Pelican Cove

Rancho Palos Verdes, California

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Details

Distance

0.38 miles

Elevation Gain

95 ft

Route Type

Out-and-Back

Description

Added by Ben Lertsakdadet

Pelican Cove is a great location for viewing the sunset. The cove is just a short hike down to the shore with tide pools and a beautiful setting for photos.

Getting There
Coming from San Pedro, make a U-turn at the Hawthorne Boulevard stoplight onto Palos Verdes Drive South. From here, you can access the parking lot for Pelican Cove, where you'll get a 120° view of the ocean. It might be tempting to take in the sunset from the car, but you should definitely hike down to the water for an even more spectacular view.

The Trail
From the parking lot, follow the Tovemore Trail down to the shoreline. This trail can be quite steep and the shoreline is very rocky, so you'll be better off in hiking shoes or sneakers than flip-flops. To get all the way out to the cove and tide pool area, you should walk along the dirt path at the base of the cliff as opposed to attempting to walk along the edge of the water, which can be slippery and unstable.

Getting to Pelican Cove from the parking lot will take approximately 30 minutes, so plan on getting there a little early to get to your spot to take in the sunset.

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