My friend & I hiked here for the first time last weekend & the weather was a bit windy nevertheless…read morethe air quality was crisp & fresh after the rain. Thankfully, the trail wasn't muddy or wet either. The length of the hike was shorter than I had expected (2 mile round trip) but surprisingly had a few inclines & a lot of uphill at the end that led us to the private neighborhood. We both enjoyed this trail as there some shaded area & lots of greenery. You can even see glimpse of LA from the top on a clear day. I highly recommend this trail for those that like shorter hikes & easy to moderate intensity. I look forward to coming back.

No one answers phone. Office is closed. Sign on the states closed until we have our new location…read more No trail maps at the door. Wasted a trip out here.

Love this. Great outdoor views. Trails are well kept and clean. People are nice and did I mention…read morethe views! Worthwhile

Such a beautiful and relaxing place to come day or night and any time of the year. Come for the…read moreviews, the peaceful walk, people watching or just to get away and unwind. There's plenty of parking, great picnic areas, and the trail is kept very clean and safe.

Narrow cliffside trail with ocean views on one side and large homes on the other. It's an…read moreinteresting mix of architectural styles so design enthusiasts will enjoy! There are multiple path options with stairs leading down into the canyon like lower parts of the area but I stayed up top on the winding narrow cliffside. There are a couple entrances-both easy to miss. Google Maps will lead you to the entrance to a subdivision which confused me cuz I didn't see any trail signs and missed the random opening on the side of someone's house. When I walked further down Creat though after parking in the residential subdivision, I saw an official trail entrance (pictures provided here). There's little to no shade along this wall and you'll likely be the only one there so if you don't like to feel deserted out in the middle of nowhere, you might want to bring a friend.

I love the scene and distance. This place is definitely a must to go and walk. I am definitely…read morereturning to do a long distance walk.

The good: The beginning of this trail didn't seem too…read morepromising, but it got better as we got to the top and entered Sol Y Mar Villas area where there were benches, a community garden, partly cement trail and a view of the ocean/beach, downtown LA and San Pedro. We were the only people on the trail. It is a small one mile or so trail that combines with Indian Peak Trail and has a 55+ living community in between. The bad: The ground was wet even though it hasn't rained in a long time so there was a good amount of mud. It's mostly all in the sun and not too shady. There were a lot of small gnats. Part of the trail led to a cement wall with graffiti with a parking lot on the other side. The interesting: I parked across the street by the movie theater, but there is a small parking lot at the bottom of the trail at the entrance that does not say private parking.

This reserve has reviews on another site, where the address is given as Rolling Hills Estates at…read moreCrenshaw & Indian Peak Road.....however the entrance is at the intersection of Norris Center Drive at Indian Peak...and...the reserve is listed on the Rancho Palos Verdes website. https://www.rpvca.gov/1159/Vista-Del-Norte-Reserve So if you go here, I don't know how you'd enter at Crenshaw. I'm adding the listing with the RPV Indian Peak/Norris Center Dr. address but it might be auto adjusted. All that said, Vista Del Norte translates to "view of the north". And that's what it says on the sign: "panoramic views of the City of Los Angeles to the north". Too bad I didn't get to see those views yesterday, Sunday! As I was heading up a trail, a young couple coming down warned me of slippery conditions & showed me mud on their shoes as proof. Said they almost fell. There'd been heavy morning fog earlier & the trails are packed mud....so be forewarned. I took the other trail at their suggestion & went just halfway to the top. This is not a big serious hike, but more of an uphill walk on a narrow trail. The loop is probably less than a mile thru the 14-acre space. Right now the terrain is thick with dried brush, but I'm guessing the hillside will be covered with invasive yet beautiful yellow mustard in spring...at which time I'll be back..with my walking stick. I'm told there are benches at the top where you can sit a spell & enjoy views of the LA Basin. Healthier than hiking around TJ Maxx in the plaza across the street & far easier on the wallet for sure. Heed the posted rules: no bicycles, no horses. But....goats...yep. In May 2019, goats were used to clear brush, under supervision of course. I must have watched them for an hour from the street below, so adorable & entertaining. This eco-friendly method of brush clearance is used throughout the area, much to the delight of both goat herds & onlookers. Reserve hours are 1 hour before sunrise to 1 hour after sunset. Parking: Two free street spaces in front of the reserve entrance sign on Indian Peak Road. Or park in the adjacent, small Norris Pavillion (next to the fire station) lot if nothing's going on there. Or use the free parking structure across the street in Promenade on the Peninsula shopping center. Or, as I did, park in the huge empty (for now) lot where OSH used to be, now vacant. There's very little traffic in this area & no metered parking anywhere (gotta love it & I do) so parking is never an issue. Bring your camera & wear appropriate shoes. I'd advise sunscreen cuz it's an open area. Vista Del Norte Reserve: welcome to Yelp.

