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THINGS
TO DO IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA |
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Palos
Verdes Peninsula
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By Matthew
Martz |
Get out
your hiking boots and come explore the over 1,600 acres
of open space on the Palos Verdes Peninsula.
Ten of the area’s largest preserves consisting
of rolling hills, steep canyons, and rocky outcrops
with natural habitat and views of the Pacific Ocean
and Santa Catalina Island, occupy part of the peninsula
that is owned by the city of Rancho Palos Verdes and
managed by the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy.
Palos Verses 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 own distinctive blend of beauty and adventure.
Few places offer such a unique opportunity for horseback
riding, cycling or hiking in Los Angeles County. The
many trails found here vary from wide fire roads to
small switchbacks that meander through lush native vegetation.
Elevation ranges from approximately 50 to 1,300 feet.
Trail signs clearly indicate who may use each well maintained
trail, as visitors share the land with wildlife, including
coyotes, skunks, rabbits, raccoons, foxes, snakes, and
all kinds of birds.
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. From there you can
take a delightful walk from the Center along the bluff
top 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 areas other destinations.
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Point Vicente Lighthouse Palos Verses |
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 pay $5 to
park, then must hike down to this gorgeous rocky stretch
of beach. For most of the way, you will be walking on rocks,
so it might be a good idea to wear shoes. Adjacent to Abalone
Cove is Sacred Cove known for its magnificent sea caves,
black sand and rare plants.
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 that
is home to many varieties of birds.
For history buffs, the Alta Vicente Ecological
Reserve takes visitors on a journey through the former
Nike missile site that was located at the location of
the current Rancho Palos Verdes City Hall from 1955 to
1974, and is now home to the Cactus Wren.
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 down to a rocky beach and magnificent tide pools.
One of the areas larger preserves is Canyons
Ecological Reserve. Included in this 399-acre area is
Del Cerro Park, with its wonderful steep embankments,
views of Catalina way in the distance, the cliffs from
afar, birds coasting by on the air-vents and the sounds
of the peacocks that live in the hills down below. They
have recently added a nice marble seating area and there
is a big field that is great for dogs, playing catch,
Frisbee, or family picnicking.
Visitors will enjoy the trails at the
White Point Preserve located across from Royal Palms Beach
in San Pedro. Walk from the George F. Canyon Nature Center
to the historic military gun emplacements above to view
spectacular ocean vistas. The Nature Center is open on
weekends from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and features exhibits
about Palos Verdes Peninsula plants and wildlife. On the
first Saturday of the month, there are guided bird walks,
as well as a full moon night hike on Friday or Saturdays
on or near a full moon. Call ahead for exact dates and
times.
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If you’re looking
for wildflowers. The 155-acre Forrestal Preserve offers
some of the best wildflowers in the spring. You will discover
on your trek many geological formations that formed the
areas dramatic cliffs, including faults, folds, sedimentary
bedding, and igneous rocks.
Finally, the crown jewel of the Peninsula
is the newly established 1400-acre Palos Verdes Nature
Preserve. Visitors can walk from Burma Road to the Ishibashi
Trail, taking a close look at various formations caused
by the land movement at Portuguese Bend while taking in
the stunning ocean views below.
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.
A guide featuring trails and directions
for ideal locations to walk and hike on the Peninsula
are available before you visit from the Palos Verdes Peninsula
Land Conservancy.
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San
Pedro offers an experience like no
other. It’s a fantastic seaside destination |
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Long
Beach visitors
will never be bored with this seaside city. Aquarium
of the Pacific. |
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Santa
Monica historic
1909 pier, Muscle Beach and Pacific Park amusement
park. |
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