Today I want to share my guide to a Portuguese Bend Reserve hike in Rancho Palos Verdes with you. This nature reserve is a great place to get outdoors in Los Angeles County. With miles of trails and sweeping views over the Pacific Ocean and Catalina Island, it’s one of my favorite places to go hiking in Southern California. Read on for my guide to the best trails. I’ve included a map, too.
Portuguese Bend Reserve Hike
Portuguese Bend Reserve is a 399-acre preserve on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Established in 2005, it’s the largest individual reserve within the 1,400-acre Palos Verdes Nature Preserve. Situated southeast of Del Cerro Park, it’s known for its sloping hills, dramatic canyons, and rock outcroppings.
Portuguese Bend Reserve is home to all kinds of geological features and local flora and fauna. From pillow lava to coastal sage scrub, California gnatcatchers, and coastal cactus wrens, there’s a lot to look out for here.
The extensive network of Portuguese Bend Reserve trails is open to hikers, bikers, equestrians, and dog walkers (on-leash). It’s a great place to get outdoors and soak up the scenery in this part of California.
There are some facilities here for visitors, including portable restrooms and trash cans at the junction of Burma Road Trail and Peacock Flats Trail.
There are also drinking fountains in Del Cerro Park just off the road on Crenshaw Blvd if you want to fill your water bottle before or after you head off on a hike. It’s a good idea to bring lots of water (and plenty of sunscreen), as the hiking trails here are open and exposed, and the weather can be hot.
How to Get Here
It’s easy to get to Portuguese Bend Reserve. There’s an entrance on the corner of Crenshaw Blvd and Burrell Lane. There’s plenty of information, signage, and maps there to get you started on your hike.
Parking for the Portuguese Bend Trail
There’s a lot of street parking around the entrance. The closest parking is paid-only at most times of day, but you can park on Crenshaw Blvd north of Crest Road for free. From there it’s a short walk to the trailhead.
Portuguese Bend Reserve Trails
So where should you go for your Portuguese Bend Reserve hike? There are lots of trails to choose from, and they vary in length and difficulty. Given the reserve slopes downhill, keep in mind that wherever you walk, you’ll have to hike back up at the end.
On a recent visit, my boyfriend, his dog, and I hiked a loop starting on the wide Burma Road Trail. It’s the main trail that leaves from the entrance on Crenshaw Blvd, and it follows a gradual downhill path running parallel to the ocean. The views of the coast and Catalina Island are spectacular from here.
We followed the Burma Road Trail as it curved its way down past the Peacock Flats Trail and Eagle’s Nest Trail. Along the way we caught sight of everything from green hills to tree formations, birds, and beaches.
When the Burma Road Trail met the Water Tank Trail, we headed down the steep and somewhat slippery path toward the big round vessel that gives the latter its name.
We followed it all the way down to the narrow Vanderlip Trail, where we turned right and headed back up the hill. The Vanderlip Trail took us past cactus plants and other local flora as it arced up toward the Burma Road Trail.
Once there, we took a quick right and then a left turn to get onto the Eagle’s Nest Trail. This one curved as it made its way north to a vista point with a bench and a hitching post. The ocean views were worth stopping for, not least because they offered a welcome break from the uphill climb.
Our Portuguese Bend Reserve hike continued as we followed the Eagle’s Nest Trail back to the Burma Road Trail. Turning right, we retraced our steps from the first part of the hike to get back to the trailhead on Crenshaw Blvd.
The hike took us 2 hours in total, including the time walking from our car to the start of the trail and back. It was a great way to get outdoors and take in some of the best views in the area at the same time. While moderately challenging, the hills weren’t too steep for our liking. Overall we really enjoyed it.
Portuguese Bend Reserve Trail Map
If you want to follow in our footsteps, you can find a map of the Portuguese Bend Reserve trails on the Rancho Palos Verdes government website here. It has the paths and points of interest labeled, so it should be useful in helping you plan your route.
Portuguese Bend Reserve Hike
I hope you enjoyed this guide to a Portuguese Bend Reserve hike, and that it’s inspired you to get outside and hit the trails yourself soon. This is a fun way to explore Rancho Palos Verdes, and a good way to get some exercise while you’re at it.
If you want more inspiration for hikes in Los Angeles, take a look at my blog post about the San Vicente Mountain Park hike on Mulholland Drive. Happy hiking!
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