Just walked this trail cuz I loved the yellow mustard which used to be 6' tall last year here. Unfortunately, they cut them all down so the experience is nowhere near the same. I miss the beautiful yellow tunnel of flowers! This video is as of March 11, 2026. read more

Been here multiple times with my dog! Park in the Ladera Linda Community Center. It's free parking! You'll have to walk a bit to get to the trails that are further in (past the gate) but it's worth it. The trails are clean and if you go early there isn't a lot of people. Can be overgrown in certain areas and path narrows. Some areas are steep as well. It also gets very dusty and sandy. The trails also connect to other trails (or Burma Trail) so you can really make the path as long or short as you want. I would just be cautious of coyotes (never seen one tho) and snakes. 2022 HIKE 5/52 read more

Forrestal Ecological Reserve - Hiking Near Me - Rancho Palos Verdes, California

Beautiful hiking trail if you are looking for something short and sweet. I've come here a couple times and always enjoyed the fresh ocean breeze and got in a moderate workout. There is no parking fee - just park in the lot or on the street and head towards the hills. Hiking shoes not needed but recommended since it's pretty dusty/sandy. read more

Forrestal Ecological Reserve - Drizzly/Overcast Day - Hiking Near Me - Rancho Palos Verdes, California

Indulging in too many chocolate chip cookies inspired me to attempt a semi-serious hike over the weekend. So I headed to Forrestal. Problem is, I found so many interesting places to stop along the route that by the time I got here it looked like rain any minute. Oh good! I have an excuse not to go very far up the trails. It didn't rain. Best part about being here: the fragrance in the air. Sage, perhaps? Whatever it was, flying insects like it, too. Buzzing everywhere. I felt something crawling up my leg, afraid to even look down to see what it was. A ladybug. Only a cute little ladybug. Whew. And when a ladybug lands on you it's good luck. :D So far, so good. A sign alerts to the presence of coyotes. I don't mind coyotes cuz they're not spiders. I lived with 'em in Colorado. I lived with 'em in Woodland Hills (a few in my front yard almost every morning). I doubt they will bother you unless you're the size of a cat or a chihuahua. The thing that worries me about coyotes is that they sometimes appear to be too skinny. I didn't see any here this time. No rain, no coyotes or rattlesnakes in sight, no tarantula on my leg. The scary part of Forrestal is the short stretch of road just inside the entrance. It's paved, but feels like a series of unexpected speed bumps. Go slow. If you survive the rough road there's plenty of street parking near the soccer field. Then choose from a selection of trails. Some cliffs are unstable (common for this area) so heed the warning signs. Forrestal is remote, scenic, devoid of big crowds & smells really good. 155 acres of rugged beauty. My photos would be so much better against a blue sky. Just as I was leaving the sun came out. : ( "Behold, my friends, the spring is come; the earth has gladly received the embraces of the sun, and we shall soon see the results of their love!" - Sitting Bull read more

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These are some of my favorite trails! It's always been a good place to hike with incline trails & signage to guide you. Watch out for snakes in the hot temps & wear sunscreen if you plan to make it an all day hike! I've come here many many times over the years, parking is free but also can get full. Ladera Linda School is near by & Trump golf course is across the street. Great views, beautiful maintained trails with lots of sage & chaparral. It's beautiful & it's only about a 2.7 mile loop but you can do it a few times to make it longer. I've tried to beat my times. read more

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This reserve offers a variety of great trails and views. Overall the level of difficulty is moderate; there are some flat leveled trails as well as lots of incline and decline. Some trails are smooth, while others are pretty rocky. This is one of my favorite local hikes. I usually don't like doing hikes too close to civilization, but the terrain and inclined trails make my hikes here feel adventurous and a great cardio workout! Bonuses: good parking, light foot traffic, great ocean views, and dog friendly. Happy hiking! read more

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We don't recommend this trail. We came here with my dog and young child. We all came home infested with Fleas, ticks and fox tails. There were way too many people on the trail as well. read more

Free parking: just park along the street (use the address on Yelp 32201 Forrestal dr) Tip: you can use google map to find the trails. The trail forks/splits into 2. The one on the left (canyon view/red tail trail) is an easier trail leading you parallel to the ocean. The one on the right (flying mane trail) is pretty steep, you can still see the ocean but not as close as the other trail. Both trails were not shaded for the most part. We actually did the easy trail first then the hard trail after in about 2 hours 20 minutes. We will be back! read more

