Safety & Trail Etiquette Information

RESTROOMS AND WATER can be found at the IN EMERGENCY: Dial 911 Center and a water fountain is located at the first stop on the trail. Crimes and violations should be reported to LA County Sheriff Department at 911 BE AWARE of the potential and inherent dangers or (310) 539-1661. that exist in any wilderness setting. Watch for and avoid rattlesnakes, poison oak and stinging nettle. City of Rolling Hills Estates 4045 Palos Verdes Drive North DOGS must be on leash at all times as required by LACC Section 10.32.010. Please clean up dog waste Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90274 and pack out all litter. Dog waste bags are available (310) 377-1577 at the trail head and at Quarter-Mile Bridge. www.ci.rolling-hills-estates.ca.us

are not permitted in the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy FIRE AND SMOKING eorge F Nature Preserve Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy Preserve due to the potential for serious fire 916 Silver Spur Rd., Suite 207 damage. is located on 51 acres and features Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90274 G a Nature Center, hiking/equestrian (310) 541-7613 FIREARMS are not permitted in the Preserve per trail and stream that passes through one of www.pvplc.org RHE City Municipal Code 12.24.030. the most pristine and beautiful George F NATURAL FEATURES are protected in the on the Peninsula. The Preserve is the site George F Canyon Nature Center Preserve and are to be admired, but not removed. 27305 Palos Verdes Drive East of the only mainland exposure of Catalina Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90274 Canyon HORSES are allowed on the Preserve trails. If schist, the bedrock that underlies most of (310) 547-0862 you are on foot, please stand quietly aside to allow the Los Angeles area. Email: [email protected] horses to pass. Fridays 1 - 4 pm and Nature Center Interpretive signage and plenty of benches Saturdays & Sundays 10 am - 4 pm BICYCLES are not allowed in the Preserve. along the trail create a delightful way to ex- & Preserve perience both willow-riparian and coastal Activities include naturalist guided monthly TRAIL CLOSURES will be in effect during hikes, bird walks, and full moon night hikes. No and following significant rainfall to protect trails. sage scrub . An intermittent stream one is permitted in the Preserve after dark. Closures may also go into effect at various times in the Preserve acts as a magnet for insects, for protection and prevention when deemed appropriate. Please respect any signs birds and mammals. A spectacular view of regarding these closures. the Los Angeles basin rewards those who make it to the very top either by foot or TRAIL MODIFICATIONS of any kind are horseback. not permitted in the Preserve. This includes construction of jumps, wooden ladders, earthen mounds, formation of berms and brush clearing. The Nature Center is owned by the City of Rolling Hills Estates and operated by the Conservancy. Inside, visitors can view How You Can Help N displays and can con- NOT TO SCALE sult books and other If you would like to donate, participate in trail work, become a nature center volunteer, or join information about the plants, animals, insects, Follow us on a guided nature walk, please visit the PVPLC web- at www.facebook. site at: www.pvplc.org or call (310) 541-7613. geology and natural com/pvplc.org history of the canyon.

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trails GEORGE F CANYON NATURE CENTER & PRESERVE

Stein-Hale Nature Trail In 2016, the Conservancy acquired 15 acres non-natives as they often out-compete the natives of the stream-hugging willows, due in part to el- of contiguous land to protect and preserve and bring insects or other predators into the area that evation of the landscape. Now low shrubs and plants