My original FTR of Malaga Cove was posted 12 years ago, so time for an update…read more I can see from some other reviews that people unfamiliar with the area don't realize that Malaga Cove is not just the name of the ocean cove itself, but the area (in Palos Verdes Estates) surrounding it...bordered on the north by Torrance/Redondo & on the south by Lunada Bay (also an area of PVE). To clear up another point of confusion: the Malaga Cove hiking trails are in the hills above PV Dr West. As stated in my 2008 review, directions to trailheads are found in my old photo captions. I frequently see wedding & model photo shoots in Malaga Cove Plaza. There are signs stating that a permit is needed for professional shoots there. PVE City Hall (Civic Center) is half a block south from the plaza so they could offer more info. The small sand beach at Malaga Cove is actually RAT Beach (Right at Torrance or Redondo at Torrance). RAT Beach can be accessed from a path next to Roessler Point gazebo (in lower Malaga Cove area) as well as from the north end of the beach that is Torrance. Someone recently asked "can I bring my dog?" (to Malaga Cove). To the area, of course. To RAT Beach, no. Technically, dogs are not allowed on any beaches, even leashed. The only official dog beach I'm aware of is in Long Beach. However...I've seen leashed dogs being walked down the steep trail at Bluff Cove (also in the area of Malaga Cove, PVE). It's not really a beach but rather a rocky shoreline, beautiful place, part of Palos Verdes Estates Shoreline Preserve. So you can walk with your dog in PVE Shoreline Preserve in multiple oceanfront parklands along PV Drive West & also Paseo Del Mar. All that said, this review update was intended to focus on peafowl! Let's get to it. This is mating season & they're all over Malaga Cove (area, not ocean shoreline). They're around the Malaga Cove Library today en masse. We refer to both sexes of peafowl as "peacocks" but....the males are peacocks & the females are peahens. Males have the colorful plumage, females don't. Their offspring will be paraded through the area when they're the size of chickens. Drivers need to slow the F down!! This morning I saw cars & work trucks speeding on quiet residential streets, narrowly avoiding hitting peafowl or running over long peacock trains. This was so disturbing to me that I didn't stay long. Yes, peafowl can fly & you'll see them up in trees. And their shriek is so loud it can be heard blocks away. They sit on roofs & on porches & they eat your plants. Males are currently displaying full plumage when the "ladies" are nearby. Wherever the girls are, the boys are, following them around, mostly being ignored. Hang in there, boys. Those girls are busy feasting on people's landscaping but eventually they'll mate with you. Girls appreciate patience. ( ; I appreciate the photo ops in this peacefully magical place.

Malaga Cove is a very popular place for photographers and bloggers to visit because of its…read morebeautiful architecture and friendly community. It's a small plaza that has businesses in finance, real estate, restaurants, antiques, and a small local market. I like walking my dog here and I feel safe knowing the police station is right around the corner. If you're looking for a quiet nice neighborhood to visit with a short distance to the beach, this place is a must visit.

Alta Vicente Reserve trails are short steps away from the dog park and the civic center free…read moreparking. It treats you with clean sweeping views of ocean and dog friendly paths. What a beautiful trail and view they have! I can't get over it!! We encountered nearly no other living souls while we hiked through the trail. Somewhat of a miracle for a nice Friday weather during peak summer season. I can't wait to go back!

