Sand Dune Park

Heard about this place in Manhattan Beach from friends that used to train here back in high school so wanted to check it out. Easily found with the help of Google Maps🤙 Free parking, along with a playground and restrooms. Need a permit and pay a small fee online to use the sand dunes now. Visited during the rains so the dunes was wet but managed to get some exercise going up and down the stairs.

Great place $3.12 Not bad at all

Just as I remember it in the late 80s but with less crowds. Just as hard as I remember it too. I did reserve my spot, which I think is a helpful way to keep it less crowded than it used to be. Hopefully those same people will come back with a reservation. It was always so motivating to run with people in better shape than I was in lol! I then walked up the stairs and down to the beach to observe people riding by. I ran into an old friend. I really enjoyed my day.

This is a nice medium sized park with multiple walking paths and a fun sand dune that requires a reservation and a small free to use. You can get a great stair or hill workout in here! There is a limited parking lot and plenty of neighborhood street parking. There is also a well maintained playground for kids and a restroom as well.

That dune climb is no joke, but it’s addictive. You feel your legs for days after. The adjacent playground makes it family-friendly. Reservations may be required for dune access at times. Great training spot with ocean breezes

Sand Dune Park is one of my favorite natural areas in the LA Metropolitan area! Great park for workouts on the hill and for kids to play at the playground! It’s basically a multilevel park starting with the lower flat area with a parking lot, playground, picnic tables and restrooms. There’s also a long open lawn, good for playing football or any field sports among friends or family. Not so much a place for organized team sports with spectators, as the field is narrow with homes and yards alongside it. Above the lawn is a large hill with traversing pathways and lots of steps. It’s a nicely maintained natural shaded area, where some users enjoy a leisure walk and others prefer the workout. The north end of the hill is void of vegetation, as this is the sand dune, the namesake of the park! Do the dune! My friends would say, as we used jog up and down the large sand dune! It was a great warmup before going down to the beach to surf! Just blocks from the oceanfront, the park remains as one of the most natural and beautiful parks to go to in South Bay!

Just hated that its now paid to get inside the sand dunes. Residents pay $1 and non residential have to pay $3 . It's an embarrassing level of gate keeping. There's litteral chained locked gate around it. Manhattan Beach can afford to keep it open to the public. The only reason I can think to charge the public is as a deterrent set up by a NIMBY. Shame on the city for allowing that to happen.

Great park, and a great workout! Reservations ARE required online. They cost about $3, and the staff clear everyone out each hour for the next reservation slot to start. Would recommend bringing a towel to wipe off your feet afterwards. If you go in the morning, the sand is quite cold!

Exelente lugar para aser cardio y pierna y disfrutar de la naturaleza y el frescor de la brisa del mar y el mar y unhermoso atardecer exelente vista amo este lugar sand Dune Park lo recomiendo al por siento súper recomendado

The sand has trash and broken glass in it. This place needs to get cleaned up, it's a health hazard

This was my second time here. The first time I came here it was much more crowded. This time around it appears they set up a registration booth where you can reserve a time with the attendee. There is a child's park right in front which is convenient for people with kids. I've had fun here both of the times I had came here and could only go up and down a couple times. It's a popular workout spot with restrooms and stairs on the side of the sand dune make everything so convenient. Even when it's crowded I was still able to get parking and on the other side of the park I noticed there is ample parking for handicap spots.

Hiking today and this is the best place to do it because there's trails of all sorts and it leads to the nice beach! I see these little kids doing the sand dunes and no parents lol that thang is a challenge lol

Excellent location. Sand dune park is a destination for professional athletes, seniors, and families. Exercise in the healthy beach air, or watch your children play in the dune.

Small park, with limited equipment, but it does have a massive sand dune to run up, or do the stairs, which is pretty unique. Not my kid's favorite park, but not a bad place to hang out for an hour or two.

great workout before the rain starts. My friend Daniella first time here and she did a great job it! Can't wait to come back,

The challenge of this space is remarkable. Must have your ready mind mode on. It's been a while since we've been yet we still talk about it. Will be planning a family go at it n more to come.

