Del Cerro Park

★★★★☆

Incredible views of the Pacific Ocean, Catalina Island, and the coastal hills and canyons from the top of the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Calm and quiet, usually breezy, with a few benches out near the edge. High enough you can usually get above the clouds. Away from the edge there’s a large, flat lawn lined with trees, but no playground (much to my son’s disappointment when he was younger).

I used to go up here more often because it’s easy to get to (just take Crenshaw uphill until it ends). It used to be easy to park too, but that got harder after a while, and now you have to reserve parking ahead of time. So you can find parking, but you have to plan ahead, and can’t go up there on the spur of the moment based on what the clouds look like 45 minutes before sunset.

The uppermost trailheads for Portuguese Bend and Filiorum Reserves are right next to the park. Most of Portuguese Bend (and part of Filiorum) is closed due to the ongoing landslide, but last I checked the trails nearest to the hilltops were open. I should get out there again while they still are.

Do not climb over the railing. Don’t even think about it.