Palisades Park

Palisades Park is the long, narrow City park that runs along Ocean Avenue on the bluff above Santa Monica State Beach. It covers over 26 acres and stretches about two miles from Adelaide Drive at the city's northern edge down toward the Santa Monica Pier. It is open 5 a.m. to midnight, with a walking path, benches, a rose garden, public art and the Camera Obscura Art Lab, and views over the bay.

What Is in the Park

The City lists these features:

• A walking path the length of the park, with benches facing the ocean.
• The rose garden, a favorite spot in the park since the 1950s, according to the City.
• The Camera Obscura Art Lab, a City arts space in the park.
• Artworks and monuments along the path.
• Picnic tables and restrooms.

The southern end of the park sits right above the Pier entrance at Ocean and Colorado. In October 2026 the City used that edge as a public viewing area while crews removed the historic Pier sign for restoration.

Hours

Palisades Park is open daily from 5 a.m. to midnight. Call the City at (310) 458-8411 with questions.

Getting Down to the Beach

The park is on top of the bluff, and the beach is below Pacific Coast Highway. Two ways down are the Pier Bridge at Colorado Avenue, which leads onto the Santa Monica Pier, and the California Incline, the road that drops from Ocean Avenue to Pacific Coast Highway. See parking and directions for the beach lots below.

Rules

• No e-scooters. The City bans them in its parks, including Palisades Park, and on the beach bike path, the Pier and Ocean Front Walk.
• Fitness classes: paid fitness classes need a City permit, and medium and large groups must stay in four City-designated zones. Paid classes are not allowed north of Marguerita Avenue or on Sundays, and on Saturdays permits start at 7 a.m.
• Quiet hours: no loud music or amplified sound that disturbs others from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. (9 a.m. on Sundays).

Good For / Maybe Skip If

Good for: a sunset walk with a view of the Pier, a picnic above the beach, and a free stop between Downtown Santa Monica and the sand.

Maybe skip if: you want to get your feet wet. The park is on the bluff; the beach is across Pacific Coast Highway below.