Portuguese Bend Reserve
Managed by Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy
411 acres10.9 mi of trail
Burma Road TrailIshibashi TrailPeppertree TrailRim Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Photo: Cedward Brice · CC BY 2.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Rancho Palos Verdes
Rancho Palos Verdes has 54 miles of mapped trails, 4.0 for every square mile of land
22% of Rancho Palos Verdes’ land is conserved, about 1,892 acres. 98% of residents live within a half mile of a park. The biggest trail networks: Portuguese Bend Reserve (10.9 mi), Forrestal Reserve (3.4 mi), Abalone Cove Reserve (3.3 mi).
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns · #55 of 847 in California. What drives it
Conserved land
22%
1,892 acres · of 13.5 sq mi of land
Trails
54 mi
4.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,421 ac
35 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
98%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
24 mi
23 mi lanes · 1.1 mi paths
Highest peak
1,473 ft
San Pedro Hill
What kind of outdoors town is Rancho Palos Verdes?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Rancho Palos Verdes have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Rancho Palos Verdes is ahead of 98% of U.S. towns, #55 of 847 in California. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Rancho Palos Verdes’ overall grade.
Conserved land22% of the land · typical CA town 4% · U.S. 4%ATrails4.0 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (54 mi) · CA 0.9 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land35 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,421 acres) · CA 5 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home98% of residents within a half mile of a park · CA 91% · U.S. 72%A
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 98%
LessMore
California towns of 2,500+ (847)Ahead of 94%
Water is more than half of Rancho Palos Verdes’ area (26 of 40 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 8%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be A+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Portuguese Bend Reserve, with 10.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Forrestal Reserve
Managed by Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy
151 acres3.4 mi of trail
Flying Mane TrailMariposa TrailQuarry TrailPirate Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Abalone Cove Reserve
Managed by Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy
72 acres3.3 mi of trail
Olmsted TrailAbalone Cove TrailPortuguese Point loop TrailInspiration Point Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Abalone Cove Shoreline ParkWebsite ↗
Shoreline Park
Park
68 acres2.2 mi of trail
Shoreline Park TrailEast Boundary TrailGnatcatcher TrailCatalina Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Friendship Park
Managed by City of Rancho Palos Verdes: Parks and Facilities
96 acres2.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Ocean Trails Reserve
Managed by Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy
116 acres1.7 mi of trail
Catalina TrailSunrise TrailCoastal Switchback TrailWest Portal Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Three Sisters Reserve
Managed by Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy
99 acres1.7 mi of trail
Barkentine TrailThree Sisters TrailMcCarrel Canyon TrailSunshine Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Alta Vicente Reserve
Managed by Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy
59 acres1.4 mi of trail
Alta Vicente TrailPrickly Pear TrailNike Trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
All 23 parks & preserves
Portuguese Bend Reserve411 acres · 10.9 mi of trail · Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy
DirectionsForrestal Reserve151 acres · 3.4 mi of trail · Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy
DirectionsAbalone Cove Reserve72 acres · 3.3 mi of trail · Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy
DirectionsShoreline Park68 acres · 2.2 mi of trail
DirectionsFriendship Park96 acres · 2.1 mi of trail · City of Rancho Palos Verdes: Parks and Facilities
DirectionsOcean Trails Reserve116 acres · 1.7 mi of trail · Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy
DirectionsThree Sisters Reserve99 acres · 1.7 mi of trail · Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy
DirectionsAlta Vicente Reserve59 acres · 1.4 mi of trail · Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy
DirectionsFred Hesse Jr. Community Park29 acres · 1 mi of trail
DirectionsPoint Vicente Park and Civic Center77 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsLadera Linda Park25 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsVista del Norte Reserve18 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy
DirectionsEastview Park10 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsPelican Cove Park8 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsPoint Vicente Picnic Area8 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsAbalone Cove State Marine Conservation Area3,008 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsFounders Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsPoint Vicente State Marine Conservation Area7,429 acres
DirectionsSan Ramon Reserve99 acres · Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy
DirectionsLos Verdes Park9 acres
DirectionsDel Cerro Park4 acres
DirectionsMarilyn Ryan Sunset Point Park2 acres
DirectionsVanderlip Park2 acres
Who protects it
1,892 conserved acres
22% of Rancho Palos Verdes’ land. Water is left out: Rancho Palos Verdes has 13.5 square miles of land and 26.2 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Rancho Palos Verdes’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Regional agency991 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits843 ac
