Rockbluff Park

Rockbluff Park was not planned as a park, but happened when three or four homes slid down the hill. Yes, Rolling Hills Estates has many horse lots and many miles of bridal trails. The many times I walked through the park to the bus stop I never smelled any droppings, but I’m not say this cannot happen.
Rockbluff Park is considered a neighborhood park. If one looks at the traffic signals, there are two pedestrian buttons, on for the pedestrian and the other about six feet above the grand level for the equestrian. Throughout Rolling Hills Estates will be seen white three rail fences on each side of the bridal trail and along property lines. The city has more than 25 miles of scenic bridal trails.

It’s a nice park to ride your horse through. There is parking on gravel. Lots of grass and a hill with a children’s play area. Never crowded but there is a friendly horse living there. Good for kids.

Rolling Hills is horse country. Bridle paths are everywhere. They cut through residential neighborhoods, and wind around, adjacent to properties, up & down the hills, like ribbons on a map. I often wonder how many back yards border riding trails… it must be a lot.
I figure you gotta like horses to even live in this area, because the odor of horse poop is common if not prevalent.
I decided to explore Rockbluff Park the other day because I drive past it constantly. The parking lot off PV Dr N is unpaved, and the dust I stirred up while pulling in was not a good thing for my car that just left Highridge carwash, oh well. Any sacrifice for a park review… haha…
But the dust on my clean car was not the only sacrifice I made in the course of my exploration of this small area. I did not realize that it, too, borders a bridle path. So ya got the poop smell in the park. P U!
The grass was so thick it was like walking on a giant sponge as I climbed the hill to the kids’ play area. That’s some very healthy grass, I wonder what sets it apart from most parks. Maybe the manure from the riding trail somehow permeates the soil in the park, hmmmm…
So, at the top of the hill there’s a fine view looking toward Torrance. I was admiring the shady bench in the thick grass facing the great view when I noticed a huge paw print in the sand under the playground equipment (see photo).
Well.
It scared me, haha.
Was it left by a giant dog or a really big cat, the kind of cat that has people for lunch…
I immediately pictured a mountain lion using that sand for a litterbox. And then I got the hell out of there.
I sure hope it’s simply my active imagination at work here, but between the horsey poop nearby & that impression in the sand… this space gave me the heebie jeebies and it’s not even Halloweenies yet…
11 photos