Three state parks within 40 miles of Los Angeles, and where to eat after

Los Angeles has 26 state parks within 50 miles, and three of them each go a different way. Malibu Creek, 27 miles west in the Santa Monica Mountains, is 8,000 acres of canyons and meadows where M*A*S*H was filmed. Chino Hills, 32 miles east, is more than 14,000 acres of grassy hills where three counties meet. Crystal Cove, 40 miles southeast on the Orange County coast, has tide pools and 46 beach cottages from the 1930s and 40s. This is the outdoor half of the day. The eating half is at the end: one table on the way back from each park.

We run State Park Near Me, a directory of every state park in the country, and we are a guest here. Top of Los Angeles asked for the parks. They supplied the restaurants.

The day, in order

Check two things before you go. First, fire weather: since October 15, Malibu Creek and the other state parks in the Santa Monica Mountains close on National Weather Service red flag warning days. Trails, backcountry and parking areas can all close, the parks decide each day and try to announce it the day before, and a warning for part of a day can close the park for all of it. Second, the coast: after storm surf from Tropical Storm Rachel, State Parks said on October 15 that parts of the Crystal Cove Historic District beach, the Pelican Point beach trail and the Moro Cove beach were closed. Chino Hills keeps winter hours now, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dogs are kept off the trails at all three parks.

Malibu Creek

The park spreads over more than 8,000 acres across the crest of the Santa Monica Mountains, with craggy canyons, gorges and meadows split by Malibu Creek. People have lived here for thousands of years: the village complex of ta’lopop is one of the oldest known in these mountains, home to the Ventureño Chumash, Fernandeño Tataviam and Gabrieleño Tongva. Hollywood came later, and Planet of the Apes and M*A*S*H were both filmed here; the bridge to the M*A*S*H site was put back in April. You can hike, fish, watch birds, mountain bike, climb rock and ride horses. The park is four miles south of Highway 101 on Las Virgenes and Malibu Canyon Road, day-use parking is open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., and the day-use fee is $12 per car, or $3 an hour. Coming up: an Audubon bird walk on November 7 and Archaeology Day on November 14.

Chino Hills

More than 14,000 acres of rolling grassy hills and valleys, with stands of oak and sycamore, sit in the hills around Santa Ana Canyon where Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties meet. The park is ringed by Corona, Chino Hills, Yorba Linda and Brea, and you can start from three places: the main entrance at 4721 Sapphire Road in Chino Hills, reached from Highway 71 by Soquel Canyon Road and Elinvar Road; the Quarter Horse Drive trailhead in Yorba Linda; or the Discovery Center at 4500 Carbon Canyon Road in Brea, open Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in winter. Winter park hours run 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Parking is $10 per car, $9 for seniors 62 and over, paid at the kiosk or with the LAZ parking app. On October 30 the park holds Naturalist Night: Damsels and Dragons.

Crystal Cove

Off Pacific Coast Highway between Corona del Mar and Laguna Beach, Crystal Cove has 3.2 miles of beach, tide pools and sandy coves, 2,400 acres of backcountry for hiking, biking and riding, and an underwater area for divers. The Historic District, at the mouth of Los Trancos Creek, is an enclave of 46 rustic cottages first built as a seaside colony in the 1930s and 40s, one of the last examples of early 20th century Southern California coastal development. Storm surf has done real damage this month: as of State Parks’ October 15 update, parts of the Historic District beach, the Pelican Point beach access trail and the Moro Cove beach were closed, and staff were shoring up cottages. The North Beach cottages reopened on October 14. Day use runs 6 a.m. to sunset and costs $15 per car, $20 on weekends and holidays. The Beach Wrack and Tidepool Walk is on October 25.

The full list

Directions, maps and the official site for each of these, plus the other state parks and beaches within 50 miles, are on our side. The state parks near Los Angeles page on State Park Near Me lists all 26, closest first, with a page for every park.

Where to eat after

The parks sit in three directions, so here is one table on the way back from each, from three Top of Los Angeles neighborhood lists: Sherman Oaks, Alhambra and Long Beach. The scores are theirs, not ours.

Spumoni

Insider Score9.3

Italian · Sherman Oaks

After Malibu Creek, in Sherman Oaks on the 101 drive back east. A neighborhood trattoria that has kept its regulars for years; the wood-fired margherita, the fettuccine Alfredo and the spumoni gelato are on the order list.

DirectionsCallSee the list

Sichuan Impression

Insider Score7.3

Sichuan · Alhambra

After Chino Hills, in Alhambra as you head back west through the San Gabriel Valley. Dry fried string beans and cold noodles in chili oil open the meal, with cumin lamb and dan dan noodles behind them.

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Ammatoli

Insider Score9.2

Mediterranean · Long Beach

After Crystal Cove, in downtown Long Beach on the way back up the coast. The mezze spread is the draw, with pita baked fresh every day; shakshuka, hummus and grilled halloumi are the orders.

DirectionsCallSee the list

Scores are Top of Los Angeles Insider Scores. Restaurant photographs from Yelp.