Town or city400 ac
County258 ac
Local Conservation Area · 972 acUnknown Easement · 635 acLocal Recreation Area · 361 acLocal Park · 252 acPrivate Other or Unknown · 208 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 33 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portuguese Bend Nature Preserve Local Conservation Area | Regional agency | 393 | Open |
| Upper Filiorum Reserve Private Other or Unknown | Land trusts & nonprofits | 208 | Open |
| Los Verdes Golf Course Local Recreation Area | County | 162 | Restricted |
| Forrestal Nature Preserve Local Conservation Area | Regional agency | 157 | Open |
| Three Sisters Preserve Local Conservation Area | Regional agency | 97 | Open |
| Deane Dana Friendship Natural Area Local Conservation Area | County | 96 | Open |
| San Ramon Reserve Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 94 | Open |
| Abalone Cove Shoreline Park Local Park | Regional agency | 79 | Open |
| Point Vicente Park and Civic Center Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 71 | Open |
| Vicente Bluffs Reserve Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 70 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
86 places to go in Rancho Palos Verdes
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Rancho Palos Verdes
Portuguese Bend Beach Club
DirectionsPlus 3 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Rancho Palos Verdes
16 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks in Rancho Palos Verdes
Rancho Caninos Dog ParkIn Point Vicente Park and Civic Center
DirectionsPlus 1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Fishing spots in Rancho Palos Verdes
Point Vicente Fishing AccessIn Point Vicente State Marine Conservation Area
DirectionsScenic views in Rancho Palos Verdes
Ibrahim El-Hefni ViewpointIn Portuguese Bend Reserve
DirectionsThe Major Vista Point
DirectionsPlus 15 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Rancho Palos Verdes
San Pedro Hill1,473 ft elevation
DirectionsRidgecrest Hill1,319 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Rancho Palos Verdes
44 picnic areas are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Trails & water
25 named trails
Named trails
Open to bikes · 15.5 miHorses · 14.6 miUnpaved · 32.3 mi
Burma Road Trail2.2 mi
Catalina Trail1.0 mi
Ishibashi Trail0.9 mi
Peppertree Trail0.8 mi
Alta Vicente Trail0.8 mi
Three Sisters Trail0.7 mi
Barkentine Trail0.6 mi
Zote's Cutacross0.6 mi
Seascape Trail0.6 mi
Golden Cove Trail0.6 mi
15 more trails
Lunada Canyon Trail
0.6 miRim Trail
0.6 miVanderlip Trail
0.6 miIshibashi Farm Trail
0.5 miSiena Loop Trail
0.5 miEagle's Nest Trail
0.5 miFlying Mane Trail
0.5 miMariposa Trail
0.5 miBarn Owl Trail
0.5 miOlmsted Trail
0.4 miShoreline Park Trail
0.4 miJack's Hat Trail
0.4 miBluff Top Trail
0.4 miEast Boundary Trail
0.3 miPaintbrush Trail
0.3 miBiking & sports
24 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
23 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
1.1 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
55Tennis
13Golf
11Basketball
10Multi-sport
7Baseball
6Soccer
3Equestrian
2Beach volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →3 places on the National Register, one a National Historic Landmark
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 5 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Rancho Palos Verdes: April to August
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 10.1 | 10.9 | 11.9 | 13.0 | 13.9 | 14.4 | 14.2 | 13.4 | 12.3 | 11.3 | 10.4 | 9.9 |
| High (°F) | 66 | 66 | 67 | 70 | 71 | 74 | 79 | 81 | 80 | 76 | 71 | 66 |
| Rain (in) | 3.2 | 3.4 | 1.9 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 2.3 |
August is the driest month (under 0.1 in) and the warmest (highs of 81 °F). 3.4 inches fall in February, the wettest month. The climate in Rancho Palos Verdes →
Next door
Rancho Palos Verdes and its neighbors
Rancho Palos Verdes has the second most mapped trails of the 6 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Los Angeles701 miRancho Palos Verdes54 miPalos Verdes Estates20 miRolling Hills Estates17 miRolling Hills3.3 miLomita0.7 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rancho Palos Verdes | 22% | 4.0 | 35 | 98% | A+ |
| Rolling Hills Estates | 16% | 4.7 | 16 | 99% | A+ |
| Rolling Hills | 2% | 1.1 | 6 | 73% | B− |
| Los Angeles | 15% | 1.5 | 9 | 83% | A− |
| Palos Verdes Estates | 26% | 4.3 | 43 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Lomita | 1% | 0.4 | 1 | 97% | C+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Rancho Palos Verdes
Where can I hike in Rancho Palos Verdes?
The longest trail networks: Portuguese Bend Reserve, 10.9 miles; Forrestal Reserve, 3.4 miles; Abalone Cove Reserve, 3.3 miles; Shoreline Park, 2.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Rancho Palos Verdes is conserved land?
22% of its land, against a typical 4% for a California town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Rancho Palos Verdes’ trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Alta Vicente Reserve (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Rancho Palos Verdes?
24 miles of bike routes are on the map: 23 of painted or protected lanes and 1.1 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Rancho Palos Verdes?
6,298 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Rancho Palos Verdes or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,421 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Rancho Palos Verdes have?
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #55 of 847 in California. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Rancho Palos Verdes neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →