Smuggler's Cove

Heat getting you down? Let's hit the beach!

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Elyse will lead our hike in Palos Verdes through Del Cerro Park and down to Smuggler's Cove. In the not-too-distant past (geologically speaking), Palos Verdes was an island. Alluvial deposits from the surrounding mountains have bridged the gap between the mainland and former island, creating a peninsula. So what? So Palos Verdes has several plant and bird species that are found nowhere in the world except there and the Channel Islands. And if that wasn't enough cool info for you, Palos Verdes is also home to one of the most geologically unstable areas in the world- the Portuguese Bend- which looks like a massive landslide. It moves 1/3 of an inch every day.

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We'll try not to get swept away as we make our way down from the bluffs to the rocky shore, created in the 1930s for a resort hotel. The resort's clubhouse now serves as a lifeguard facility. The uneven shoreline is perfect for sheltering marine life and kelp beds, which we'll pick through if the tide allow.

The hike is a 7 mile out and back, with 1300 feet of elevation.

Carpools are recommended- use the comment sections and email members to arrange them.

Note the later start than usual.

Directions:

From the 405 freeway, exit Crenshaw and head south until it ends at Del Cerro Park.