Sand Dune Park is one of my favorite parks in Manhattan Beach. It’s just one of many local public parks maintained by the city for the enjoyment of residents, but the Sand Dune, as it is known, is home to a very rare colony of a flower called Orcutt’s Yellow Pincushion, and the city has taken pains to make sure the plant is protected from the big feet of visitors to the park. Because of this concerted effort to keep the local flora just as happy as the local humans, the park has a reservation system to control how often it is used and by how many people at a time. It sounds inconvenient, but really, it isn’t. It’s a great way to enjoy more privacy when you visit and to know the park will be around for future generations. The webpage titled How to Make a Sand Dune Reservation explains it all.

The park is so named because of the 100-foot-high sand dune that has winding walking trails up and down its sides. Native plants on the trailside make it a really fun nature walk for kids. When you get to the top of the dune, the view of Manhattan Beach is really breathtaking. Sand Dune Park is great for picnics, walks, and dog-walking.