TRAVEL » The Hilltop Park in Signal Hill

The Hilltop Park is located at the top of a hill in Signal Hill, a nice city in the north of downtown Long Beach. This is a stunning place for picnic, photo shoots and a must visit sunset spot in Los Angeles County.

In this park, we can take great panoramic views of Long Beach, Ranchos Palos Verdes, Santa Monica and San Gabriel Mountains in clear days. We can see downtown Los Angeles by telescopes. We can see city lights in nights.

This 3.2-acre park has alot of concrete benches and a blue tall torch in the center. This torch is the symbol of signal of city’s history. Spanish immigrants wrote in their records that around 1500, local Indians used fire and smoke signals in the hill to signal their relations living 26 miles way on Catalina Island.

On the walkway leading to the center of the park, we can see the memorial names etched into the bricks. In the park, there are three cut-out art frames. The first frame has the shadow of an oil worker and gives the viewer a view of Long Beach Harbor. The second frame has the shadow of a farmer and looks towards downtown Los Angeles. The third frame has the shadow of Native Americans and looks towards Huntington Beach.

The city of Signal Hill was established in 1922 and became one of the richest oil fields in the world. During its oil-producing heyday, it was nicknamed "Porcupine Hill" with a forest of oil towers and derricks. We can see some derricks on the trails to park.

There are some trails to Hilltop Park. A trail system, which includes Junipero Trail, Ridge Trail, Sea Ridge Trail and Skyline Trail approaches to the Hilltop Park. This is an ocean view trail and opens from 5am to 10pm. We took some beautiful pictures along these trails.

The park has barbecue grills, picnic tables, public restrooms, and large grassy areas. These facilities make it an ideal location for families and friends. The park even offers shelter rentals for weddings and events.