Astra Lumina★★★★★Nighttime walk through botanical gardens and a series of immersive light-and-music shows that you can take at your own pace. Definitely worth it!
Del Cerro Park★★★★★Incredible views of the Pacific Ocean and Catalina Island. Also easy to get to and park. I haven’t tried any of the hiking trails in the area yet, but I keep meaning to.
Forrestal Reserve★★★★☆Coastal hillsides, landslides ancient and modern, and an abandoned quarry. (Let’s call it a geologically interesting area!) Trails range from nearly flat to infuriatingly steep. Lots of chapparal, not much shade.
George F Canyon★★★★★A quiet hike along a seasonal streambed. Shady for the first part, then opens up. Beware of poison oak. City view at the summit. Birds, rabbits, butterflies.
Ladera Linda Community Park★★★★☆Nice park with a view of the ocean and Catalina Island, open grassy areas, playground, basketball and tennis courts, lots of parking and clean, new restrooms. Near the Forrestal Reserve trailheads making it a good post-hike restroom stop or picnic spot.
Linden H. Chandler Preserve★★★☆☆Hilly, with not much shade except in the lightly wooded areas along the intermittent streambeds. Higher areas have clear views of the LA Basin and the golf course next door.
Malaga Canyon ReserveGorgeous views from the trailhead that I found (which was closed). I need to see if the other trailheads are open.
Point Vicente★★★★★Easy trails run through scrub brush along the tops of the coastal bluffs, the lighthouse almost always in view. Shade only in the picnic shelters, but plenty of ocean breezes. On a clear day you can see from Catalina Island to Malibu.
Prickly Pear Trail★★★★☆Short loop with some steep sections. Lots of cactus. (Keep your balance!) Nice views of the ocean and Point Vicente Lighthouse.
South Coast Botanic Garden★★★★★Big enough to feel like you could get lost (but not big enough to get lost), packed with trails that feel like walking through nature, surrounded by more structured gardens. Great for events, families or just getting out for a walk.
Valmonte Trail and Frog Creek Loop★★★★★A nice, easy loop trail. Hilly, with plenty of shade in the wooded areas along the stream beds. Lots of side trails.
White Point Nature Preserve★★★★☆Mostly flat, with hills along the inland edge. Views of the ocean and Catalina. Not much shade except for one stand of trees at the foot of the hills, the garden around the visitor center, and the bunkers remaining from a military site decommissioned in the 1970s.