The park itself is awesome. It's a great workout for kids and adults alike, however the attendant was extremely rude. It's my first time making a reservation and paying the $3 fee. I went up to the attendant and he acted extremely entitled. He laughed at me because I didn't know every single rule they had. It's such a shame because the park is so wonderful. It's obvious they (city or the closest residents) want to keep people who do not live in Manhattan beach away from the park.

Great place to raise that heart rate and the stairs are also great for when I want to pass on the sand

My kid and I enjoy the sand dune.. it always keep him in shape especially when soccer tournament are coming up sand dune does the job

Excellent workout going up and down the Dunes. Adding 20 rep squats sets of 5 every time down!! Legs on fire

Nice place to workout! Sand Dune Park is located in Manhattan Beach city. The sand hill requires each person to pay $1 before hand online. Too many neighbors complained about the number of people so this limits the number of visitors. The sand hill was challenging and worth a dollar. I haven't ran up it in years but I remember how brutal it was. Next to sand dune hill are stairs which people walk up and down. It's a nice alternative workout for a nice leg workout.

Last week I came here on my lunch break, I was craving a stairs workout. Before I made it here I was a little discouraged at the other Yelpers complaining about making some kind of appointment, but I tried to brush that off and came by anyway. I found parking without a hassle and it was not metered. I quickly realized all the complaints were all about the sand dune that was being policed by two young park employees. I walked past them and found the glorious set of stairs. I climbed up quickly and all the the other stair workout enthusiasts were very cordial and we all happily climbed up and down. I made my way down so ecstatic about finding an easily accessible outdoor stair workout. I will be back Sand Dune park!! Thanks for the sore legs!!!!!

Went here for the first time this morning and I'm not gonna lie, I barely made it. It's a very VERY intense workout. It's way steeper than it looks like. It feels like you're climbing upwards toward hell but I'm happy I went. I'm expecting huge results on the scale tomorrow morning...yes it was that intense lol jk jk. Make sure you make your appointment online before you go because you have to sign in with your reservation number. It's a stupid system and though this was the first time I worked out here, it was my 3rd attempt. They really should reconsider this system. MAKE SURE YOU BRING SOCKS!!! DO NOT GO BAREFOOT!! I saw a lot of people go without shoes on so I took mine off. The sand was really hot and painful. Even if the heat wasn't a problem, the sand is not smooth. There's a bunch of sea shells and rocks in there so again, it can get painful. Overall, it's a great place. Great crowd. People will encourage you to push harder. I will be back!!!

This is a kick ass workout and a change of pace from those popular, overcrowded stairs that everyone likes to frequent. Whether you're in shape, out of shape, or somewhere in between, the sand dune is sure to challenge you. If you're a beginner or haven't done a hard workout in awhile, don't over do it, or you may feel the nauseating urge to vomit. If the dunes prove to be too much, you can walk/run the stairs or head to the beach, which is about three blocks away if you're at the top of the dunes. I like to climb the sand dune and then continue my workout at the beach, which has an actual walking path. Back in the day, the dunes were a convenient free for all and you could show up hassle free at any time during operating hours. However, that's not the case any more. It's only a dollar to workout, but you have to create an account then make a reservation for each visit (citymb.info). I find the reservation page to be confusing as hell...but that's the rule. There is free street parking, but spaces closest to the dune fill up fast, so you may have a short walk from the parking lot just off Rosecrans and Bell to the right. Parking on the residential streets is restricted.

I have to agree with the 1-Star Yelp reviews. This used to be the BEST & FREE place to go for a fun play date or workout and enjoy the beautiful weather while getting a killer view of the ocean. That was back in 2009... After that year, fences were put up and online reservations became mandatory. Way to ruin a good thing in the South Bay. It would be like charging to run the stairs in Santa Monica or bike the Strand. Just ridiculous.

*** Park is to re-open Monday, 02Aug'10, by reservation only. *** http://www.yelp.com/topic/playa-del-rey-manhattan-beach-sand-dune-to-reopen-02aug10 *** Wow, an attempt to keep a public park fairly private? (urgh) ***

A great workout, but MB really needs to evaluate the guy who sits by the dune and oversees it. He takes a break every 90 mins, where he shuts down the dune for 30 mins. Beyond his 30 min breaks every 90 minutes, he also takes a longer lunch break mid-day. If you want to climb the dunes, don't try for 8:30-9:30a, 11-11:30a, 1-2p, or after 4p. The dune will be closed during these windows to accommodate one of his multiple breaks.

