These options do not repeat the group's Malibu, El Matador, Point Dume, Santa Monica or Venice day. Schedules use DTLA as the starting-point baseline and assume an LAX return target of **4:30–5:00 PM**; adjust them once LK's hotel is known. The Hertz booking must be changed and confirmed first. Drive times below are routing baselines—allow additional time for Saturday traffic.
Best balance of ocean, hiking and manageable driving. Approximately 104 miles total from DTLA via Crystal Cove to LAX; about 2 hours 45 minutes of baseline driving.
- **Recommended if hiking is the priority:** Moro Canyon → East Cut Across → Moro Ridge → BFI loop · 4.9 miles / 7.9 km · about 2 hours · 1,053 ft / 321 m cumulative gain and loss. The steep climb reaches a ridge with Pacific views before descending to the canyon
- **Easy alternative:** Moro Canyon out-and-back · 3 miles / 4.8 km · about 1 hour · broad coastal-sage canyon with oak and sycamore near seasonal Moro Creek
- This is a dry, open canyon—not a narrow slot canyon like Annie's Canyon. Carry water and stay on marked trails
**Laguna Beach afterward:**
- Start at Crescent Bay Point Park for the headland view
- Walk the coastal path through Heisler Park toward Main Beach
- Have lunch downtown; if time remains, continue to Treasure Island Park for another bluff walk
- Tide pools are worthwhile only when the tide is low and the rocks are safe. The predicted low on 2026-09-26 is **3:39 PM PDT**, later than the conservative airport schedule
Best low-stress choice. Approximately 49 miles total from DTLA via Point Vicente to LAX; about 1 hour 20 minutes of baseline driving.
- **8:00 AM** Leave Los Angeles
- **9:00–11:30 AM** Point Vicente Interpretive Center and the open coastal paths
- **11:30 AM–1:00 PM** Scenic Palos Verdes Drive and lunch near Redondo Beach
- **2:00–3:00 PM** Return the car; meet the group early
Avoid Abalone Cove Beach, Sacred Cove Beach and their access trails; the city lists them as closed because of land movement. Recheck trail alerts before departure.
### Option C — Vasquez Rocks · geology and desert scenery
Best non-ocean option. Approximately 98 miles total from DTLA via Vasquez Rocks to LAX; about 2 hours of baseline driving.
- **7:00 AM** Leave Los Angeles
- **8:15–11:30 AM** [Vasquez Rocks Natural Area](https://parks.lacounty.gov/vasquez-rocks-natural-area-and-nature-center/): rock formations, viewpoints and a short section of the Pacific Crest Trail
- **12:00 PM** Lunch in Agua Dulce
- **1:00 PM** Leave for LAX
- **2:30–3:30 PM** Return the car
This route is exposed and can be hot; carry water and start early.
### Option D — Annie's Canyon and Torrey Pines · ambitious
Best scenery, but by far the most driving: approximately 217 miles and 4 hours 25 minutes of baseline driving before traffic.
- **5:30 AM** Leave Los Angeles
- **8:00–9:15 AM** [Annie's Canyon Trail](https://naturecollective.org/location/annies-canyon-trail/) — 1.4–2 miles, 40–60 minutes, narrow slot canyon with stairs and short scrambles
- **9:45 AM–12:00 PM** [Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve](https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=657) — coastal overlooks and a short trail; gates open at 7:15 AM and all trails were open when checked
- **12:00–1:00 PM** Lunch in Del Mar
- **1:00 PM** Leave for LAX
- **4:00–5:00 PM** Return the car, allowing a substantial traffic buffer
Choose this only if the drive itself is acceptable and both places matter to LK.
