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Santa Monica
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Coastal · Easy

Santa Monica

A pier, a palisade, and 3.5 miles of LA's most photographed coastline.

Santa Monica is the end of Route 66 and the western edge of LA's grid — a small beach city of just 8.4 square miles that punches well above its weight. The pier is 115 years old, the bluff park above it is older, and the Hippodrome carousel inside the pier is a National Historic Landmark. This hunt threads from the cliffs down to the sand and back.

The Map

Your route

Offline directionsOpen in Maps

Pinch to zoom. Tap a marker to see the stop name. The dashed line traces the suggested walking order.

The Hunt

Turn-by-turn stops

Each stop shows the walking distance and direction from the previous one, plus a tap-through to your phone's maps for step-by-step directions.

  1. 01

    Camera Obscura at Palisades Park

    "Start inside the Senior Recreation Center at 1450 Ocean Avenue. Ask the desk for the key to the Camera Obscura on the second floor — it's free. What city is the rotating dial labeled with as the 'view'?"

    34.0167, -118.4986Start walking here
  2. 530 m~7 min walkhead S from stop 1
    02

    Palisades Park & Route 66 End-of-Trail Sign

    "Walk south along the bluff path to Colorado and Ocean. Find the white wooden 'End of the Trail' Route 66 sign. Read the city of origin listed on the plaque."

    34.0119, -118.4983Walk from stop 1
  3. 290 m~4 min walkhead SSE from stop 2
    03

    Santa Monica Pier & Pacific Park

    "Walk down the Colorado ramp to the pier entrance at 200 Santa Monica Pier. Find the year on the welcome arch. Then count the gondolas on the solar-powered Ferris wheel."

    34.0094, -118.4973Walk from stop 2
  4. 40 m~1 min walkhead ESE from stop 3
    04

    Looff Hippodrome & Santa Monica Carousel

    "On the pier deck, find the giant red-and-yellow Moorish building. Step inside to see the carousel — count the horses with a 'jewel' painted on the saddle (any color)."

    34.0093, -118.4969Walk from stop 3
  5. 300 m~4 min walkhead NNE from stop 4
    05

    Tongva Park

    "Cross Ocean Avenue to 1615 Ocean and walk into the curving pathways and fountains. Find the bronze 'Weather Field No. 1' sculpture (49 vertical poles with weather vanes). Count the vanes that are spinning."

    34.0117, -118.4955Walk from stop 4
  6. 400 m~5 min walkhead NNW from stop 5
    06

    Third Street Promenade

    "End at the pedestrian blocks between Wilshire and Broadway. Find one of the topiary dinosaur fountains (there are four). Which way are they facing?"

    34.0152, -118.4965Walk from stop 5