1. Willow-Riparian Habitat more of the canyon. 2016 Land upsets the habitat. Our Mediterranean-type climate is that are drought-tolerant dominate. The abundance Acquisition found in California, Chile, South Africa, Australia and the of sage and other resinous plants fill the air with This special habitat is dominated by wil- 15 acres Mediterranean. Plant species from all these areas can be distinctive smells. You have entered the coastal sage low trees. The word ‘riparian’ means: taking place of protected found here, including: eucalyptus, Brazilian pepper tree, scrub plant community. This habitat is declining rap- along or near a stream. The presence of willow trees land Italian fennel & thistle, Mexican fan palm, Algerian ivy and idly in California due to increasing development of indicates that a stream is nearby. Willow trees plant. land. Some typical plants found here are: lemonade- were an important part of daily life for the Tongva berry, black sage, bladderpod, buckwheat and Califor- Indians who lived in this area. The bark, branches and nia sagebrush. leaves were utilized in basketry, dwellings and for 5. Quarter-Mile Bridge medicinal uses. Today the willows offer shade and The wet area uphill from the trail is a year-round . 9. Half-Mile Bench habitat for many birds, mammals and insects that live here. On the is giant wild rye, a very tall grass that seeks damp soils. Stop at the bridge to enjoy the view up Sit in the shade of a Catalina cherry tree and A family-friendly guided hike is available on the 1st Sat- and down the stream. George F Canyon is the major quietly observe the plants, birds, butterflies and drag- urday of every month at 9 am. Meet at Nature Center. drainage for the north side of the Palos Verdes onflies that inhabit the canyon. Many of the benches Peninsula. It is fed by several springs throughout the and trailside fencing is generously provided by work 2. Poison Oak “Leaves of three… let them be!” year. Here the stream appears to have an orange tinge. from local Eagle Scouts and Girl Scouts earning It is not the water, but the streambed that is orange. The their leadership awards. Ask the staff about bringing Poison oak is easily spotted throughout the wild soil and rocks trap naturally occurring iron from the your scout troop for a guided tour and badgework. areas of the Peninsula. Although useful to the surrounding geology in the form of an iron bacterium, Tongva peoples, today many see it as a nuisance. Birds not pollution, but a natural iron oxide. 10. Duenes’ and other animals are immune to the toxins and the berries are an important food source. Horses and 6. Animal Tracks & Scat Here you are crossing the stream again. Heavy dogs can easily brush up against it carrying the toxins once made this impassable, but this bridge now makes on their fur and transferring it to humans petting them. Most mammals here are nocturnal so keep an observant crossing easy to do year-round. The trail ascends the eye for signs of animal life. Animals leave their signature south side of the canyon with an 1/8 mile moderate Identify poison oak before you begin a hike at the Na- everywhere they move in the form of tracks, scat (poop), climb. To your left you see snowberry, California fus- ture Center which has photographs on display. In scratches on bark, feathers, hair, or maybe even bones chia and wild gooseberry. and summer the distinctive three shiny, oak-shaped left over from a meal! Look for nests, dens, burrows leaves are typically found growing along the trail edges and other trail signs left by native animals, birds, reptiles, 11. Raptor Viewing Bench and streambeds. Its autumn colors are bright orange amphibians and insects. and red, and in the winter it drops all foliage exposing Watch for the raptors and other bird species soaring smooth tan twigs. Keeping on the trail is the best way to 7. Geology Stop on wind currents rising above the steep canyon cliffs. avoid contact. A raptor is a bird of prey and they hunt here because The Palos Verdes Peninsula was once a channel island of the abundance of lizards, mice, voles, gophers, 3. Bird Observation Deck before becoming part of the Peninsula, and has many rats and shrews. Some of the more common rap- features similar to those on Catalina Island. The very tors include: red-tailed hawk, Cooper’s hawk, great Water is life, and the riparian habitat is an oasis for both hard bluish-gray, reddish-purple, or greenish rocks horned owl and American kestrel. migratory and non-migratory species. Look and listen George F Canyon exposed in the and trail are Catalina schist. for these migratory birds: orioles, yellow-rumped war- Nature Center This 150 million-year-old metamorphic rock is the 12. Elderberry Lookout bler, Western tanager, phainopepla and black-headed oldest found on the Peninsula, and forms the base of the grosbeak. whole Los Angeles basin but Sit in the shade of the old elderberry tree and look is only found exposed here at how far you’ve come: nearly 400 ft in elevation and a Binoculars are available for use during Nature Center George F Canyon. mile from the Nature Center! On a clear day, you can open hours. view the city to the mountains. The edible berries of 8. Coastal Sage Scrub the elderberry tree were used by the Tongva people 4. Non-Native Plants Community as a food source, but here we must now leave all edible plants for birds and other . Also look Between the viewing deck and the bridge you will see a A slightly different landscape for toyon (a bush with red berries), sticky monkey variety of non-native plants that came from areas with appears as you round the flower (a shrub with yellow flowers), fast moving similar climates and growing conditions as the Pen- bend here. Gone are most western fence lizards and high-soaring red-tailed hawks. insula. The Conservancy makes every effort to remove