Palisades Park, Santa Monica: Our Morning Walk Above the Beach

Most mornings in Santa Monica started the same way. Cream and I made coffee at home, poured it into a thermos, and walked up to the paved path along the clifftop. Then we turned our backs on the pier.

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In this guide 10 sections

That path is Palisades Park, Santa Monica's clifftop park. You can see the whole beach from up there, but you're high above it, under rows of palm trees. We'd find a bench, drink our coffee, and watch people go by. Then we'd walk home and start the workday.

We did this for the whole month we lived in Santa Monica, and it's still the first thing I'd tell a friend to do there.

Palisades Park, Santa Monica: My Quick Answer

• What it is: a free park on the clifftop beside Ocean Avenue, from Colorado Avenue by the pier north to Adelaide Drive
• How long: about 1.6 miles (2.6 km), so roughly 35 minutes one way at an easy pace, plus bench time
• Hours: 5 a.m. to midnight, every day. No tickets.
• Which way to walk: north, away from the pier. The pier end is the busiest part.
• When to go: the morning for a slow, quiet start, or the evening for the sunset
• Down to the beach: walk down the California Incline, or take one of the stairways and footbridges over the highway
• Our score: 10/10

Want to wake up close to the walk? These are the three hotels I'd look at.

The Pierside is on the corner where the park begins, and many of its rooms face the pier and the water. The priciest pick, Shutters on the Beach, is a beachfront hotel about a 9-minute walk south of the pier. The Hampton Inn, next to the Metro a few blocks inland, is the mid-range choice.

To pick an area first, where to stay in Santa Monica compares them all, including the quiet blocks along the north end of the park.

Our Morning Walk in Palisades Park

We didn't have a car, and we never needed one for this. Downtown Santa Monica is so walkable, and the park is right on the edge of it.

The park sits on top of the cliff, on the ocean side of Ocean Avenue. On one side is the street and its hotels. On the other is a railing, then a drop down to the highway and the beach.

We always went north, away from the pier. That's where our favorite spot was: a stretch packed with palm trees, lined up in rows along the path. Past it, the park keeps going in lawns, benches, and more palms, all the way to Adelaide Drive.

We took our time, since this was how we started a slow morning before work.

The View From Our Bench

From the benches up here, you see the whole bay. Our bench looked straight out at the ocean. To the left was the pier. To the right, the coast curved away toward Malibu, with the mountains behind it.

We'd sit there with our coffee and people-watch, and that was the whole plan.

Below you is Pacific Coast Highway, then the sand. The cliff edge itself is fenced off. The city asks you to stay out because the cliff is fragile, it erodes, and it isn't safe to climb on.¹

The Regulars: Squirrels, Runners, and Dog Walkers

The park has its own morning crowd, and the squirrels are the loudest part of it.

They made a lot of noise, and they were cute. They're ground squirrels, and they live in burrows dug into the cliff and under the tree roots. There are a lot of them.

By May 2025, a couple of months after we left, the city had put up signs in the park asking people to stop feeding them. Feeding makes the population grow, and their burrows wear away the cliff.⁴ So watch them, take photos, and keep your snacks to yourself.

The people were mostly runners and lots of dog walkers, and we hardly saw any tourists on our morning walks.

You may also pass a workout group. Trainers with a city permit can run fitness classes in the park, but never on Sundays and never north of Marguerita Avenue.⁵ For the calmest stretch, keep walking north.

What You'll Pass, From the Pier to Adelaide Drive

These are the stops from south to north, in the order you'll walk them. On our walks we passed the big ones: the Camera Obscura building, the Saint Monica statue, the long rows of palms, the rose garden, and the far end at Adelaide Drive.

The park is old. Its first piece was given to the city in 1892, and it was called Linda Vista Park until 1915.

1. Colorado Avenue // The South End by the Pier

The park starts where Colorado Avenue meets Ocean Avenue, right at the entrance to the pier. This is the busiest stretch, with the most people coming and going. Between Colorado and Broadway, look for a Civil War cannon, an 1861 gun that has sat here since 1908.

• Where: Ocean Avenue at Colorado Avenue
• Good to know: the rides and food stands of the Santa Monica Pier are right at this end of the park

2. The Camera Obscura // Closed for Renovation

The building at 1450 Ocean Avenue holds one of the few camera obscuras left in the US. It's a dark room that uses a lens to project a live image of the park and the coast. It's been closed to the public since 2020, except for special events.² The city is renovating the building into a public space with a café, and expects to finish in summer 2027.³

• Where: 1450 Ocean Avenue, a short walk north of the pier
• Good to know: you can still walk past it, but plan on seeing the inside on a later trip

3. The Saint Monica Statue // At the End of Wilshire

Where Wilshire Boulevard ends at the ocean, a tall Art Deco statue of Saint Monica, the saint the city is named after, looks out over the bay. Sculptor Eugene Morahan made it in 1934, as a federal arts project.

• Where: Ocean Avenue at Wilshire Boulevard
• Good to know: coming from downtown? Walk to the end of Wilshire and start your walk here

4. The California Incline // The Way Down to the Beach

We walked down the California Incline to the beach, and other times we took the stairs. There are a few ways to get down to the beach from the park.