Nice views of the ocean, Point Vicente Lighthouse and (on clear days) Catalina island. The…read moreNike/Prickly Pear section is a short loop with some steep bits. WATCH YOUR BALANCE: It goes *through* a thick grove of prickly pear cactus -- downhill if you go clockwise! Not much shade except where it goes through was appears to be an abandoned farm. Well-cleared when I went today. Park up at the city hall, go to the grassy park area, and look for the brick cube with the plaque. Rock-marked dirt trails lead off to the nature reserve. Trail signs indicate bicycles and horses are allowed, but I wouldn't want to bike downhill through the prickly pear grove!

Once upon a time, a delightful Yelp-worthy find! We stopped here after visiting the always…read morebeautiful Palos Verdes. Dog friendly and easily walked. Next to oil plant. The end.

I wasn't driving when I was here last weekend & doubt that I could find this place again to save my…read morelife. Then again, I'm not all that familiar with Rolling Hills area. I do know that Rolling Hills is horse country, where people have their own stables & riding rings, and many properties back right up to the trails. We had to move off a narrow dirt trail to make way for a horse rider passing by, and I think that's when some insect bit my foot. (I ended up later at CVS buying anti-itch medication.) So yeah.....rugged dirt trails. Horsey poop. Bees. Who knows what else. Probably snakes. The preserve is so secluded, although bordering residential properties, that I kinda felt like I was intruding on private land. Other brave folks on the trails were very friendly, however. Their dogs were friendly. The horses seemed friendly. The goats, not so much. At least one bee was in attack mode. If you're into rustic, wooded hiking paths....go for it. Bug repellent & sunscreen a must. Good luck finding the place. My red, swollen ankle has returned to normal after a week, thank you very much. If I could have gotten a shoe on my foot, I might have gone to urgent care the day after the bite. Although Chandler Preserve is scenic & interesting, my future hiking excursions will likely be on city sidewalks.....

I wouldn't really call the grassy space along Via Nivel a park, more of a pocket park the size of a…read morebackyard. But it's on the map, called Via Nivel Park, so dangit I'll review it. The park space does extend downhill into a densely wooded area that I'd consider unusable, but any parkland is a good thing. So if not even a park in the traditional sense, why 4 stars? Because it connects to a sweet little trail that goes all the way thru Valmonte. Well OK not really a trail for hiking, but more of a rugged, mostly flat walking path used by locals with their dogs. The path has ruts & bumps as it progresses northward, it leads through thick brush & coyotes like it, too. It's closed now due to the apocalypse. Still 4 stars because I like the views, from the path, of Torrance far below - including Zamperini Field/Torrance Airport, which you can also get a glimpse of from the "park". Very pretty at night but don't go there after dark (critters). So as I was photographing the "park" I ran into a guy with his dog who was defying the "closed" order for the trail. There was a house under construction across the street from the park - trucks, heavy equipment, workers running all over....but the little trail with almost nobody on it, ever, was off limits. Sure, that makes sense. A couple blocks south thru the residential neighborhood is the historic Mirlo Gate Lodge Tower on Via Valmonte (has its own Yelp reviews). The stone tower was built in 1926 as a home for the guard at the planned gated entrance to what would later become Valmonte. It resembles a tiny castle & is worth a drive-by look. After I braved the construction traffic to photo the pocket park area, I headed toward Redondo on Via Nivel. It's a narrow street, a one-car-at-a-time street, as are many in the area. I got trapped by trash trucks. In Palos Verdes Estates you don't put trash bins out at the curb on pick-up day. That would be unsightly. The trash collectors go up your driveway or wherever you stash your trash & haul the bins down to the trucks, dump them, then return the bins. Of course there are separate trucks for trash, recyclables & yard waste. I was going north. The caravan of trucks was coming south. I had to pull over & wait. The crew of collectors was servicing several houses at a time, very efficiently, as their huge trucks remained in place. Gonna be here awhile, I was thinking. So as I sat in my car I played with my hair. My now LONG hair is 2/3 blond & 1/3 roots. Talk about unsightly. I put my hat back on. Shoulda illegally gone down the apparently virus-unsafe little trail next to the "park" sporting my hair that once was blond (busted). Any coyotes would run the other direction when they saw me, especially if I wore my mask. Adventures during the apocalypse can be challenging. I want my hair salon & my trails back. And I'll stay away from the south end of Valmonte on Monday trash day.