Palos Verdes Bluffs - #PalosVerdesBluffs

Socal - Los Angeles County - San Pedro NickNames: #PalosVerdesBluffs

110 south towards San Pedro. South onto Gaffey Street. Right on 25th Street. Left on Western Ave. RIght at S. Paseo Del Mar. Left at Stargazer Ave. Right on Warmouth Street. Park near concrete wall, making sure not to block driveways. Thomas Guide page 853 D1

7 Review(s)Login

• Trail UpdateAnother Victory For Sierra Club-Rancho Palos Verdes Bans Mountain Bikes from Many Trails

  City Council ditches plan that was years in making for a more conservative one concerning the Forrestal property. But the decision won't take effect yet.

  By Nick Green, Daily Breeze

  Mountain bikers who use the 160-acre former quarry known as the Forrestal property in Rancho Palos Verdes will soon find themselves banned from more than half the hilly trails there that they currently enjoy.

  The Rancho Palos Verdes City Council made the surprise decision Saturday at the conclusion of an all-day workshop, attended at its peak by more than 100 people, that was held in part to determine trail usage on the tract.

  The unanimous decision stunned local cyclists and the staff of the nonprofit Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy, which is managing the land for the city. About 45 meetings over the past three years have been held to carefully craft a plan for trail usage that balanced the competing concerns of hikers, conservationists, cyclists and equestrians.

  Such a drastic reduction in trails mountain bikers could use was not contemplated in the usage plan a steering committee had recommended.

  Instead it was adopted from an alternate plan pushed by the local Sierra Club chapter.

  "I don't know how we're supposed to manage it," snapped a frustrated Barbara Dye, the conservancy's executive director, after the meeting. She declined to elaborate.

  Local members of the recently formed Palos Verdes chapter of the Concerned Off Road Bicyclists Association, quickly left the meeting before they could be asked for their reaction.

  "We're not anti-mountain bike," Councilman Larry Clark said. "But we do have concerns over the safety and stability of existing trails."

  Officials said they would re-evaluate the ban on a trail-by-trail basis once repairs were made. Those safety improvements would be given priority although it's unknown how much they will cost or how long they will take.

  "It's backwards to allow multiple (trail) uses just because they are there now when we know there are deficiencies that need to be corrected," Councilman Tom Long said.

  The decision came at the end of a seven-hour meeting where participants had collectively patted themselves on the back for holding a cordial and thoughtful discussion over what has been a hot-button issue. In part, that's because the general perception is that the accepted trail uses on the Forrestal property, that is a cornerstone of a proposed nature preserve, will become a blueprint for the hundreds of acres of open space in the Portuguese Bend area the city has spent years trying to acquire.

  The meeting was intended to resolve several major issues, including a general management plan for the property, but much of the discussion centered around whether mountain biking was an acceptable activity in a nature preserve.

  The recommended plan allowed walkers, bicyclists and horse riders to use 12 of the 21 trails, with seven designed for pedestrian and bicycle use only and two restricted for just hikers.

  But naturalist Martin Byhower, representing the local chapter of the Audubon Society, complained that sharing many of the trails with participants in the extreme sport of mountain biking would "ruin my experience" of hiking in the area. "This (recommended plan) allows mountain bikes on (almost) every single trail and that to me isn't balance," he said.

  But mountain bikers, who in recent months have sought to rehabilitate their rather wild image by repairing trails on the property and participating in the political process, argued that restricting trail uses breeds ill will and territoriality.

  Members of the local CORBA mountain bike chapter had also planned to create a volunteer Educational Trails Unit with a horse-riding group to monitor trail usage. It's unclear whether that will occur now, Dye said.

  Multi-use trails mean that all users can share the philosophy that boils down to "expect one another, respect one another," said Jim Hasenauer, a CORBA co-founder and board member with the International Mountain Bicycling Association.

  "A shared-use system allows people to disperse in the best kind of way," said the Woodland Hills resident. "If people are acting responsibly, the nature of the (mountain biking) activity is that it's very much a low-impact sport."

  Council members disagreed though and adopted a plan much more restrictive toward the sport than the recommended version. Dye, of the Palos Verdes Land Conservancy, said mountain bikers will be able to use only about a half-dozen trails.

  But bicycle riders won't have to give up their trails immediately. The council failed to get around to adopting a comprehensive management plan that included directing staff to adopt code amendments restricting bicycle use.
  
