Point Vicente Park is a 5.6 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Rancho Palos Verdes, California that features beautiful wild flowers and is good for all skill levels. The trail offers a number of activity options and is accessible year-round. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.
It was a little boring (aside from the views), unless you went off the trail and down to the beach.
Very clean trail and easy to walk but very crowded. Some wearing masks, some not. A lot of people with dogs that don’t reel them in when you pass with your dog. My dog does not care for other dogs, so please don’t assume my dog wants to play with yours. Other than that, beautiful views and nice trail/walk/hike. My 7 year old was able to do it with minimal complaints.
> Lovely park > Moderately trafficked > 65% masked > Easy walk > Lovely coastal cliff views > Easy parking
This trail is right along the bluffs with amazing views all the way along. There is plenty of parking at the Point Vicente Interpretive Center (by the Lighthouse), which is a park area about midway in the trail. There is limited parking at either end of the trail. We parked at the lot at Calle Entradero. Arriving at 10 am on a Sunday we still found a parking spot. There are no restrooms here. The trail starts off right below some rich people houses on a sidewalk but then becomes route a wide, hard-packed path with fences on either side that goes right along the cliffs by the ocean. It is level enough that you can push a stroller or for seniors or others to walk without difficulty. There are also benches along the trail to sit and look at the view. 95% of those on the trail were wearing masks and social distancing. (Oddly, the 5% not wearing masks did not even seem to HAVE masks...no masks on neck or in hand; just strolling along like they never heard of COVID. Did they come from another planet? Not sure.) There are nice restrooms at the Interpretive Center by the Lighthouse and a full on park with picnic benches or plenty of spots to sit on the grass and eat while being socially distanced. It's a good place for a halfway-point break, or, if your'e tired, turn around and go back. From there, the trail looks like you are going to be walking in the street--and you'll be walking along the main road for about 1/2 mile but it's quickly over and you're back on the cliffs. This part leads to the Terranea Resort. Surprisingly, you can walk on the trail along the edge of the Resort--it's open to the public - and we even walked through the grounds with nobody chasing us "commoners" away. As you get into this half of the trail there are opportunities to take steep trails down to the beach; depending on tides, there are lots of cool tide pools you can visit. At the very end of the trail you will pass Terranea Resort swimming pools and there are steps that go down to a cool cove where Terranea has paddle boarding and kayaking lessons, but again, non-resort-goers were able to walk on the beach there. Beautiful! I am a beginning hiker, out of shape and with bad knees, and have to pee a lot, so I am always looking for flat, easy hikes that deliver beauty and also have restrooms beyond a single poop-smeared port-a-potty. This isn't exactly what most outdoor adventurers would consider a "hike" but it's a gorgeous nature walk that also has plentiful parking, restrooms and places to sit and enjoy. You can take the kids or Grandma - I even saw a motorized wheelchair user on the trail. On certain parts of the trail you also go right by houses so you can look at them and enjoy imagining being rich enough to live here. It's a classy, well-maintained trail where everything is well marked and maintained. I only saw ONE piece of trash on the ground in the entire 5 mile stretch (I put it in a trash can). This was especially striking having done a Griffith Park hike last week that was in the hills, but graffiti and trash all around so you couldn't really feel like you were "in nature" because it was so blighted. Although there is shade at the park by the Lighthouse, the trail itself has no shade. Wear a hat and bring sunscreen; I got a slight sunburn during the 2 hour walk. Next time, we will park by the Point Vicente Interpretive center, giving the option to go one way or the other and have it be a shorter-distance, but more explorative, hike.
This is a great place to go for a walk along the Bluffs. The views were absolutely spectacular and picturesque place to see the sunset. I got a nice view of the lighthouse and learned about its history as well. I was fortunate to do some whale watching and saw at least 3 to 4 using their blowhole
Many people out there to see whales. It was beautiful day for a quick hike along the coast.
Nice walk with gorgeous views. Saw some whales and lizards and tons of birds and great flora. Wear sunscreen and be prepared for lots of people even on a weekday morning!
Beautiful trail, some part is crowded, still very enjoyable, in particular sunset
I mean... the trail is short. But it’s worth it! Bring a lunch, and snack because there’s an area to enjoy the view!
Amazing views. Managed to get 7 miles out of this hike with a few trips down to the shore from the bluffs. So beautiful.
This is more of a nature trail than a hike. The trail features a well defined path, easy walking and very beautiful scenery. There are plenty of benches and tables along the path for a break if needed along with a few options for bathrooms. If you're looking for a serious workout, this isn't the hike for you, but it's great for families and taking it easy
Easy walk on well manicured trails. Very crowded. Dog and family friendly
It’s a very easy hike along the ocean. Absolutely beautiful to look at the ocean and Catalina.