|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
         
 Reporter |
Summary: The goal of this hike is the Greek freighter Dominator, which ran aground at Palos Verdes point in 1961. The rusted hulk of this shipwreck is scattered along a half mile of the shoreline. Having never seen a shipwreck, I found this hike immensely fun and exciting. Getting to the shipwreck involves a couple of miles slightly challenging and tiresome walking across shoebox to footstool sized rocks. I wish I had worn sturdier shoes! The shoreline is lovely, with interesting tide pools and rock formations, along with great views. Make sure to go at low tide, or you will find your feet getting quite wet. After visiting the shipwreck, I headed back about a quarter mile, then scrambled up the cliffs to the road on a path near the end of the scattered wreckage. The road was a much, much faster return to the car. Note that the path up the cliffs is very exposed and I would strongly advise against it unless you are 100% comfortable scrambling on 3rd and 4th class rock. Trailhead: From Redondo Beach, drive south on Highway 1 to Palos Verdes Blvd and head south. This turns into Palos Verdes Blvd West. Turn right on Via Corta, then right again at Via Arroyo. Finally a left on Paseo Del Mar. Park on the right side of the street at Flat Rock Point, just before you reach Via Horcada. Take the dirt access road that will take you down to the shoreline. (Lat:33.79692 Lon:-118.40671) Trail Guides for Shipwreck Trail: California Hiking by Tom Stienstra & Ann Marie Brown (Foghorn Press) Day Hikers Guide to Southern California by John McKinney (Olympus Press) Afoot & Afield In Los Angeles by Jerry Schad (Wilderness Press) Best Seasons: Year-Round User Groups: Hikers, Dogs Ranger Contact: Palos Verdes Estates Shoreline Preserve (310) 378-0383 Localhikes Reporter: This hike was submitted by Jim Zuber, who has posted 104 other hikes on this site Trail Reviews Page 1 of 10 Submit your own review 
Reviewed by ArcticDragon on 8/8/2009 It was quite strenuous to walk on the rocky shoreline, lots of strain on the legs and knees, it is not exactly the hike in conventional sense. Although the view initially was amazing, it became monotonous after a short while. After that it was just pure persistence that drove to that shipwreck. It is not worth it! Seems like an old tractor that is rotting on the beach. I would follow the advice of other people to park you car right over the spot and walk about 15-20 minutes down to beach, it would be much more enjoyable. What else on the trail? Dead seals, lots of them, tide pools, lots of birds. Retrospectively, I should've read the reviews before I went, it perfectly describes the trail and what to expect. 
Reviewed by Shanks on 7/25/2009 Review by Tim L on 7/5/2009 was excellent. We parked between Oakley Rd and via Bandini on Paseo del mar. The hiking path described by Tim L is almost due west of via Bandini. Upon reaching the flat area near the waterfront, turn right (North)....you have to go past tow or three corners before arriving at shipwreck. The views were great! The climb back was a good workout on our calves, although it is short. 
Reviewed by obblegoogle on 7/19/2009 I went with a small group (three other people) on 7/18/09. The view was very nice, and the trail is not so much difficult in the sense of tiredness, but walking across rocks makes the trail difficult in its own way. Also, like many have mentioned, there are a few dead seals (i saw 5 of them, one with its baby), and this along, makes me not recommend the hike, or go again. Beside from the view, and the solitude, i did not find this trip as satisfying as i thought it would be, but there are a few interesting things along the way. Did not get to the ship wreck, because fear of more deal seals we would have to pass (there and back), and just rested in a nicely built shack with a fire pit!
Reviewed by RyanAuds on 7/19/2009 We went to see the shipwreck today (07/19/2009)and it was a very nice hike. We used the map provided by Tim L which showed us where to park, and it took about an hour total for the whole hike. The trail descending the cliff was pretty steep, and I wouldn't recommend it for just anyone. Oh and by the way, we had a little trouble finding the trail, because we didn't realize that it's only marked by a tree trunk sticking out of the ground. I would hike this again! Maybe next time I would bring a little lunch, because there is a cool little man-made patio right next to the ocean that you could sit at!
Reviewed by Tim L on 7/5/2009 This is a beautiful area, but the hike as described can be kinda miserable with several dead stinky seals, and miles of rock to stumble over. The shipwreck is quite awesome, but you should save yourself a lot of time bother by accessing it directly. Here's a google link to where to park. http://maps.google.com/maps?q=33.772494,-118.421963&sll=33.758725,-118.39593&sspn=0.02717,0.05202&ie=UTF8&ll=33.772887,-118.419571&spn=0.004905,0.010568&z=17 From here you can descend down a steep, but passable trail, and then have only 15-20 minutes of rock walking North to get to the wreckage...with no dead animals (as of 7/5/09)! Then just return back the same way. A leisurely 1hr scenic walk, rather than 3hrs of stinky rock hopping.
Reviewed by jc on 6/16/2009 I hiked this trail with my girlfriend and our dog. We both found this hike enjoyable in theory. I didn't mind the terrain, and neither did my girlfriend - she had hiking boots, I had tennis shoes. Our dog struggled a bit, but the beautiful vista and neat rusted shipwreck pieces made it worth the terrain. However, nothing was worth the seals. I read about them on this site, but did not fully appreciate the ramifications. There are quite a good many of them, they sit above the tide line, and they are rotting. Most are headless. All of them smell TERRIBLY. The black bugs that surround and swarm them seem to be everywhere on the beach, and are also very unpleasant. We agree the hike was fun, and that we would never go back, ever.
Reviewed by J on 6/6/2009 Kind of a dissapointing hike. LOTS of bugs, and approximately 6-8 dead adult seals along the way. The smell is pretty bad. We hiked for awhile and never came across the Hull of the ship. We found a few random pieces but that's about it. Maybe we didn't go far enough, but we definitely went at least 2 miles. Once again, the dead seals. 
Reviewed by C on 6/6/2009 We went about a year ago. I love to hike and walk on the beach but this was just nasty. The bugs were so bad that we turned around after a bit and went hiking elsewhere in PV. It's a terribly disappointing hike. The views are amazing from other hiking areas in PV. Go to those instead. Notice: Traveling in the backcountry can be hazardous. You are responsible for informing yourself about these hazards and taking necessary precautions. Information on this web site comes from volunteer reporters and may contain errors or omissions. A current guidebook and proper equipment are essential for safe enjoyment of the hikes posted on this site. Keys: California Hiking, California Trails, California Hikes, Los Angeles County Hiking, Los Angeles County Trails, Los Angeles County Hikes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||