Welcome to Palisades Park, a beautiful 26-acre park that offers breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean. The park was first developed in the early 1900s and is a popular spot for locals and tourists alike to enjoy walking paths, picturesque views from cliffs, and a collection of art installations and diverse tree species.
The park's walking path is lined with 100-foot-tall palm trees originally planted in the 1930s. There are stunning views of the Pacific Ocean and visitors can see miles of coastline from the park's overlooks, and on clear days, they can even see as far as the Channel Islands.
When we look toward the Ocean and downward, we see the Pacific Coast Highway, known as the PCH or the 101, is the ultimate road trip starting near San Diego and following the coast to Seattle.
Past the row of beach houses we will see a wide and winding bike path. This 22-mile bike path begins at Will Rogers State Beach in Pacific Palisades and runs along the shoreline of Santa Monica Bay, passing through all of the South Bay beach communities, including Marina del Rey and King Harbor at Redondo Beach. There are many bike rental places along the bike path especially in the Santa Monica area.
Beyond the bike path is the famous Santa Monica Beach with its long stretch of golden sand, crystal-clear waters, and iconic landmarks. It is home to sunbathers, surfers, beach volleyball and filming site for numerous films including the iconic Baywatch TV series.
You can choose to walk to the end of the northern portion of the park and then return to this spot where the tour continues south toward the Santa Monica Pier. Or we may choose to skip the detour , and just listen to the audio.
The round trip of this detour to the north is approximately one and a half miles and will take about 45 to 60 minutes to walk the round trip.
Several blocks north we find two stone and steel pillars called the Idaho Gate. Originally built in 1940 the gates were designed by a renowned Los Angeles architect Welton Becket, who also designed famous landmarks such as the Capitol Records building and the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
