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.
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.
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.
