There are several large city parks in Paramount, including the Village Skate Park located at Lakewood and Somerset avenues. The 12,500-square-foot park features transgender and stray grounds and is open daily from 7 a.m. to dusk and helmets and pads are required for all skaters. Nearby is All American Park, located on Orizaba Avenue, which features a huge playground, winding walkways, a stream, and a pond. Ralph C. Dills Park, located on San Juan Street is another great park that offers playgrounds, exercise stations, a nature trail, and a jogging trail. El Dorado Nature Center is located a 15-minute drive south of Long Beach and offers 105 acres with a lake, wooded areas, and nature trails. There is also a bridge that connects to a small island in the middle of the lake where the visitor education center and gift shop are located.
An hour north is Topanga State Park, which offers 36 miles of hiking, biking and equestrian trails nestled among the canyons of the Santa Monica Mountains. Topanga State Park is open daily from 8 a.m. to dusk and camp is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Also an hour north, but a little further east than Topanga, is the Angeles National Forest. This 1,000-square-mile forest offers a ton of different trails for hiking, mountain biking, equestrian, and ATVs. These trails wind through tall trees, canyons, streams, and beautiful scenery. If you plan to visit this park in conjunction with other national or state parks in the area, you can purchase an adventure pass for added convenience.
The Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge is located in Anaheim Bay, just 30 minutes south of Paramount. This refuge has 911 acres of saltwater marshes and offers guided tours on the last Saturday of each month. This park is a hotspot for several different species of birds that winter in the Southern California area. Unfortunately, due to the need for a high level of protection, the park is not easily accessible to the public, so tours are only offered on the last Saturday of each month and reservations must be made on the Wednesday prior to the tour. Tours are free to all guests.
Golfers have several options for a day of golf near Paramount. Public courses in the area include Lakewood Golf Course in Lakewood, Cerritos Iron-Wood Nine in Cerritos, Bixby Village Golf Course in Long Beach, and Rio Hondo Golf Course and Los Amigos Golf Course, both in Downey. There is also the Recreation Park golf course complex in Long Beach that offers an 18-hole course and a 9-hole course and welcomes beginners of all ages. Nearby Cypress is the Navy Public Golf Course, which features several different courses.
Of course, no trip to the Paramount area would be complete without a trip to the Pacific Coast. There are tons of great spots along the shoreline from Santa Monica, just 35 minutes northwest of Paramount, to Laguna Beach, just 40 minutes from Paramount. Almost any beach on this stretch of coast offers several places to rent kayaks for ocean kayaking and there are several places that rent boats or rent boats for recreational use and deep sea fishing. Another fun activity to try on the Pacific coast is surfing, there are many different companies that offer surfboard rentals and surf lessons for beginners and advanced. Other activities along the beach include paddle surfing, parasailing, and kitesurfing. Or you can just spend a relaxing afternoon sunbathing on the beautiful beaches.
The coastal area of San Pedro that ends in the Pacific is home to several beautiful parks. These parks include White Point State Park, Angles Gate Park, Point Fermin Park, Cabrillo Beach Park. White Point State Park, like all of these parks, is a great place for picnics and great views of the ocean, but it’s also one of the 24 Nike Missile sites.