I went there on a Thursday and paid the $3 on line...but it was empty at 4 PM... so I guess that was a wasted 3 bucks. I ended up just climbing the steps 4 times and it took about an hour. I believe there were 210 steps, and I took the long way back down and walked down the rampway walkway, which took me about 200 yards away from the stair entrance. It was good since I don't like walking DOWN the stairs !

August 02,2021 Dear KARENS I been going to sand dunces since late 1990's,the dunes was free entrance, free parking and no time limit. Those KARENS LIVING THIER ALWAYS COMPLAINT FROM BACK THEN too. They started with parking, then the noise, then they wanted people to not blow car horn. THESE KAREN SHOULD MOVE their homes 6 BLOCKS east AND LET THAT PROPERTIES BE PARKING LOT. Sand Dunes was there before ALL THE KARENS COMMUNITY.

Before visiting, please go online and visit the website to ensure you will have a positive experience. http://www.citymb.info/city-officials/parks-and-recreation/parks-and-facilities/sand-dune-park Register and find "Sand Dune Reservations" to make your reservation. You're limited to one hour. You have to register and reserve your spot online and then bring a crisp $1 bill to the park. They do not accept coins, or larger bills. Parking at the address the GPS will take you is pretty difficult but there is a lot more street parking on 29th and Bell. Instead of turning on 31st, you'd turn on 29th towards Bell. If you park here, walk across the large grass area at the turn around to the Sand Dune. You may also take stairs which will lead you up and then eventually back down to the front of the Sand Dune park. My experience with the staff has always been positive. They are nice and pretty flexible but do your part in registering! We hung out around the park after our hour was up with no problem. You may be asked to leave if the park is getting crowded. The hill itself is a tremendous work out. I'd recommend running barefoot in the sand to make your work out most efficient. The sand coupled with the incline makes it difficult to even just walk up without having to stop and rest. To challenge yourself, try sprinting up ten to fifteen yards at a time. It's very challenging I almost threw up!

worst customer service, Now you have to reserve a spot to run up the SAND DUNE ???!!! I took cash (they charge $3 at the door) but only take payments online, wtf, just take my money and let me workout... So supposedly it was at max capacity, literally only about 10 ppl there and they wouldn't let anyone else go in ! As a professional athlete I was expecting more.. I woke up early in the morning amped up to workout and they throw me for a loop. Awful.

Looks like it was too much of a good thing for everyone. There's sand erosion, so the city closed the park for repairs. LA Times article: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-sand-dunes15-2009aug15,0,4231113.story Locals want the Sand Dune Park closed permanently. Article didn't say when the park was to reopen.

Great workout. Difficult site to maneuver. Wish it was more convince the however respect the residents.

Make an appointment beforehand, its really not that hard. Bring $1. https://apm.activecommunities.com/citymb/reserve_options? Set up an account, and then its easy after that. Head over to the park, park your car (no meters, free parking), and check/sign in with the park employees. You have an hour window, so go up and down as much as you can! You'll begin to figure out what part or side of the dune works best for you. I personally like stepping into someone else's steps, and makes it easy to go up. First time, I went up about 3 times and after that, 7 times! I will try to reach 10, but your legs will be sore! People will show up with socks on or go barefoot - its up to you.

so first time coming here right? there was a misunderstanding with my family when we were going up, the employee try to tell us to go to another side so my mother was telling him about the cdc guidelines.. i guess people in manhattan beach are SO RUDE calling us fat asses to leave that we are bitches making us feel way uncomfortable to be here You need to pay to reserve this for the other people to be rude and calling you names when you are only trying to workout so annoying... dissapointed of my first experience here ): it is a great workout btw i almost throw up :)

