Enjoy California's coast along the Rancho Palos Verdes Coastal Trail

California’s coast is one of my favorite things about the state, and one place to enjoy that is the Rancho Palos Verdes Coastal Trail, a moderate 5.1-mile trail in Southern California.

I joined a hiking group a couple of weeks ago to explore the Rancho Palos Verdes Coastal Trail. I don’t think we actually completed the whole 5.1 miles because we trekked at a pretty leisurely pace, but whatever distance we did cover (my guess is that we probably hiked about two miles or so), it was loads of fun to just be out near the coast. (It reminded me of the Central Coast!)

To get to the trailhead, we had to walk through Trump National Golf Course, which wasn’t super busy when we started at around 9 a.m.

Tip: It helps to arrive early so you can snag a parking spot at the golf course parking lot. If no spots are available, parking on Trump National Drive is allowed.

From there, the trail is mostly dirt, though some of it is concrete.

The day we did the hike was the first time anyone in the group had gone there before, so we basically winged it and just walked wherever we thought we should. The section we hiked was mostly flat with some slight incline at various points. We did, however, deal with more moderate incline after deciding to walk down to the beach. I thought it was worthwhile to make the trek down there, though, because it was nice to be closer to the water.

The beach is rocky so it wasn’t too comfortable to sit there for a long period of time, but it was fun to spend a few minutes just to take in the view and have a quick snack or a drink of water.

I loved the Rancho Palos Verdes Coastal Trail, even if we didn’t do the whole 5.1 miles. If you’re looking for a scenic hike that isn’t too difficult and/or a fun adventure in L.A., I’d recommend this one even if you don’t complete it in its entirety. I expect to be back on this trail again and to enjoy it just as much, because how can you not fall in love with California’s coast? ?