Why you should experience Veterans Parkway in Manhattan Beach, California.
Veterans Parkway is a long, quiet ribbon of green where walking paths, towering trees, and coastal air create one of the South Bay's most peaceful everyday escapes.
Running through the eastern side of Manhattan Beach along Valley Drive, this linear park stretches for miles beside the historic Pacific Electric railway corridor that once connected Los Angeles to the beach cities. Today the space has transformed into a shaded pedestrian pathway where joggers, dog walkers, cyclists, and families drift through the landscape at a relaxed pace. Tall eucalyptus and pine trees form a canopy above sections of the trail, filtering sunlight across grassy edges and playground pockets that appear along the route. The experience feels less like visiting a single park and more like stepping into a green corridor woven directly into neighborhood life.
What you didn't know about Veterans Parkway.
Veterans Parkway preserves a piece of regional history through the transformation of a former railway right-of-way into a public recreational corridor.
In the early twentieth century, the Pacific Electric Railway carried passengers between Los Angeles and coastal communities through a network of electric trains known as the Red Cars. One of those lines passed directly through what is now Veterans Parkway. When the rail system was dismantled in the mid-1900s, the corridor remained a long strip of open land threading through Manhattan Beach. Rather than allowing the land to disappear into development, the city preserved the route as a public greenbelt. Over time, walking paths, playgrounds, and landscaped lawns were added while maintaining the corridor's linear character. The result is a park that quietly connects multiple neighborhoods while honoring the infrastructure that once shaped the region's growth.
How to fold Veterans Parkway into your trip.
Veterans Parkway works best as a morning walk or afternoon stroll when the shade of its tall trees and the calm rhythm of the path invite you to slow down.
Begin anywhere along the trail and follow the gently winding pathway as it moves through residential blocks, playground areas, and stretches of open grass. The park's length makes it ideal for longer jogs or casual bike rides, while benches and shaded areas allow for frequent pauses along the way. Families often stop at the small play structures that appear along the route, while dog walkers and runners use the corridor as part of their daily routine. Because the park runs parallel to the city's neighborhoods, it also serves as a scenic connector between local streets and nearby destinations.
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