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    Three Sisters Reserve

    3.5 (10 reviews)

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    1 rule is all dogs must be on leash;A Man w/3 aggressive dogs, no leash.Warning for those who have small children.
    Martha M.

    Warning to those with smaller dogs-especially if you have children, theres a man who I've seen before who takes his dogs on trail and takes off their leash (come to think of it, don't really remember seeing if he had leashes for them) but two of the three dogs lunged at us, apparently aggressive & not properly trained as the owner kept yelling at them & had no control. The dogs were reacting to our small dog. Reserve rules state "All dogs must be on leash" which is why I foresee no dogs allowed or an injury/lawsuit, which sucks because of one or more persons lack of regard to the other hikers and ruining it for others bringing their dogs. I've seen people w/their dogs off leash, they were obviously trained, and had control of their animals. But after this incident, I'm even weary of coming by myself now. This is why I gave it such a low rating. This is a short trail that is strenuous coming down, as it is going back up - meaning if your not in the best shape & you are use to moderate, slow & long spiral winding paths- this is not for you & you're really in for a sore body/mostly legs & knee killer. And I'm not in great shape like I want to be in, so this one sucks the energy outta me. I guess I needed to be reminded of that to challenge myself more/type of reality check. Also, if you park up ontop by Crest Rd, all trails lead down & your going to struggle coming back up to your car. Or you can park down by Terranea, but it will kill your knees coming down - it's either hit or miss w/this one. I agree all others nearby are a much better than this one. There are some parts going back up as you are near South Palos Verdes Blvd, that can be scary, especially if your alone -snakes & other critters that didn't sound like small animals. Once you past that, it's all wide open with no shade.

    The view from about halfway up, where the Barkentine Trail meets the Three Sisters Trail.
    Jaime R.

    I spend nine hours every week day in a windowless office typing real estate leases and sale contracts. The only way to counteract the effects of being both indoors and completely stationary for the majority of my waking hours is to spend the precious other few outdoors. Three Sisters Reserve is an excellent part of my regimen of maintaining sanity. This is a relatively quick hike (I've done the loop in about 1.5 hours, and I'm in average shape) with insane views, an easy-to-follow trail, and cell phone reception the entire duration. It's steep, and it will take you breath away both figuratively and literally. I learned about it here: http://nobodyhikesinla.com/2010/12/02/three-sisters-reserve/ (which is a generally excellent resource for hikes in Southern California). He recommends starting at the top, but I'm all about getting the tough part out of the way and then catching my breath on the way down, so I like to start at the bottom of the trail on Barkentine Road, right off of Palos Verdes Drive. Where Barkentine dead-ends you'll see a road guard and the trail starts behind that. There's plenty of parking in the neighborhood. This isn't the most nature-oriented trail, and you never lose sight of the surrounding neighborhoods, but it is quiet (except for some noisy crickets) and I've never seen anyone else on the trail. It is, however, an excellent work-out and a convenient little escape for all of the South Bay-ites. Here's a link to the trail map: http://www.pvplc.org/_lands/docs/Three_Sisters_Trail_Map.pdf Tip: Start the hike around 6:30 PM in the summer and you'll catch the sunset on your way back down.

    Jasmine L.

    Decided to check out this hike due to the terrible parking situation at Portuguese Bend Reserve. Go all the way to the end of Ocean Terrace Drive (6258 Ocean Terrace Dr, Ranchos Palos Verdes) and the street ends right at the trailhead. (If you want to go downhill first which may be a mistake) I'm pretty sure you're allowed to just park along the street here (there were no signs saying you couldn't) but don't take my word for it. Even on a Saturday morning we were only the 2nd car there. If you love difficult inclines and declines, this is the reserve for you. Personally I like Portuguese Bend better, due to the variation in trails. Three Sisters only has about 4 trails that go downhill, keep that mind as you will probably be struggling to go uphill. The trail map is also confusing when compared to the actual trail markers. There are several trails that looked like they had markers (or they had signs near them) but ended up just being maintenance/service trails. Best bet if you aren't sure it's a trail, skip it and try one of the other preserves. I couldn't figure out how to get to the Filiorum reserve or Portuguese bend reserve from here (due to the difficulty of the trails). Overall, the scenery is nice but you can pretty much see everything from the top. Great place for a leg workout, but I don't think Zulu (the dog) and I will be coming back.

    Mary J.

    Wow beautiful place but since the trail head begins in the residential area it feels like your in someone's backyard. The views were amazing of course & incline up wasn't easy especially with a baby on but it was doable!!

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    Del Cerro Park

    Del Cerro Park

    4.4(239 reviews)
    1.1 mi

    Great way to spend an afternoon on a Saturday. Many families here Park is huge. Definitely…read morerecommend coming here.