My beloved sand dunes... When I was young(B.M.), we trained here weekly. Walking up all that thick, warm sand. It's cool near the earth, while the sun-baked top absorbed the heat. We did it in socks. From afar, it's a challenge. When you're climbing... and still climbing and look around to see... Yup, still here. Keep goin'. View from the top is refreshing to know you've got more to do. We were in awe of a regular who walked up several times like it was just a paved path, track & basketball teams who did sprints halfway up. We walked like the dead, hands out in front, sometimes wearing the weighted vest. Sad to return to find out idiots have ruined another good thing once open to the public. You now need a reservation made online for specific time slots. It's only $1. But only about 50 people at once. Fenced and organized, it's a big deal. On a hot day, you will probably get in without reservations, due to no shows. Alternative free pathways and stairs are directly south of dunes within the park. Signs posted say "No running." No problem. Street parking, toilets and small kids playground. *B.M. = Before Monkey. Not to be confused with bowel movement, in which Monkey will most likely use the four letter variety.

Sand Dune Park has become Sad Dune Park. Thanks to fees and restrictions, the sand dune was completely empty on an absolutely perfect Southern California Saturday afternoon. A mountain of disappointment from moms, jocks, couples, and kids is now the main discovery at this park because they show up expectIng to enjoy the advertised sand dune only to be denied entrance to an empty hill. To attempt the sand dune, visitors must do the following: - Pay $1 fee per person per visit - Register online at least 1 hour in advance for 1 of the set times for each day - Print out the registration (isn't this 2012?) and bring the paper to the park - Sign-in at the Dune Attendant booth and pay - Leave common sense at home because even though the dune is empty, you aren't getting on it without the above. Throughout our time at the park, the sand dune sat glistening in the sun under a beautiful blue sky ... completely empty. The park has a small kids playground, a few tables, and bathrooms. There are a series of pathways and stairways to climb to the top of the hill. Thanks to shade and the breeze, they aren't hard. We were in the park for 90 minutes and it was sad to see how unused the whole place was on this beautiful weekend. There were really only three types of people at the park: those leaving disappointed at finding the rules for the dune, several families using the pathways as a shortcut to the beach, and park employees. Sand Dune Park makes sure your tax dollars are hard at work employing a dune attendant, a supervisor, and a visiting park ranger to enforce rules and regulations that only a government bureaucracy could create. The total lack of common sense confirms why Manhattan Beach earns the nickname Mad Hatter Beach.

I went today and wow it was a mission going up.. I made it crawling but I did it. My son went up 3 times and he loved in less than 20 min.. its a good workout.. Will recommend the place to friends and family.. its nice love it. I got there around 6pm not a lot of people..

Definitely one of my favorite places to work out. Before a few months ago, I hadn't been here since about 2007, before it was closed down for a period. Now that it's back I try to come here at least once a week. A lot of other people commented on the reservation system that needs to be done online and I agree it's a pain and once you get it to stop searching for 12:30 or 5 AM time slots it's pretty simple. Other than that, just a few recommendations: 1. Wear socks on sunny days since the sand gets burning hot. 2. Try not to wear ankle socks, the sand will get inside easily. High crew socks are the way to go. 3. Be careful on Fridays from 12-2 PM, you'll get a ticket if you park in the designated parking area (saw a bunch of cars with tickets on them last week). Park on one of the side streets nearby. When I climb up this thing, I try to vary it by sprinting the first half of the way where the last orange marker is and then trudging the rest of the way up. I try to do 12-14 trips up and down during my 1 hour time period. My goal is to one day be able to run up the entire thing but still got a ways to go. If only I was as strong as Blake Griffin who makes it look too easy. (there's a video on youtube of him running it with resistance, weights, you name it).

It doesn't look like much, but this sand dune will work you out!! First things first, you have to sign up and make a reservation: http://www.ci.manhattan-beach.ca.us/Index.aspx?page=378 Print out your confirmation, bring $1. The entrance to the dune is on Bell Avenue and 33rd Street. There's ample parking on the right side of Bell Ave leading up to the park. A few tips: - Wear socks! If you're fancy, go for sand socks. If not, a pair of crew socks should do you fine.. I've seen some people double up.. whatever's comfortable. - Before making a reservation, check the weather conditions! If you're new to the dunes, it might be a good idea to try it out when it's cooler.. the intense workout in addition to heat is very dizzying (trust me). - BRING WATER AND A TOWEL.. or die. But I mean, totally up to you! :P

