Lucas Museum,Besides the massive film industry and all the paraphernalia around town, from quirky stores to iconic landmarks like the Hollywood Sign or the soon-to-open Lucas Museum, L.A. is also a mecca for beach life. From adventurous, adrenaline-seeking surfers to laid-back sun lovers who enjoy a good book by the shore, there’s something for everyone.
Los Angeles beaches are an inseparable part of local culture, far more than just a pretty backdrop for selfies. A testament to that came last week, when National Park Service announced the launch of the Los Angeles Coastal Area Special Resource Study, an early step in evaluating the coastline as a potential national park.
A new chapter for L.A. County’s coastline
The preliminary study area begins at Will Rogers State Beach and extends 22 miles south to Torrance Beach, skipping the edge of the sinking Palos Verdes Peninsula before including the San Pedro coastline.
According to maps from the National Park Service, the study area also covers Ballona Creek and Baldwin Hills, which are home to popular hiking spots and the vast Inglewood Oil Field. For the purposes of the study, the coastline is defined as the area from the mean high tide line to approximately 200 yards inland.
The study stems from a 2022 law directing the Secretary of the Interior to evaluate the national significance, suitability, and feasibility of the area, while also considering alternative ways to protect it. This is just an early step, as any official designation would require an act of Congress or a presidential proclamation.