Most Scenic Short Walks in Los Angeles County

Long Beach, Los Angeles, Rancho Palos Verdes, and San Pedro, California

There’s a variety of reasons you might want to find a spot that has great views but very little, if any, hiking involved: You want to do a picnic with a view, but you don’t want carry your stuff very far. Your parents are visiting and you’d like to take a beautiful walk with them to catch up, but they might be elderly and can’t walk very far. You just ran a marathon yesterday and although you’d love to see some beautiful nature today, you can barely move. You’re planning for a first date and you want to make an impression by choosing a beautiful spot to meet, but you also want to make sure you can escape quickly just in case the date goes bad. Perhaps you’d like a photo of yourself with beautiful natural scenery, but can only tolerate nature long enough for an Instagram post. If any of these descriptions fit your situation, these short walks are for you!

1. Point Vicente Interpretive Center: With beautiful cliffside views, a working lighthouse (can only be viewed from a distance), benches, bathrooms, and plenty of green grass, this location is perfect, convenient, and has all the amenities for a great picnic. You can walk along the flat dirt path that follows the cliffs for a beautiful short walk, or you can simply enjoy the cliffside views that are just a few short steps from the parking area. If you’re lucky, you might even see the migrating whales off the coast - this park is known for whale watching. Grab some great Thai food at Swan Thai or snacks from Trader Joes just up the street and head on over. Parking is free and the park is open from 10am to one hour after sunset. Located in the City of Rancho Palos Verdes.

2. Griffith Park Ferndell Trail: This trail is like a lush rain forest compared to the rest of Griffith Park (that looks like it’s dead or dying). A natural spring feeds the stream that flows alongside the half-mile trail and if you look closely, you can even see crayfish, turtles, frogs, and fish in the various ponds that the stream feeds. The huge ferns and California coastal redwoods will make you feel like you’ve been transported away from Los Angeles. Add the various benches along the trail and nearby picnic tables, this is a great spot for a date. Be sure to complete this walk with a visit to The Trails for some amazing sandwiches, sweet and savory baked goods, and coffee - it’s just a short distance from the end of the Ferndell trail. Free street parking is available and park hours are from 5am to 10:30pm. Located in the City of Los Angeles.

3. Los Angeles State Historic Park: The Central Park of Los Angeles, this park has tons of green grass to spread out and enjoy the beautiful views of downtown Los Angeles. You can also walk the 1.75 mile trail that circles the park or take the various smaller trails within the interior of the park. Grab some great cajun food nearby at Little Jewel to make your picnic complete and explore Chinatown if the date goes good! Both paid parking within the park and free street parking are available. Parks hours are from 8am to sunset. Located in the City of Los Angeles.

4. El Dorado Nature Center: Made up of two miles of dirt trails and a 1/4 mile paved trail, you’ll see ducks and turtles as you walk around two lakes, a stream, and forested areas. With tons of tall trees there’s plenty of shade, and with many benches there are great views where you can just sit, relax, and be immersed in nature. Paid parking is available right next to the trailhead for both the two mile trail and the 1/4 mile trail. Park hours are from 8am to 5pm. Located in the City of Long Beach.

5. Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area: Views from this park are quite unique - if you hike to the highest point of the park, you can see downtown Los Angeles, Century City, and even all the way to the ocean. Use your GPS to navigate to and park near the Doris Japanese Garden. There’s a beautiful pond and garden you can enjoy that are just a few steps away from the parking area. For another beautiful short walk, head down the small hill from where you parked, and you’ll find a larger lake with plenty of ducks and geese to entertain you. If you’re looking for a longer hike, you can follow the trail that connects to the the Doris Japanese Garden and take it all the way up to the Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial. The memorial sits at the highest point of Kenneth Hahn and has a great view of downtown Los Angeles. Parking is free during the week and is only a small fee on the weekend. Park hours are from 6am to sunset. Located in the City of Los Angeles.

6. Averill Park: Giving the Ferndell Trail a run for its money, Averill Park offers a scenic pond, mini waterfall, gigantic trees that tower over you, and tons of green space to enjoy. The upper portion of the park also provides a great view of the Port of Los Angeles, its two bridges, and the mountains as a backdrop for all of it. The park is not very big, so you can throw the name of it right into your GPS to get there and you’ll easily find the areas photographed below. Free street parking is available. Park hours are from dawn to dusk. Located in the community of San Pedro (part of the City of Los Angeles).

7. Abalone Cove Shoreline Park: Better known for its tide pools and sea caves, the upper part of Abalone Cove that’s immediately next to the parking area is also a beautiful spot for a picnic and a very short walk along the cliffs. There’s bathrooms, a handful of picnic tables, and beautiful cliffside views you won’t forget. As an added bonus, if you visit first thing in the morning or late afternoon, you’re guaranteed to see squirrels and rabbits running and hopping around. Paid parking is available. You can enter the parking lot between the hours of 9am to 4pm, but you don’t have to leave the park until sunset. Located in the City of Rancho Palos Verdes. If you’d like more information on how to see the sea caves and tide pools in this park, click HERE.