Would it be totally misleading if I am commenting on the stairs rather than on the sand dune itself? Well.. don't be misled. I get enough of a workout running (/walking) on flat sand so I might keel over if I attempt the sand dunes. That said, flat sand is available for free down the hill at the beach. What is exciting about this particular park are the free stairs that go up and the steep hills that go down leading to the beach. You get the drift? (Pun intended ha-ha) This particular set up makes for a wonderful hill/quad/endurance workout without the fees, policies and headaches of the actual sand dunes. The only qualm I have about this are all the signs that we are prohibited to run or jog on the stairs. I would feel guilty but I personally walk really fast. It might look like running to some people, but that is just because they are slow. Either way, nobody is looking anyways and keep your hand near the railings just in case ;)

"I bet you I could run up and down this thing 7 times!" "Ok, you're on." 10 minutes later... *huff* *puff* "How many was that?" "You've done three. and you WALKED the last two." Sand Dune, ONE. Alex, big fat ZERO. For those of you that like some outdoor exercise, check out Sand Dune Park, located off Rosecrans in Manhattan Beach. It's a beach-like workout without the actual beach and is a popular spot for people to do some fun, vertical conditioning. Beware: The hill is steep. Steeper than pictures indicate. I'd describe it as somewhere between a Blue and a Black Diamond slope (maybe 50-60 degrees). So, collect all your facts before you challenge a friend into a run-off where the loser buys beers. There's two sides of the hill, one for kids and one for adults. I really recommend sticking to their guidelines and running on the appropriate side. If not, don't say I didn't warn you when a 7 year old kid plows into you at full downhill speed screaming at the top of his lungs! The kids' side actually appears to be the steeper (but shorter) of the two, and I usually don't see too many kids here unless it's a weekend afternoon. Parking is available on Bell St., which you can enter from Rosecrans. Also blogged it here: http://myweekendpassport.com/2009/03/sand-dune-park-vertical-challenge/ Oh and don't wear shoes. And please try not to kick sand up as you run into other people's faces!

Cool hidden workout spot near by a park to get a work out in! $1 gets you entry. They don't really follow the time limit/appointment time... so you're fine if you're a little late or early. You stay as long as you want. It's super chill. Caution, it's not as easy as it looks! Definitely a tough workout but so worth it!

You should be proud of yourself no matter how many trips you make to the top. This grueling workout is a nice change and way more intense than the treadmill and elliptical. If you feel bad cuz you downed an entire sleeve of Girl Scout cookies, go here. This place will make u feel all better. Decent parking but I went on a Friday morning.

Puhreeese reopen, Sand Dune. Can we do a telethon or a guy ringing a bell with a donation can? A big PayPal account to Manhattan Beach's email addy? This is one of the best things in all of Los Angeles County and having it be closed for those of us who have found it and love it is like having the Hollywood sign be closed for tourists (the LAPD would throw sleeping masks on every tourist who tried to look at it within seconds, ruining pictures). Neighborhood locals, I feel your pain. It has to be annoying to have people parking all over your lawn, making it impossible for you to have friends over without tandem parking your driveways. I am not trying to be insensitive to your plight. I just miss my sandy workouts. Here is an update that I found: http://www.insidesocal.com/southbay/2009/09/manhattan-beach-city-leaders-s.html

So much fun. This is just a massive hill covered with sand. It's like hiking up a snowy mountain if you want to know how it feels. Great workout. It really would whip you into shape if you went here everyday. It's also free. and very unique. who would have thought to dump a bunch of sand on a big ass hill? it was awesome to see so many people go up and down this thing at once. If you build/yelp it, they will come.

This is a great local spot for a workout! Walking/Running the sand dune barefoot is ok but I would highly recommend sand socks (yes these exists) or surf booties to protect yourself against the hot sand and rocks. You also need to make a reservation before going. Make sure you print the CORRECT confirmation page that shows the confirmation #. You only get an hour on the dune but if you're not exhausted, you either did not push yourself hard enough or you can continue to tackle the stairs right next to the dune.