    I am not a fan of Dr. Who. I have caught a few episodes and I did not succumb to the galactic…read moretravels of the cycling Whos. However, I respect and truly admire that they added a cultural term to modern vocabulary: the Tardis Effect, which basically means that you enter a space and it is more spacious and complex than you can imagine based on what you believe it can hold based on exterior. Another example is Snoopy's Dog house. And as a final example, I offer a person's head. It does not seem like it holds a lot but it holds an ever expansive universe of thoughts, ideas and memories. This park can serve as another example of the Tardis Effect. It is a small park, like legit tiny, but when you look from its multiple view points you see the vastness of the pacific ocean and shore lines, which can induces so much within your head universe. Like one time I went and I imagined that a sea monster would rise from the waters far away. The sea monster was like Godzilla, except purple and its blast were white and froze people to death. Missiles could not quell its fury. I imagined that the solution would have to be mystical like when Perseus defeated the Kraken using Medusa's head. I repeat that the park is small by feet or metric cubes, or what ever unit of measure is used to measure a park's length, but when you enter you will see more than you expected, if you let yourself. I wonder what the opposite of the Tardis Effect is? What is something that is super big but when you step inside is actual small. Hopefully, a whale's belly cause I might end up there one day and wish to survive. If you are not one who embraces imaginative trips, this place offers something more grounded: beautiful views that are plainly gorgeous. When you allow yourself to sit and view, you want to take pictures, you want to have a date, you want to have a meaningful conversation, you want to meditate. It is a small gulp of fresh air that can be released into a big space. Logistically, parking is hard to come by. I am a local so I park on the street nearby and walk. I do not have a parking permit, I find street parking. The walk from the park to the car is not that long and depending on your fitness level it can be exhausting or a breeze. I went today to hike some of its neighboring trails. And the trails were closed. So expect this place to be a treat, if you are the type of person who can take the small of the earth and see the large of the earth.

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    Del Cerro Park
    Del Cerro Park - Great views of Catalina Island

    Great views of Catalina Island

    Del Cerro Park

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    Frank A Vanderlip Park

    Frank A Vanderlip Park

    4.9(9 reviews)
    0.6 mi

    This is a nice and quiet park right by the sea without tourist noises and lots of traffic…read more The parking is easily found in front of the park and free. It doesn't have a lot of amenities like tot lot or benches and picnic tables. I actually really liked that because it doesn't give reasons for people to come and have a loud gathering/ parties. The park leads to a breathtaking views of the coastal ocean scenery that's absolutely beautiful and stunning. The trails are wide enough to fit two pickup trucks side by side and it's clean. My dogs and I thoroughly enjoyed our walks there with the gorgeous views of the ocean. It was surprisingly quiet for a Saturday early afternoon during peak summer season. I am looking forward to returning again in the future.

    What does one say about this park that has not already been said? It just a 'little' slice of…read moreheaven, basically a large grass plot which is well maintained. It's not too big but ideal for a picnic, a place to throw a ball, or have a small gathering with family/friends. The park overlooks the Pacific Ocean and Catalina, truly a Million Dollar View! You can also venture outside the park and take the walking trails, the trail heading north along the bluffs connects to the Terranea Resort, which is a beautiful location to visit. You will find plenty of free street parking by the park. It's an off-the-beaten-track, quiet place to escape and chill.

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    Frank A Vanderlip Park
    Frank A Vanderlip Park - Cute tiny park facing the Ocean

    Cute tiny park facing the Ocean

    Frank A Vanderlip Park - The cliffaide view

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    The cliffaide view

    Point Vicente Lighthouse - Light house

    Point Vicente Lighthouse

    4.9(94 reviews)
    1.4 mi

    The good: This place is one of a kind! I am so happy I…read morefinally got around to visiting this place. Parking is free! The whale museum is free! Tours of the lighthouse are free! The picnic tables areas are plentiful and there's lots of grass for picnics blankets. The views are great. It's a great spot for whale watching. I noticed people coming here and bringing their camping chairs just to read. It's relaxing and you get to enjoy the sea breeze and beautiful sunset. I also noticed youngsters coming to record an acoustic guitar music video. I imagine people come here to paint as well. The bad: I've lived around here for almost 3 years now and haven't been here until now. The interesting: They do tours of the actual lighthouse area a few times a month and it's completely free and doesn't require a reservation.

    The lighthouse is tall and picturesque sitting regally on a cliff. It's a must to stop and take…read moresome photos if driving down the coast of PV. The lighthouse has really restrictive hours, only open the second Saturday every month from 10-3 so you have to plan for this if you wanted to go inside. I went years ago and remember it being kind of a clusterfuck with a lot of people and disorganized system on entering. But the good part was you could go inside all the way to the top. Just the picture from the outside would suffice for most people. The Point Vicente Interpretation Center is nearby as well as some cliff trails to explore.

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    Point Vicente Lighthouse - Sunset at the light house

    Sunset at the light house

    Point Vicente Lighthouse
    Point Vicente Lighthouse

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    Three Sisters Reserve - hiking - Updated May 2026

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