Switchbacks and Sweeping Views

Bicycling the Donut Loop on the Palos Verdes Peninsula

A fierce workout and killer coastal views—that’s the fabled Rancho Palos Verdes Donut Loop. One of the best road rides in SoCal, this 24-miler is named for its shape—a loop—and not, alas, for any actual donuts along the way. You can begin anywhere and ride in either direction. Clockwise means right turns only, but you won’t be on the coast side of the road. Counterclockwise means some tricky left turns, but you’ll be on the coast side, making selfie stops more dramatic. Getting lost is not an issue, as the streets all bear the same name, Palos Verdes Drive. Just remember north, west, south, and east, and follow the loop like circling a compass. Or a donut.

Abalone Cove Shoreline Park is a good place to park, and you can stay parked there until dusk. If you ride counterclockwise from the park, you’ll tackle the challenging climb up Palos Verdes Drive East—6 miles of steep switchbacks—early in the ride. You will definitely feel the burn! This toughest part of the ride also boasts the best views—panoramas of the California coast, from the glittering mansions of Rancho PV to the ports of San Pedro and Long Beach. Once you enter the residential area, the ride gets more mild and includes flat and downhill stretches. Most of the 1,800 feet of climbing is behind you.

As you approach Palos Verdes Drive North, the scenery changes drastically. Hint: Watch out for horse crossings! At this point, the bike lane narrows and the road gets busier. The gentle 10-mile stretch along Palos Verdes Drive West and South is a relaxing way to end the ride. Plus those incredible coastal views are back. You might even see some whales!

To begin at Abalone Cove Shoreline Park, take the 110 south toward San Pedro, then make a slight left turn onto N. Gaffey St., followed by a quick right onto W. 1st St. Make a left on Western, then a right onto W. 25th St., which turns into Palos Verdes Dr. South. Abalone Cove Shoreline Park will be on your left: *5970 Palos Verdes Dr. S., Rancho Palos Verdes*. To make the counterclockwise loop, turn right out of the lot, ride south for 3 miles, and turn left on Rancho Palos Verdes Dr. East.

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Serene Las Gallinas

    A serene stroll alongside marshland, passing ponds and grasses frilled in seasonal wildflowers, with Mount Tam a beacon in the background … how nice. As part of the esteemed Bay Trail, San Rafael’s Las Gallinas Valley Birding Loop and Wildlife Ponds comprises about 3.5 miles of wide-open trail.

    View
  2. Paint Brushy

    This time of year you’ll have good reason to head for the hills—the electric-green rolling hills of Brushy Peak Regional Preserve in Livermore. This 4.5-mile loop hike is like stepping into a plein air painting.

    View
  3. Sponsored

    2025 POST Wildflower Walks

    Get flower empowered! POST’s complimentary 2025 Wildflower Walks guide blooms with the best places to see a variety of florals across the Peninsula and South Bay this spring.

    View
  4. All right, Almaden!

    Take a trip through time on this 5-mile loop in Almaden Quicksilver County Park. Explore the ruins of an old cinnabar mine and enjoy the first hints of wildflower season.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Sponsored

    Weekend in Reno Tahoe

    Weekend plans? Reno Tahoe! Just a few hours by car or a short flight away, Reno Tahoe springs to the moment with great ways to combine adventure and relaxation in its beautiful mountains-meets-desert setting.

    View
  2. Hiker walking along the North Bluff Trail on Santa Cruz Island, Channel Islands National Park

    Purely Wild

    Channel Islands National Park lives up to its nickname as “North America’s Galapagos.” This less-traveled national park is an undeveloped and isolated series of five dramatic and distinct islands reached by boat. Hike the largest of the islands, Santa Cruz.

    View
  3. Woman hiking the South Kaibab Trail in the Grand Canyon

    Truly Grand Day Hike

    One of the best spring day hikes in the Grand Canyon? See layer upon layer of the park’s grandeur—including the river—on this 3-mile (one-way) journey to Skeleton Point via the South Kaibab Trail.

    View
  4. A woman stands amid an array of yellow and purple flowers at Descanso Gardens in Los Angeles

    Petal Paradise

    Tulips, lilacs, and daffodils—flower power is in full bloom at Descanso Gardens in La Cañada Flintridge. Sprawling across 150 acres surrounded by mountains, the gardens are putting on their best show right now.

    View