Came over here looking for a good workout. Walked up and was like O_O "That sand dune is huge...". Sadly, we didn't get to go up it. You have to make a reservation to use the sand dune! Well, there is always next time :]. I believe you have to pay $1 also. So.. instead of running up the sand dune.. We walked up the stairs about 10 times until our legs felt like jello. It was nice because most of the stairs were in the shade of the trees. When you get to the top you also have a beautiful veiw of the city. And at the bottom there is a jungle gym that is perfect for doing pull ups on. Also, the park attendants were nice and watch over the park and the people in it. Oh! And their drinking fountains are chilled, and the water comes out ice cold.. AWESOME! I'll be back here again with a reservation!

Great place to take the kids if you want to tire them out. Let them run up and down a hill that was coned off for 5 and under. They had a blast.

Great workout here! A nice challenge. Also they have some stairs right next to the sand hill which is a bonus! There's a bathroom too. We went up and down the hill 4 times and did the stairs up and down twice. Would def come back. Plenty of parking and it's $1 so be sure to bring a lil cash. You also have to register online.

Make your online reservation. Bring your permit number and a dollar and plenty of water. My kids are 12 and under and were free. My son tried it in his socks, but those came off before he made it to the top on our first climb up. Barefoot was the way to go, but my daughter did get a small cut on her foot. After that, we grabbed a few rocks on each trip for the "Toss a rock, save a toe " bucket. Apparently, the local professional athletes come here for workouts. It was a kick- butt workout. We made it up and down 5 times, which took me about 35-40 minutes. Great view from the top! Woo hoo!

You have to make reservations online and they also make you pay online (they make you fill out your ID and license plate number too) but you can't cancel your reservation online. You have to call - but they won't issue you a refund unless they close the park due to inclement weather. What a ripoff!

I loved this place, and no one's really heard of it, either. It's so random and so fun...running through a steep heap of sand. This place was packed, with people of all ages. There were a bunch of high schoolers training or what not, they were having fun going up and down the hill and racing each other, doing lunges, etc. I of course wanted to take some touristy pictures and had responses ranging from laughs to a raised eyebrow at the prospect, but I'm proud of it. I'd definitely go to this several times. I think I just got lucky with parking though (which is free), so just come here at random times, and with a group of friends. You can spend all day and night racing each other and doing random tricks (like we do with ice blocking, since in so cal we can't get any real snow).

I can't believe I didn't know about this spot beforehand! Looking up from the bottom, the hill doesn't look that bad. Well, it is. HAHAHA. It's killer. I came here with people from my gym for some challenge activity, and lemme just say that running up and down this hill from different directions is a major workout! I was completely exhausted afterwards! This is definitely a place to go for some afternoon "fun"!

You RUINED this park! I came to use the dunes just to be greeted with a snarky security officer who informed me rules being enforced so I couldn't get on the sand UNLESS I surrender my personal information to a website that DOES NOT WORK. After 15 painful minutes trying to set a useless reservation I had to just give up and leave. I'm happy to give you money to keep the park in good shape, I think is actually a great idea to do so. But forcing people to provide personal information and worst, putting someone through a non working reservation system is your way to keep everyone out. Take a hint from all the parks who have an honor system and spend some dimes on IT. It's 2016, make your technology work on don't use it at all.

Great workout. No flash, literally just a hill of sand. Practical considerations... - Parking available - Prepare to be hit with direct sunlight (SPF) - Must reserve your spot online for an hour at pre-determined times, pay $1 BILL ONLY at the door. No other bills accepted. - Hour is plenty for a good workout - HYDRATE!

Awesome workout! We would "run" (by run I mean walk as fast as possible which is silly once you see the thing!) this to prepare for our Mt. Whitney hike of 22 miles. Let's just say we went up/down 7 times and were SPENT. I have special plans to take my future kids there to expel some energy. You're all welcome to steal my idea! :) A couple warnings: the dune closes at sun-down (I believe), parking is not too fantastic... but if you're a local, run down there..., people often mess up the groove by running up/down on the wrong sides (why can't we follow street traffic rules so we don't have sand in our faces?), and there are occasional pieces of OUCH in the sand. But... beyond that, it's still worth checking out for a fun and intense workout!