The long anointed “Mecca of Skateboarding” Los Angeles, California has always been one of the most desired travel destinations for skateboarders – and for good reason. In Los Angeles, it’s nearly always 72 degrees and sunny and concrete stretches out 50 miles in every direction without ever leaving the county.
With over 10-million people in the greater Los Angeles area, school yards, government buildings and countless skateparks span from Orange County to the San Fernando Valley. Neighboring San Diego, San Bernardino, and Ventura County look in awe as some of the largest skate brands reside in Los Angeles, and a vibrant skate scene flourishes in every LA suburb.
However, with a concrete jungle creating a seemingly endless map of skate destinations, one might be overwhelmed in finding where to GOSKATE. More importantly perhaps, a skater and their traveling companions might find themselves the victim of touristy skateparks and skate spots, instead of enjoying what the City of Angels really has to offer.
There’s the big skateparks like Venice, California where you might see a celebrity skateboarder, but then there’s also hidden gem skateparks like the prefab skatepark in South Pasadena. We’re going to give you the heavy hitters of course, but we are also going to give you some of the best skateparks, skate spots, skate shops, and skate schools to make your trip to Los Angeles unforgettable.
Luckily for us, the author of this article is a Los Angeles native and is happy to supply our readers with the most authentic guide to Skateboarding in Los Angeles possible.
So without further ado, in this article we’ll be going over:
- Skateboarding in Los Angeles
- Best Skateparks in Los Angeles
- Iconic Skate Spots in Los Angeles
- Best Local Skate Shops in Los Angeles & Where to Buy Skateboarding Equipment
- Affordable Skate Schools in Los Angeles
- Celebrity Skateboarders in Los Angeles
Best Skate Shops and Where to get Skate Equipment in Los Angeles
Val Surf, Valley Village California
Val surf is the oldest standing skate shop in Los Angeles and resides in Valley Village, California right by North Hollywood Skate Plaza, Sheldon Skatepark and 10-15 mins from Pedlow Field Skatepark. As the name suggests, the skate shop also sells surf gear and is known for the local skateboarders whose careers they’ve helped support like Erik Herrera and Stevie Perez.
Address: 4810 Whitsett Ave, Valley Village, CA 91607, USA
Inner City Deck Supply, Lincoln Heights California
Inner City Deck Supply, also known as ICDS, resides in Lincoln Heights, right by the Lincoln Heights skatepark built by Paul Rodriguez. The Skate Shop has an awesome owner, who as a skateboarder through and through, resurrected the skateshop and its namesake after he saw the original go out of business when he was a kid. A great skater owned skate shop every skater should support if they can.
Address: 112 E Ave 26, Los Angeles, CA 90031, USA
Pawnshop Skate Co., Covina California
Pawnshop Skate Co. is one of the best skate shops in the greater Los Angeles area. Located in the San Gabriel Valley, Pawnshop Skate Co., is close to skateparks like Duarte and Monrovia (as seen on this list). This skate shop is skater owned as well and see its stickers from Los Angeles to San Bernardino.
114 N Citrus Ave, Covina, CA 91723, USA
Stix Ride Shop Three Greater Los Angeles Locations
Stix Rideshop is another great skate shop out in the San Gabriel Valley, near the local skateparks of Claremont Skatepark, La Verne Skatepark, and San Dimas Skatepark. Stix Ride Shop also has two locations in Monrovia and South Pasadena California.
Stix Rideshop, Claremont California
Address: 456 W 1st St, Claremont, CA, 91711, USA
Stix Ride Shop, Monrovia California,
Address: 421 S Myrtle Ave, Monrovia, CA 91016, USA
Stix Ride Shop South Pasadena, California
Address: 1011A Mission St, S Pasadena, CA 91030, USA
Marriage Skate Shop, Echo Park California
A great local skatepark just a few blocks away from the Echo Park Skatepark, Marriage Skateshop hosts art shows, zine releases and creates a ton of its own merchandise you can support.
Address: 1616 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026, USA
Pharmacy Skate Shop Four Locations in Greater Los Angeles
Pharmacy Skate Shop has four locations with 3 of them being in the more remote parts of Los Angeles. What is really great about the more remote locations is how they support a diverse range of skaters who might not otherwise have access to a local skate shop. This means skate demos, skate contests, having a skate team, etc., in these more remote areas grants Pharmacy a unique privilege usually not associated with a major city like Los Angeles.
Pharmacy Skate Shop, Hollywood California
Address: 1520 N Cahuenga Blvd, Hollywood CA 90028, USA
Pharmacy Skate Shop, Long Beach California
333 Pine Ave, Long Beach, CA 90802, USA
Pharmacy Skate Shop, Palmdale California
1233 W Rancho Vista Blvd, Palmdale CA 93551
Pharmacy Skate Shop, Lancaster California
661 W Lancaster Blvd, Lancaster CA 93534
Unable to come to Los Angeles to buy a skateboard?
Have no fear, GOSKATE has our beginner skateboard package readily available to get you rolling in the right direction. Using our Free Skateboard Size Calculator, we’ll provide you with a fully assembled ready to go complete skateboard sourced from the best skate materials in the world.
