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A long, wide stretch of beach that sits under the flight path of many departing aircraft from adjacent LAX and is one of the least crowded beaches in the Los Angeles area. Dockweiler has fire pits, making it one of the few L.A. beaches where bonfires are allowed.
Dockweiler State Beach, known locally as Dockweiler, is a beach in Los Angeles, California, with 3.75 miles (6.04 km) of shoreline, and a hang gliding practice and training area. Although a unit of the California state park system, it is managed by the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors. Part of the park is located directly under the flight path of the adjacent Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The 91-acre (37 ha) property was established in 1948. Originally part of Venice-Hyperion Beach State Park, it was renamed in honor of prominent early Angeleno Isidore B. Dockweiler in 1955.
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The Ballona Wetlands is one of the last wetlands in the Los Angeles basin. While it used to encompass much of Marina del Rey, Playa del Rey and Venice, today the area is much smaller, with much of it in a degraded state pending future restoration. The freshwater portion of the wetlands, located along Jefferson and Lincoln boulevards, features a walking path and is home to all manner of waterfowl. The saltwater portion of the wetlands is closed to the public on most days, but tours are offered on the second weekend of every month (check the Friends of the Wetlands calendar for times, park behind Gordon's Market at 303 Culver Blvd).