Palos Verdes Trails

Palos Verdes Trails
(Portuguese Bend Reserve)

Trailhead: The trailhead starts right after Del Cerro Park (take Crenshaw South/West til it ends), at the end of a dead end street.  Go past the giant gate and head down the hill.

Type: Outdoors

Category: Bike, Hike

Company: Everyone, bikers, dogs, and horses included.

Cost: Free!

Quickie: A great set of trails, offering a little bit of everything for bikers, hikers, and even horses.  Multiple breakoffs throughout, ranging from beginning to intermediate.

OTC Tip: Check out the full map of the trails.  While flying blind has it's advantages, it's always good to be prepped when using multi-use trails. 

The Do's: 

1)  Bring water; unless the park rangers have them hidden away, I have yet to find any source of water throughout the winding trails.

2)  Keep an eye on the trail postings - make sure you don't end up where you aren't supposed to be.
3) Recognize your own limits when choosing trails to bike...and ignore them completely.  C'mon, where's the fun if you don't push yourself a little too hard?   


The Don'ts: 
1) Shut yourself off from external auditory stimuli by blasting headphones too loudly.  With so many different types of users, you don't want to be caught off guard by a biker or two flying up behind you.  Plus you're outside - listen to nature a bit. 
2) Forget that unlike most trails, you are starting at the TOP.  After you're utterly exhausted from tooling around the lower trails, you still have to make the long climb back up.  


OTC Tip: If you don't want to retrace the same first trail you bombed down, follow the main firetrail (Burma Road) all the way to the bottom and back up.  You'll end up at a fence and a paved road.  After the arduous climb up Portuguese Bend Rd, take a left at Crest and another at Crenshaw to get back to your starting point.   This route is about 2.5 miles, with the first mile or so a steep climb.