The Incline is the road from Ocean Avenue at California Avenue down to Pacific Coast Highway. It has a walking path and bike lanes, kept apart from the cars by a concrete barrier. Just north of it, between California and Washington Avenues, a curved footbridge leaves the park and crosses over the Incline to the bridge over the highway. The Beacon Overlook, a lookout sculpture by the artist Jody Pinto, sits near the top of the Incline.

The other ways down are stairways from the park to bridges over the highway, near Broadway, Arizona Avenue, Idaho Avenue, and Montana Avenue. The Montana stairs are the longest, at 172 steps. The Idaho one is a 41-step spiral stairway with ramps.

• Where: Ocean Avenue at California Avenue
• Good to know: going down is the easy part. Save some energy for the climb back up.

5. The Pergola and the Idaho Gate // The Oldest Pieces of the Park

Between Washington and Idaho Avenues is a redwood pergola from 1912, in the Craftsman style. At the end of Idaho Avenue is a Craftsman gate from the same year, designed by the architects Greene and Greene. It's the oldest structure in the park.

• Where: Ocean Avenue between Washington Avenue and Idaho Avenue
• Good to know: the pergola was restored with new timber and a small plaza of plants around it

6. The Rose Garden // Near the North End

A round rose garden has been here since 1950, where Palisades Avenue meets Ocean Avenue. Next to it is a bust of Arcadia Bandini de Baker, one of the founders who gave the city the first piece of the park. Nearby is Gestation III, a wooden sculpture lined up with the sunset on the winter solstice.

• Where: Ocean Avenue at Palisades Avenue
• Good to know: look, but don't pick. Picking the roses is against the rules.

7. Adelaide Drive // The North End

Just before the end, at San Vicente Boulevard, stands a colorful totem pole that's been in the park since the 1920s. The park ends at Adelaide Drive. A few blocks inland on Adelaide are the Santa Monica Stairs, two long public staircases that are popular with people working out.

• Where: Ocean Avenue at Adelaide Drive
• Good to know: this is the quietest end of the park. Turn around here and the pier is about 1.6 miles back.

Morning or Sunset: When to Go to Palisades Park

Come in the morning for a nice way to start the day, or in the evening for the sunset. Both are worth it.

The morning is what we did. It's quiet, and it's mostly locals. The park opens at 5 a.m., so you can be on a bench before the city wakes up.

The evening is for the sunset. The park looks west over the whole bay, so you get the full show from a bench. The sunsets from up here are breathtaking.

Weekends and holidays are the busiest, so plan ahead if you're driving. It's right on the ocean, so bring a layer for the early morning or the sunset. Coming in winter? Los Angeles in February covers what it really feels like and what to pack.

Palisades Park Practical Guide: Hours, Parking, and Restrooms

• Cost: free, with no tickets
• Hours: 5 a.m. to midnight, every day
• Getting there without a car: ride the Metro E Line to the end of the line. Downtown Santa Monica station, at 4th and Colorado, is a few blocks from the park's south end. From anywhere downtown, just walk.
• Parking: the park has no lot of its own. There are meters along parts of Ocean Avenue, and the city's downtown parking structures, a few blocks inland, charge $1 for the first 90 minutes (rates from April 2026).⁷
• Restrooms: the park has public restrooms, so you don't have to leave for one
• Benches: plenty, all along the path
• Rules: stay behind the fences on the cliff, don't pick the flowers, and don't feed the squirrels
• Safety: like the rest of LA, Santa Monica has a homelessness problem, and you'll see some of it. On our morning walks, we didn't see many people sleeping on the benches, and the walk was always relaxing.

Events in Palisades Park, Santa Monica

Most days there's nothing on, and that's the appeal. The biggest event is Art on Ocean, the Palisades Park Arts Festival.

The plan for 2026 was Saturday, August 8, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., with Ocean Avenue closed to cars between California and Montana Avenues, more than 100 California artists selling their work, and a free outdoor movie in the park that evening.⁶ No 2027 date was out yet when we checked in October 2026, so look for it on santamonica.com.

Is Palisades Park Worth It?

Yes, it's a 10/10 for me. I think it's the thing to do in Santa Monica, and it's worth the trip even if you're staying somewhere else in LA. It's just so beautiful and relaxing.

It's for: everyone, really. Early risers who want a slow start, couples, runners, dog owners, and anyone traveling on a budget, since it's free.

Skip it if: you want rides, games, and food stands. Those are on the pier, right at the south end of the park. The rest of our list is in things to do in Santa Monica.

Before You Go

If you only have one free morning in Santa Monica, spend it up here. Head north, away from the pier, and take your time.

Next Steps for Your Santa Monica Trip

• Things to Do in Santa Monica: the rest of our must-do list, plus a one-day plan
• Santa Monica Pier: What to Know Before You Go: the rides, the food, and the best time of day to go
• Where to Stay in Santa Monica: every area compared, including the quiet blocks north of Wilshire
• Los Angeles in February: the weather, what to wear, and what's on