Best Skateparks in Los Angeles
Los Angeles truly has some of the best skateparks in the world. With that being said, so many people traveling to Los Angeles tend to immediately go for the more featured skateparks but there’s so many great skateparks in other areas of LA just as good, if not better. You’re also more likely to run into your favorite pro skater or have a less crowded skatepark for a better learning environment.
We’ve listed some of the best hidden gem skateparks as well as addresses to some of the more popular skateparks for the most robust Los Angeles skatepark experience possible. Enjoy!
One of the unique aspects about the Verdugo skatepark that resides at 1534 Cañada Blvd, on the border of Burbank and Glendale California, is that this skatepark is monitored by the city. The local Parks and Recreation department has hired staff on hand that make sure everyone is skating with the proper safety gear. While this skatepark is a pay-to-skate skatepark, the Verdugo Skatepark and the City of Glendale do a great job of making sure this skatepark is friendly for young and beginner skateboarders. If you’re a parent who doesn’t mind paying the small fee and prefers your child has proper supervision and safety gear, consider checking out the Verdugo Skatepark. This skatepark also has a surprisingly gnarly transition section and a healthy skate scene of skaters of all skills and sizes.
Address: 1534 Cañada Blvd, Glendale, CA 91208, USA
Duarte California has one of the most underrated skate parks in all of the greater Los Angeles area. We wanted to include this park since many people visit California and stay in the San Gabriel Valley, a part of greater Los Angeles that is often just a few exit signs on the freeway while heading into Downtown Los Angeles. Duarte Skatepark is a free skatepark located at 1401 Central Ave in Duarte California, open from dawn till dusk, with an emphasis on transition and fun boxes. Built before many of the street league style skate plazas we see today, the unique skatepark design offers skaters a robust array of obstacles, including a prominent spine, bump to bar, and a triangle hubba resembling something out of a Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater video game. Skaters can also hop up main street a few street lights to skate Monrovia Skatepark in Monrovia, California or grab a bite at the legendary Spaghetti Factory in the City of Industry.
Address: 1401 Central Ave, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
South Pasadena is home to one of the best not-so-talked-about skateparks in Los Angeles. The South Pasadena skatepark located at 660 Stoney Dr., is a prefab skatepark with an onsite crew to keep the skatepark clean and amicable to all skaters. Right next to the skatepark is also a large sports park, including batting cages, pickleball courts and even a dog park for you to bring the whole family. The skate park itself has a perfect mini ramp and tons of mellow banks and pyramids suitable for all skill levels. The local S Pasadena skateboarders brought in some boxes and ramps on the back flat area, making this prefab skatepark have a unique DIY element to it. This skatepark is on the eastside of LA and many Pro skaters frequent this skatepark early on weekdays. Highly, highly recommended for skaters traveling to Los Angeles. One warning, the parking lot is very small so come early and be prepared to walk a bit if you can’t find a spot.
Address: 660 Stoney Dr. South Pasadena, CA 91030, USA
Every once and awhile there’s a skatepark or skate spot every skateboarder needs to go to –Channel Street is one of those places. Why? The truth is nothing short of the fact Channel Street represents the DIY spirit tied to what it means to be a skateboarder. This DIY over its decade plus lifespan saw itself gated up and nearly destroyed but thanks to the local skate scene and some of the biggest brands in skateboarding, has turned into a city recognized skatepark. What began as a few local skaters mixing concrete and making ramps under a freeway overpass, is now one of the most iconic DIY skateparks of all time filled with some of the gnarliest transition in all of Los Angeles. Tucked away in the South Bay of Los Angeles in San Pedro California, it’s not a skatepark the average skate blog will tell you about. But If you make your way to Los Angeles and are an experienced pool or transition skater, do your best to make it to Channel Street in San Pedro California.
Address: 600-620 W Channel St. San Pedro CA 90731, USA
Los Angeles has some of the coolest looking skateparks with local artists, graffiti and just overall vibes and Sheldon skatepark is a testament to this. Sheldon Skatepark in Sun Valley California, is one of the largest skateparks in the San Fernando Valley, a part of Los Angeles many pro skaters call home. Sometimes called South East Valley Skatepark, the city of Los Angeles included Sheldon Skatepark as a 2013 initiative to install 44 installations of outdoor fitness equipment (the skatepark being one of them). The skatepark, home to two triple sets, a double kink rail, two tabletops, several hubbas, ledges, and quarter pipes, weights in at an impressive 25,000 square feet on a 2-acre site. Built by California Skatepark, Sheldon is in the Valley, the north side of Los Angeles and offers travelers to LA an alternative to skateparks that demand intense LA traffic.