This is definitely a five star hike! We hiked Pirates trail just before sundown, and the views are breathtaking. Plenty of vegetation, foliage, bushes, sage, etc. and the entire hike had wonderful smells. It took us about an hour to hike to the top take another trail down through the canyon around back to our car and we were pretty much the only people on the entire mountain. We are so lucky to have this right here in our own backyard! read more

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Pretty nice and variance to these trails. Dog friendly! A good alternative to Portuguese Bend (parking at Del Cerro can be a pain in the butt). The address provided is a good one (32201 Forrestal Dr, RPV). Parking is on the street but there was plenty of other residential parking in case the spots right next to the trail head are taken. Its right next to the Ladera Linda Communtiy Center. After parking, we took the dirt trail to the right instead of continuing up the paved path that runs straight. My dog Zulu and I did a short loop since we did not have much time, Pirate to Mariposa, Basalt to Quarry and then back to the car. There are some parts with shade, but not much. The views were gorgeous and the trails that we took were not that difficult. I'd like to try going further next time and doing the trails on the left side of the map (following Flying Mane trail). If you are a fan of the other RPV reserves, add this one to your list of trails to try. read more

Forrestal Ecological Reserve - Hiking Near Me - Rancho Palos Verdes, California

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Super nice to hike, the view is spectacular but be careful of the cactus they can be sneaky little biters. Wear sunscreen as there isn't much shade to just sit and relax under once you get passed the soccer field but is super easy to hike and good for even beginners and has lots of wonderful signs to guide you to what's more dangerous verses easy read more

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A great trail that is not too far away. Moderate hike in terms of difficulty (some steep points), but we had sneakers on and not hiking shoes (next time I'd wear the hiking boots but it was our first time). Definitely recommend it especially at sundown. read more

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Beautiful, short hike, but I wouldn't recommend right now...there were signs saying "uneven trails - hike at your own risk" and some of it was closed for restoration. I was fine but it didn't seem 100% safe and there's lots of other options in the area. read more

Forrestal Ecological Reserve - Hiking Near Me - Rancho Palos Verdes, California

no recent reviews so ill make one! the views are just amazing, there are some easy trails to take your doggies on, canyon and red tail are the fairly easy trails although all of them still have their steep moments so be careful and slow. wouldnt recommend bringing your little kids here unless they have some hiking experience, the trails get super super narrow to where youre walking through the plants and it hurts! you are constantly walking through the spikey plants (idk what theyre called) and cannot avoid them! my doggy did pretty onay with them but hes super fluffy, so be careful with your non fluffy pups! they can get pricked pretty bad. these plans are everywhere and non avoidable but im sure if you wear some thick clothes and pants you wont feel them much! i wore leggings and had to keep my head down to get through them. Parking is super easy! theres street parking that you can enter right through the gates the gps takes you to! It looks closed off but its not! Theres so many pretty photo ops just be careful wear the right clothes and protect your fur babies!! read more

Okay okay so the address provided in yelp is to the actual street. Unfortunately there's no sign. And you have to park in the street. The reason I knew where to start the trail is because I asked a group of people for directions.....so you have two options.....right trail is the hardest one (it's more challenging....inclining from the beginning to the end) the left trail is easier. Both trails provide an amazing view. Like other yelpers said before there's no shade at all. Also, not that many rocks either. To all my girlfriends, I would not recommend you to go alone. It could be dangerous since you won't see that many people here. It gets very isolated. It's a short but challenging trail. Enjoy the view!! read more

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I really enjoyed this trail! Quiet, varied inclines, clearly marked trails. Nice Scenery! Lots of parking is available and its not too far from trump trails but offers a different experience. read more

I always knew that there were other trails around this area as I frequent the Burma Trail via El Cerro Park. These trails seem to be hidden as I didn't really know where to go at first. From the parking lot there is a sign that says something about drainage and trails being "unstable" and to "proceed at your own risk." There are many options to take but I specially liked that certain sections have shrubs that create overhead shade. I spent a good 2 hours up there with my brothers. Definitely take a day pack with plenty of water! read more

This trail is my favorite hike so far. We opted for the longer hike and it took about 2 hours. We parked before the gate and took the trail to the right. There is a trail marker with a QR code, but I didn't have the scanner so I can only assume it is the trail map. We headed up the hill taking several rest stops along the way. Whales were migrating and we were able to see their water spouts. Once we reached the top, the trail meandered through full sun and shaded areas. There was a small stream due to recent rain. Around one bend a sheer wall revealed it's age in layers. Around another, Catalina peeked from behind a beautiful brush lined trail. I recommend this trail 100 percent. read more

