Royal Palms State Beach in San Pedro is
operated by Los Angeles County Lifeguards. The sign above says it's a
county beach, so all we can figure is that it shares honors with the state,
perhaps. A children's playground,
public parking (190+ spaces), restrooms, fishing, surfing and tidepools are
all options for a day of fun at the beach at this location. Lifeguards are
on the beach during daylight hours. Contact the Los Angeles County
Department of Beaches and Harbors at 310-305-9546
Southern Surf Report (310-379-8471). Location: 1799 Paseo del Mar, San Pedro, CA
Royal Palms State Beach is located
adjacent to Rancho Palos Verdes which
is a city located on the southwest
side of Palos Verdes Peninsula. That city is bounded to the north by Redondo
Beach and to the south by San Pedro. The peninsula is made up of
four cities: Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes
and Palos Verdes Estates. Rancho Palos Verdes is the newest of the
bunch, incorporated in 1973 as a 13.6 square mile community with
over half made up of coastline and beaches. It's population of over 40,000
enjoys ocean views, rolling hills, parks, horse, hiking and bicycle trails
and few, if any, industrial businesses. Though many residents are
tied to commercial work and jobs in the nearby Los Angeles harbor and in
the space and technologies industries in cities such as Torrance, they
leave the work behind when they go home to the peninsula.
Frank Vanderlip can be thanked for that. He was president
of National City Bank in New York and one time owner of the peninsula.
When he acquired the property in 1913 from the Jotham Bixby family,
he rode horseback, surveying the land and imagining its potential
as a residential mecca. Awe inspired, he called in design experts who created
set back requirements, prohibited billboards and imposed a system of
architectural review on builders administered by the Palos Verdes Homes
Association and the Palos Verdes Art Jury to set the tone for a newly formed
development.
Gone were the early days of California in which Rancho
de los Palos Verdes was divied out like so much of the soon-to-be state
was, as land grant deeds. Don Delores Sepulveda received this parcel in
1822 for his support of the Mexican Revolution. He held the land
for 60 years.
Today, tourists flock to see the splendor of the ocean
and to enjoy the natural resources. One way to discover its treasures is
through docent- led nature hikes. Los Serenos de Point Vicente docents
conduct guided tours of the Ocean Trails Project. The walks begin at the
public parking lot at the end of La Rotonda Drive off of Palos Verdes
Drive South. Docents lead hikers through paved trails along a bluff and
a habitat corridor. They provide information about the history,
geology, marine ecology and habitat restoration work of the Ocean Trails
project. Participants should wear comfortable shoes and bring a small bottle
of water. Tours last approximately two hours. No reservations required.
Monthly walks led by PVP Land Conservancy 310-373-0202
Ocean Trails Golf Course
with Pacific Restaurant
open to public, One Ocean Trails Drive, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
90275 Info: 310-265-5525 Internet: oceantrails.com