  Ride rating: Advanced
  Ride distance: 11 Elevation change:
  Singletrack=55% Truck Trail=45% URL: SIERRACLUB.ORG

  Posted:01/09/2005

• Trail UpdateThe Bluffssss...-my favorite trails are the fullerton loop and azusa trail. last friday was my first time on the bluff's trail and let me say it was quite challenging. there are number of steep climbs and downhills that bleed into sharp turns and rough terrain.

  the view of catalina and the pac ocean is also quite nice. if you reach the top of the bluffs and continue to ride into higher elevation, the trail leads to a beautiful golf course.

  
  Ride rating: Intermediate
  Diamondback321 a 24 year old Weekend Warrior riding a DIAMONDBACK COIL from LONG BEACH

  Posted:06/27/2004

• Trail UpdatePalos Verdes-Weather is great. Nice view of Catalina. Fell once while going around a sharp turn. Went over the handlebar. Busted the computer on my bike right off.
  The funny thing about this fall was my shoe came off from underneath me and was still stuck to the pedal.

  For the most part single track conditions are great. Bushes grown to at least 5ft tall this spring. Be sure to bring eyewear when going down single track so you don't get poked in the eye by incoming branches.
  Ride rating: Intermediate
  Ride distance: 6miles Elevation change:
  Jay a 26 year old Weekend Warrior riding a Specialize Rock Hopper from Long Beach

  Posted:04/25/2001

• Trail UpdateThe Bluff @ Palos Verdes-Does anybody post anything about this place anymore?

  I was there yesterday and the condition is great. Check it out....
  Ride rating: Novice
  Ride distance: 6.1 Elevation change:
  Singletrack=80% Dirt Road=20%
  Jay a 26 year old Weekend Warrior riding a Specialize Rock Hopper from Long Beach

  Posted:04/11/2001

• Trail UpdateSlalom-Storm drain construction has not affected the course, but leaving trash may lead to closure. Entrance ST actually 300 yards North of post below.

  Dry, slippery, some ruts, technical. Difficult but very fun. Bring advanced skills. 38 turns, 3 drops, 3 doubles, 1 minute.
  Ride rating: Expert
  Ride distance: .2 Elevation change: 400'
  Singletrack=100%

  Posted:08/28/2000

• Trail UpdateDual Slalom Track-Directions above, but park near junction of Western and S. Paseo Del Mar. Thomas Guide p.853. Open area North of Paseo Del Mar, East of Western. Trail up short hill, *across* from driveway into apartments on Western at Paseo. Trail crosses track (left to top) before pavement.

  Hidden, super-sweet, pro-level DS track. Two equal side-by-side courses with 20+ turns of every kind, berms, jumps, drops, gates, start boxes, elevation changes, steeps, flats. 4 years construction. Some jumps difficult, just go around if necessary. Be cool and low-profile in this area! Dont modify course please, and replace broken 'gates' (you'll see).
  Ride rating: Expert
  Ride distance: .25 Elevation change: 400'
  Singletrack=100%
  a Downhiller

  Posted:08/14/2000

• Trail UpdatePalos Verdes Bluffs-I actually was looking to mountainbike the Portuguese Bend or do some jumping at Point Vicente Park. Both areas have been closed off. The former for habitrail restoration, the latter for construction of a brewing company which is a bummer since this place was a jumper's paradise! At street's end, follow the trail along the wall towards the ocean. A park bench will mark the beginning of a fence along the right which keeps people from from the residential homes. Follow the narrow single track along the bluffs CAREFULLY. Do not add to our sport's injury statisitics by fatally falling off the side of the cliffs (uncool!). Limit injuries to broken bones only (cool!). A downhill ride will take you to a fork. Taking the left fork will allow you to see a walk path down to the rocky beach (carrying your bike down is worth the effort). Taking the right fork will take you up a bit of a strenuous (but quick) ascent to the t! op for an ocean scenic ride along the bluff. The downer about this ride is the habitrail restoration going on. There is a length of chicken wire fence which is meant to keep people off and can be painfull if you take a turn too sharply and do an endover with fence in your face. Continue on for about a couple of miles to an area which is frequented by ocean gazers. If you want, ride down towards the beach. Otherwise, take a swig of water and then go back in the direction you came.
  Singletrack=100%
  The Saint a 31 year old Weekend Warrior riding a Specialized Stumpjumper from Agana, Guam

  Posted:06/12/1998