Forrestal Ecological Reserve - Hiking Near Me - Rancho Palos Verdes, California

This a a great place to go on a hike. There are a few trails to choose from and they all seemed to be average difficulty. I took my dog, which I am happy that they allow. The view of the ocean and Catalina island was beautiful. They is plenty of free street parking. They have water fountains and the beginning of the trail for both people and dogs. There are trash cans at the beginning of the trails. read more

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I loved this trail. There's tons of variety in the terrain, dirt, rocks, etc. there's some shade along the trail but it's mostly direct sun. There's lots of up and down in elevation, only once in the 2 hours I was hiking did I think "omg when will it go downnn?" I am not that experienced with hiking, so for a beginner it's quite challenging. We did follow a trail that ended up being very narrow and slippery and you have to be careful to keep your footing. It spit us out past a private property sign, which was odd since we just followed the marked trails, but oh well. Great workout! The view can NOT be beat! We parked at the community center across the street, the trail entrance is difficult to see but it's behind a fence across from the center. read more

If you like hiking on the Palos Verdes Peninsula but are tired of Portuguese Bend, check out Forrestal. It's small but has several miles of trails with some nice ocean views. The Pirate and Cristo que Viento trails together make a short but steep workout - 650 feet of elevation gain in about 0.7 mile. You can make a loop of about 2.5 miles through the park or extend your hike all the way up to the Portuguese Bend vista point. read more

Beautiful trail! You get a view of ocean and the trail was green for most part. You can go the shortest route (around 45 min) or the longer one (around 2 hours). Because of the steep hills I would grade it as a medium as far as difficulty. read more

Awesome Trails over looking the ocean and Trump golf course. They have clear signage and directions that point to which trails you can go to. Definitely one of my favorite places to hike without having to drive out of the way to get there! 10 outta 10 read more

Easy to Moderate hike with several small trails that can range from 1-4 miles. Not much shade but plenty of local shrubbery and flowers. read more

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Great place to hike, went today with my sisters around noon and the view is gorgeous it's in such a nice neighborhood. So many hills to climb up and down its a really great workout. There are several different trails you can take and we paid $6 for parking for 2 hrs. Would def recommend. read more

Forrestal Ecological Reserve - Hiking Near Me - Rancho Palos Verdes, California

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The trails here take you along beautiful views and stunning vegetation. It's quite unique scenery for the area. You can have an easy mild walk or go further and make it more rugged. It's never very populated and dogs on leashes are allowed. Plenty of parking. read more

Okay so I have hiked and mountin biked this preserve and I can't tell you which one I enjoyed more. The views are great. Now first post is hiking. First trimmers I would say this is a great place to start. If your going to start hiking my two cents if you never hiked or work out I wouldn't start on pirate trail only because the trail is pretty steep. Tbis is why I wouldnt recommend it for first timers. But the rest of the trails are fun and well maintined. Now the shrubs are taking back the land lol so if your wearing shorts you might get scrached up a little. Now mountin bikers the trails are a little tight so keep your ears and eyes open for hikers. Also the switch back are really tight so I would leave the 29er at home lol. Also parking is free and far away from residents home. So you dont have to worry about nasty looks or notes.lol. now as always don't take my word on it come see this place for your self. I dont think you'll be disapointed. read more

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This place is awesome it's on the coast of Palos Verdes lots of hikes you can do even down to the ocean when they have giant sea caves very easy hike, look at my photos on yelp and you can see read more

Can't believe no one wrote a review on the Forrestal Ecological Reserve, one of my favorite places to hike in Palos Verdes. Just drive to the very end of Forrestal Drive (at the end of the soccer fields) and choose a trailhead into the hills. Particularly spectacular in springtime, but a fantastic and refreshing workout (for the soul as well as the body) any time of the year, with great views of the ocean and the Palos Verdes coastline if you make it to the higher elevations -- plus, hardly any people (maybe that's why there's no reviews... wait a minute, am I about to spoil the serenity of this place? Good thing I didn't post any photos). read more

It's a very unstable climb but if you want something more difficult then this is the place to go. I always have fun going out with friends to hike this. Just a warning---- bees, overgrown bushes, bring sunglasses/ sunblock. read more

The trails within this reserve wind and escalate quickly. It is a steep hike, at virtually any point. The elevation, however, provides wonderful views of Catalina Island, the shores along the Portuguese Bend, and ready access to adjacent trails. If you have a chance, explore Fossil Rock (on the southern side of the trailhead) for ancient fish and shellfish fossils, and fossilized shark's teeth. read more

Quiet, no people, steep hills, trails that give you a good burn, ample parking..

Nice place for a short run. Lots of small steep little hills for a good leg work out. Beautiful view. Ran about a total of 4 miles while there. read more