Los Serenos Nature Walk - October 2026 (Ocean Trails Sunrise/Sunset Trails)

This moderate hike will take us through Founders Park, down the switch backs on the Sunset Trail, along the beach, and then back up the Sunrise Trail to the Park. Along the way we’ll see a plaque dedicated to the founders of Rancho Palos Verdes and a plaque dedicated to the site of the first Japanese American farmhouse built in 1906 by Kumekichi Ishibashi. Although this walk is less than a mile, it affords a special opportunity to view some of the prominent geological features of the Peninsula, including the marine terraces and effects of erosion as evidenced by features on the exposed cliff face. The walk up the Sunrise Trial will take us through the “graben” (German for ditch or grave). That is the repaired landslide area from the 1999 landslide. The repair was done using a geo-technical material of plastic layered with earth and drainage pipes. The repair and revegetation process has created a riparian habitat where mule fat, willows, and giant ryegrass is apparent where seeping water is found year round. This whole area is home to many animals including snakes, lizards, fox, raccoons, opossums, cottontail rabbits, and a large variety of birds. Listen for the mewing calls of the endangered gnatcatcher.