Palisades Park

The scoop

Palisades Park is the city's 26.4-acre park on the bluffs along Ocean Avenue, from Colorado Avenue by the Pier north to Adelaide Drive. You get the bay from up top without pulling into a beach lot. There are benches, picnic areas, a rose garden, and a path you can walk end to end.

What to do

Walk the bluff path and take a bench facing the water, or bring a picnic. You'll pass the rose garden — picking flowers is prohibited — and public art along the way. The Camera Obscura Art Lab is at 1450 Ocean Avenue; the city says the camera itself is closed to the public except during special events. If you want sand afterward, take the California Incline (Ocean and California) down to PCH and the beach on a separated walk and bike path.

When to go

The park is open daily from 5 a.m. to midnight. Visitors often come for sunset, and the path gets busier then, especially toward the Pier. The city flags weekends and holidays as the hardest times to park.

Who it's for

Walkers, picnic people, sunset-watchers, and anyone with a dog on a leash. Dogs aren't allowed on the beach below.

Kids: Worth it for a stroller walk and the view, but there's no playground in the park. If you want one, Tongva Park at 1615 Ocean Avenue is a separate stop just south. Keep little ones on the path — the city posts the bluffs as fragile, unsafe, and off-limits.

Insider tips

• There's no park lot. Use meters along Ocean Avenue or the Promenade parking structures, and plan ahead on weekends and holidays. Coastal and downtown meters were $3 an hour on the city's January 12, 2026 rate table; confirm the posted sign.
• There are restrooms at the Camera Obscura building (1450 Ocean Avenue) and near the California Incline (1126 Ocean Avenue). The official park page doesn't publish restroom hours.
• Stay off the bluffs, keep dogs leashed, and leave the roses alone. E-scooters aren't allowed in municipal parks, including this one.
• City rules also ban riding a bicycle on public sidewalks. If you want to ride, use Ocean Avenue, the Incline, or the beach bike path.
• As of Nov 2026, Pier Bridge work at Ocean and Colorado can make the south end noisier on weekday mornings.

Skip it if…

You need a playground right there, or you're set on finding a meter on Ocean Avenue at a weekend sunset.