Amarga Reserve

Next up is the 59-acre reserve containing Agua Amarga and Lunada canyons. Hikers can walk the trails in this quiet neighborhood canyon, passing through three acres of coastal sage scrub and a willow wetland home to various birds.

Alta Vicente Ecological Reserve

For history buffs, the Alta Vicente Ecological Reserve takes visitors on a journey through the former Nike missile site, which was located at the current Rancho Palos Verdes City Hall from 1955 to 1974. It is now home to the Cactus Wren.

Bluff Cove Palos Verdes

Adjacent to Alta Vincente is Bluff Cove, a destination for many local surfers looking for isolation and a radical ride. This wide-open Cove offers shoreline hiking to a rocky beach and magnificent tide pools.

Canyons Ecological Reserve.

One of the area’s more extensive preserves is the Canyons Ecological Reserve. Included in this 399-acre area is Del Cerro Park, with its wonderful steep embankments, views of Catalina, and the sounds of the peacocks that live in the hills below.

White Point Preserve

Visitors will enjoy the trails at the White Point Preserve, across from Royal Palms Beach in San Pedro. From the George F. Canyon Nature Center, visitors can walk to the historic military gun emplacements above to view spectacular ocean vistas.

The Nature Center is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends and features exhibits about Palos Verdes Peninsula plants and wildlife. On the first Saturday of the month, there are bird walks and a full moon night hike on Friday or Saturday on or near a full moon.

Forrestal Preserve

If you’re looking for wildflowers, the 155-acre Forrestal Preserve offers some of the best in the spring. On your trek, you will discover many geological formations, including faults, folds, sedimentary bedding, and igneous rocks, that formed the area’s dramatic cliffs.

Palos Verdes Nature Reserve

Finally, the peninsula’s crown jewel is the 1400-acre Palos Verdes Nature Preserve. Visitors can walk from Burma Road to the Ishibashi Trail, taking in the stunning ocean views below while examining various formations caused by the land movement at Portuguese Bend.

Getting to Palos Verdes Peninsula

Located just 22 miles south of downtown Los Angeles, Palos Verdes Nature Preserve is a breathtaking experience and is a worthwhile destination for any weekend getaway.
Before visiting the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy, you can download a guide featuring trails and directions for ideal hiking locations.

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Nearby Palos Verdes Places To Visit

Redondo Beach, California King Harbor

King Harbor at Redondo Beach, California, gained notoriety as a location used countless times on the hit television show The O.C. and is easily distinguished by its sail-like design along the pier, which resembles the opera house in Sydney, Australia.

Terranea Resort Hiking Trails

Terranea has a magical location on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Because of its beautiful backdrop, Hollywood has used the Peninsula area as a movie and television series. If you’re a long-time Southern California resident, you will remember this area as the location of Marineland of the Pacific.

San Pedro, California

San Pedro is a great place to visit the USS Iowa battleship. In addition to this attraction, this seaside town has many other family-friendly things to see and do. There are plenty of things to do in San Pedro that can keep you occupied for an entire day.

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