The Palos Verdes Nature Preserve

The amazing Palos Verdes Nature Preserve was created in 2005 when the community was able to purchase 468 critical acres to include within the Preserve. The newly-purchased land was combined with previously-preserved land and City land to create the new Preserve.

In 2006 the Land Conservancy will complete baseline documentation and monitoring for rare plants and wildlife in the Preserve. In 2007 a habitat restoration plan will be completed to identify the five-acre parcels that will be restored during the following three years. Working with a community committee, the City and the Conservancy will also complete the Public Use Master Plan (PUMP) for the Preserve.

The area will be managed by the Conservancy for ecological values, habitat restoration and public access. In order to manage the larger Preserve, it has been divided into ten smaller Ecological Reserves. The names were recommended by the PUMP Committee, and will be presented to the RPV City Council for approval as part of the PUMP process.

Abalone Cove Ecological Reserve

Abalone Cove Ecological Reserve features two beaches (Abalone Cove and Sacred Cove), tidepools, bluff top viewing areas and trails crisscrossing the area. The 109-acre Preserve contains an official State Ecological Preserve with important natural marine resources, and the bottom of the Portuguese Bend landslide. Two promontories, Portuguese and Inspiration Points, frame Sacred Cove with its seacaves, black sand and rare plants.

The adjacent parking area (a fee is charged), multiple picnic tables, and restrooms are not in the Preserve, but add to the options for public enjoyment of the area.

Agua Amarga Reserve

This 59-acre Reserve contains two canyons - Agua Amarga and Lunada, which merge at their western ends just above the border with Palos Verdes Estates. Agua Amarga Canyon was acquired in 2005 and can be seen below Hawthorne Boulevard across from Ralph's Market. It is home to many California gnatcatchers.

Lunada Canyon was once prime land for development. A gift to the Conservancy in 1992 from the E.K. Zuckerman family created the Land Conservancy's first natural area. Habitat restoration grants have resulted in the creation of three acres of coastal sage scrub and a willow wetland.

Alta Vicente Reserve

This property includes 55 acres of land on the slopes below and around RPV City Hall, but not the flat areas which will serve as a community and civic center. There are areas of significant habitat that are home to many California gnatcatchers. Eventually trails will be constructed to provide public access to this area, and habitat restoration will result in installation of native plants in the areas currently being disked.

Portuguese Bend Reserve

The Portuguese Bend Reserve is the 399-acre area that was preserved in 2005. It consists of rolling hills, steep canyons and rock outcrops, with significant habitat and spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean and Santa Catalina Island. Located below and to the east of Del Cerro Park, it includes the areas known as the lemonadeberry parcel, eagle's nest, the badlands, the active landslide and the dirt extension of Crenshaw Boulevard. This area has numerous important trails and geologic features such as Ailor cliff and the pillow lava outcrop.

Included in this Preserve at this time is also the Del Cerro Buffer, a 17-acre parcel immediately below Del Cerro Park. This area burned in 2005, and the regrowth is characterized by many native plants with deep roots that result in increased slope stability.

Forrestal Reserve

With some of the best remaining native wildlife habitat and hiking trails, this 155-acre preserve is a key component of the Peninsula's natural environment and a significant part of the Palos Verdes Nature Preserve. With funding from the City, the Land Conservancy has recently completed improvements to many of the trails that cross the parcel, and wetlands restoration projects that were completed in 2003 are flourishing. A trails plan for the property was adopted by the PVPLC and the City Council in 2005, and signage indicating the approved trail uses has been installed.

Ocean Trails Reserve

The Ocean Trails Reserve includes or will include habitat areas restored or preserved by Trump National Golf Course south of Palos Verdes Drive. As a condition of approval for that project, conservation easements were placed over the adjacent 54-acre Shoreline Park 65 acres were restored with habitat for the California gnatcatcher. 90 additional acres will become part of the Preserve once the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determines that the golf course has done an adequate job of habitat restoration on those properties. Even then, the golf course will have the obligation to fund monitoring and maintenance activities on the projects lands within the Preserve.

Three Sisters Preserve

This 99-acre parcel has spectacular ocean views and wonderful hiking trails. It can be accessed from the end of Ocean Terrace Drive. Several rare wildflowers are found there.

Restoration Update

An irrigation installation project using PVC lines was just completed at Three Sisters Reserve as part of a 21-acre native habitat restoration. 8,000 coastal sage scrub plants will be planted in the next two weeks, that will help bring back native wildlife and significantly improve the viewshed around the canyons. If you are interested in volunteering, Click Here

San Ramon Reserve

This Reserve includes all of the 100-acre parcel that surrounds the switchbacks area of Palos Verdes Drive East. At this time only the 90 acres of the Switchbacks not restored by Trump National is under management as part of the Preserve.

Vicente Bluffs Reserve

This Reserve includes the bluffs of Lower Point Vicente (6 acres), the Fishing Access property (9 acres) and the habitat areas within the Oceanfront Estates project (69 acres), although the latter will not be under Preserve management until the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determines that the habitat restoration completed by the developer fulfills the requirement placed on that project. This Reserve contains high quality coastal bluff scrub habitat and some unique geological formations.

Vista Del Norte Reserve

This 14-acre Reserve is located above Indian Peak Drive, on the slopes overlooking the Peninsula's commercial areas. Small pockets of habitat may be enhanced with additional restoration in future years.