White Point and Royal Palms Beach

White Point and Royal Palms beaches in San Pedro cover more than a mile and a half of rocky shoreline and about 30 acres of park. The bluff-top park has metered parking, restrooms, a children's play area, picnic tables, and views out to Catalina Island, plus 12 brass plaques telling the area's history. A paved road leads down to the beach and more parking. White Point has some of the most diverse tide pools in Southern California, and the area is popular for fishing, surfing, and scuba diving; swimming is not recommended because of the rocky shore.

The history here is layered. Tongva people used the coast for thousands of years. Around 1900, Japanese fishermen harvested abalone on the reef until the stocks ran low, and in 1917 brothers Tojuro and Tamiji Tagami opened a hot springs resort with a hotel and saltwater plunges that was popular with Japanese-American families until the 1933 earthquake cut off the sulfur spring. In 1942 local Japanese families were sent to internment camps, and the site became part of Fort MacArthur's coastal defenses and later a missile site. The federal government transferred the land to the county in 1978, and a new park opened in 1997; a patio by the shore is what remains of the Royal Palms Recreation Center.

A $3.5 million renovation is planned, including a pirate-themed accessible play area. Parking is limited while sanitation tunnel construction continues through 2027, but both beaches stay open.