Text: SHARON BROSSIER & JIM PIERCE Photos: ERIN GONZALES

This is a sunny and hilly hike on the southwest face of PV. The views are great, but there is no shade. Take plenty of water. 3.2 miles, 600 ft gain/loss.

Park at the end of Crenshaw Blvd. near Del Cerro Park. From the entrance to Del Cerro walk back towards Crest for 100yds. Follow the wrought iron fence on the left down through the two concrete posts. Descend toward the ocean on the wide dirt trail. This is Rattlesnake Trail (it was once a narrow road to the back of the Vanderlip Estate, but erosion has eaten away at it and some attention must be paid to footing). A long staircase ascends the opposite side of the canyon into a development. Do not take the steep trail on the right towards the stairs, or the steep trail at the mouth of the canyon, but continue around a bend to the left and take the next trail to the right. Approx. 13 minutes from posts.

Ignore small trails to right and left and in a couple minutes cross a wash. Continue to the west and in another eight minutes cross another wash. In a couple minutes, turn left at the trail crossing. One minute later, a dirt road enters from the left, ignore this continue straight for five minutes. The road descends a hill with a good view of the Terranea Resort (old Marineland area). Terranea provides this history of the area. Take the right fork at the Y. After five more minutes, turn left onto the road that enters there and continue seven minutes to where the dirt road ends at a junction with three trails. Turn left up the hill past the lone pine tree. The next trail intersection has a road entering from the left, a steep trail straight ahead, and a small trail to the right. Take the small trail to the right, through thick sage and fennel. Turn right at the next trail intersection and in another 100yds make another right. (You are now backtracking on the first part of the hike). Cross the wash. In another 7 minutes cross the second wash. Four minutes after crossing the wash make a left onto Rattlesnake Trail below Del Cerro Park. Ascend Rattlesnake to Crenshaw Blvd. and your car.

To the best of our knowledge, these directions are accurate at the time of printing, but conditions do change and you may be hiking faster or slower than the 2.5 to 3 mph that we used. Any person using this guide is responsible for his or her own safety and assumes all risks and full responsibility for any and all damages or injury which may result from the use of this route.