Long Beach Greenbelt

Half of the trail is closed and the last part if a community garden with no access. The only part of the trail open is all dirt and smells like dog (and possibly human) feces.
There is only one sign at the entrance near the lake and the rest is pretty much find your way on your own. At one point you have to walk a block on 7^th and guess that an empty lot is actually part of the «trail». It’s more of a shortcut between two streets than a trail. There is pretty much no vegetation.

The Long Beach Greenbelt is the greatest little taste of nature tucked right in the middle of 7^th street. It isn’t long enough to pack a lunch for a day trip. But if you find yourself in need of an environment lacking concrete, buildings, people, and traffic then you should take a walk straight through. There is wild shrubbery, that «wilderness trail» smell, dragonflies, bees, and animals that run through and shake the brush.
I will be back to the Long Beach Greenbelt in the future, it’s so close to where I live and when you are in the middle of it it feels like you are miles from home.

Holly T. requested this review, so here it is!
The Greenbelt used to be the right-​of-​way for the Pacific Electric Red Car – that superb system of public transportation that connected Long Beach, LA, Orange Coutny, and even San Bernardino. The rail system was destroyed back when people thought it would be best if everyone drove everywhere instead.
So this patch of land was a vacant lot for decades, until it got turned into a park in 2004. Other parks in Long Beach, like Orizaba Park, have similar histories, but the Greenbelt is special in that it is dedicated to native habitat, rather than active recreation.
The thin strip of land is landscaped with plants typical of coastal sage-​scrub – the habitat that used to cover most of southern California prior to rapid urbanization. Only 10% of this habitat type remains, so even small patches like the Greenbelt are important for wildlife.
The common plants include different kinds of sages, as well as sage brush. All have wonderful aromatic leaves. Some great wildflowers, like poppies, penstemons, and buckwheats add eye-​catching color, and are attractive to butterflies and birds.
The path meanders, splits, and rejoins itself as you walk between 7^th and 8^th streets. The tall shrubs and winding paths make the park seem much larger than it actually is. The paths are made of woodchips, which joggers seem to appreciate.
Because the park is in such a developed area, litter is a major problem. Some times it’s small pieces of garbage. But some truly cretinous people use it as a dumping ground. I called the Parks Department (562−570−6555) to get them to remove a couch some a-​hole left.
Other parts of the former railway (such as the section between 7^th and 5^th streets) could be greatly improved if they expanded the restoration in these areas.