Palos Verdes Nature Preserve

About the Preserve

The Palos Verdes Nature Preserve is approximately 1,400 acres with 11 individual Reserves. The Portuguese Bend Reserve is the largest: 424 acres. The City of Rancho Palos Verdes owns the Nature Preserve and co-manages it with the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy for ecological value and habitat restoration.

This Nature Preserve is home to coastal sage scrub habitat: a community of intensely fragrant and highly drought resistant shrubs and flowering plants. Many different animals live throughout this rare habitat, including the threatened California gnatcatcher and coastal cactus wren. The individual reserves provide passive recreational opportunities, including hiking trails, equestrian trails and bicycle trails.

For more information about the Palos Verdes Nature Preserve, visit the links in the menu, email us at trails@rpvca.gov or call us at 310-544-5353.

Parking and Access Issues

The City of Rancho Palos Verdes is conducting a comprehensive review and analysis of Preserve-wide parking and access. A goal of this process is to balance the needs for public access, natural resource protection, preserving neighbors' quality of life, and the provision of safe parking and access. Please contact Senior Administrative Analyst Katie Lozano for additional information at trails@rpvca.gov or 310-544-5260.

Please sign up to receive Palos Verdes Nature Preserve listserv messages at rpvca.gov/list..  

Some of the efforts to improve Preserve parking and access have included exploration of: 

  • Parking solutions along Crenshaw Blvd. and Park Pl.
    • ParkMobile Parking Solutions Tool
    • Additional parking enforcement
    • Parking fees and citation fines
  • Traffic Studies
  • Web and social media campaigns
  • Preserve capacity analysis
  • Access Gates at Burma Rd. and Rattlesnake Tr. 
  • Dispersing public use more evenly 
    • Pilot Shuttle Program
    • Alta Vicente Reserve/Civic Center beautification and wayfinding

You can view previous Staff Reports and Council discussions through the City Meeting portal on this website. The dates of discussion were:

  • May 18, 2021
  • April 20, 2021
  • March 16, 2021
  • February 16, 2021
  • January 19, 2021
  • December 15, 2020
  • October 20, 2020
  • September 1, 2020
  • August 18, 2020

Public outreach is conducted through Preserve Public Forums, press releases, Preserve listserv messages, and coordination with trails co-managers and homeowner associations.  

Contact Open Space Management staff by emailing us at trails@rpvca.gov or 310-544-5366. Report violations to the Preserve Info and Report Line at 310-491-5775.