Address: 12511 Sheldon St. Sun VAlley, CA 91352
One of the reasons we’re including a few skateparks from the San Fernando Valley part of Los Angeles is because many people traveling from outside of LA will find much more affordable airBnbs and Hotels in these areas. So if you find yourself staying in Encino, Van Nuys, or Studio City, you’re in luck. Encino is home to Pedlow Field Skatepark, known as “Pedlow” and one of the first skateparks ever built in LA and with some of the deepest roots in the LA skate scene. Known for its huge pool and massive flat areas and beginner friendly park monitors, Pedlow has produced some of skateboarding’s biggest pro skaters – like Tristan Funkhouser and Kader Sylla. The park is one of the largest, at 25,000 plus square feet and hosts plenty of diverse obstacles in transition and street. If you like quarter pipes, mini ramps, snake runs, and skating pools, Pedlow has some of the best and with many different sizes. This skatepark can get crowded after school. But then again, if you or your loved one is looking to make friends, come to Pedlow and embrace the thriving skate scene.
Address: 17334 Victory Blvd, Encino CA, 91406, USA
Glendale California is nestled between the major east side Los Angeles cities like Silverlake, Echo Park, Highland Park, and Los Feliz but without the super expensive hotel or airbnb price tags of the east side. Thus, it’s a great place for skaters to stay while visiting LA and has one of the best skateparks in Chevy Chase skatepark. This skatepark is a local for many pro skaters who enjoy street like obstacles, since the park lacks a true transition presence. Resembling the long ledge at famous Los Angeles skatepark, The Berrics, a long ledge is the focal point of the street section with a quarter pipe to keep the flow going. There’s also a large quarter pipe that gives you speed to a 2-gap-2 double set, and a pair of down rails. A bump to hubba, a bank to ledge, an A frame and a tight but adequate mini ramp round out the park, which sometimes is criticized for being too slippery, does operate as one of the rare skateparks in Los Angeles with lights til 9-10pm.
Address: 4165 Chevy Chase Dr. Los Angeles, CA 90039, USA
North Hollywood California is home to the North Hollywood Skate Plaza, one of the first skate plazas ever built in the USA. Designed, funded and constructed by Rob Dyrdek at the height of his Fantasy Factory fame, the skatepark is an impressive array of street plaza obstacles resembling what a skater might find in the wild. That means a sprawled out series of ledges, including a multi-level manny pad, shoot out ledges, flat bars, a euro-gap and a curved ledge surrounded by banks for speed and lines. The locals have built several DIY features over the years and maintain a healthy ecosystem of some of the gnarliest and most skilled LA skaters. The park has also appeared in several movies like Mid 90s and North Hollywood, and is a bit of an underground hot spot for street culture. Unlike Stoner Plaza in Santa Monica which is a bit trendy. North Hollywood hasn’t always had the best rep for safety but over the years things have changed with parents hiring skate lessons and an overall vibrant skate community from the nearby high school.
Address: 11430 Chandler Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 91601
We wanted to include at least one amazing Los Angeles skatepark that you have never heard of on this list— and that’s Claremont Skatepark. Claremont is the last city in LA county before hitting San Bernardino county and this little town tucked beneath Mount Baldy California is home to one of the best skateparks for beginner skaters. Claremont Skatepark was also one of the very first skateparks in the area, built in 1998. It has some of the best concrete ever seen at a skatepark and has all the basic skate obstacles perfectly constructed. A bank for transition learners, a small bowl in the back, two flatbars, two hubbas, one curb sized, a perfect pyramid and several ledges surrounding the park. The skatepark also has lights and is surrounded by grass with no cage-like gate. The thing is, it’s a bit outside of LA but if you’re traveling around and find yourself headed east, you’ll be happy to make the stop at this wonderful skatepark. One of the most legendary skaters in Daewon Song, said this skatepark is severely underrated and is the best skatepark for anyone wanting to master the foundations of skateboarding.
Address: 1717 N. Indian Hill Blvd, Claremont CA, 91711, USA
More Obvious Choices Via Our LA Skateparks Article:
Address: 1800 Ocean Front Walk, Venice, CA 90291, USA
Address: 1835 Stoner Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90025, USA
Address: 2535A E 12th St, Los Angeles, CA 90021, USA
2000-2098 2nd St, Long Beach, CA 90803
Best Skate Spots in Los Angeles
We’ve been documenting the best skate spots and skateparks Los Angeles has to offer for several years now – including our How to Skateboard in Los Angeles article. But we wanted to give you the most robust map to Los Angeles skate spots possible as told by a local LA Skater.
Santa Monica Slappy Curbs – Santa Monica, California
Curb skating will always be a great option for skaters looking to keep it mellow and fun on their skate trip. Maybe you need a great warm up spot or a curb session to end the day, so what better way than right next to the beautiful Santa Monica pier? These Santa Monica Slappy Curbs, just north of Venice and Marina Del Rey, are a must skate for any curb skater in Los Angeles.
Address: 2600 Barnard Way, Santa Monica, CA 90405, USA
Griffith Park Ditch – Los Angeles, California
You’ve probably heard of the Griffith Observatory, the Greek Theatre or even the LA Zoo, all of which can be found in the world famous Griffith Park. However, right by the Griffith Park golf course is the famous Griffith Park Ditch, complete with a snake run, two bump to ledges, huge banks and a DIY barrier grind for the gnarly seekers. Highly, highly, recommended by our GOSKATE staff.
Address: Mineral Wells Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA
Liberty Park JKWON Plaza – KoreaTown, Los Angeles, California
There might be nothing more raw as a street skater than filling up a plaza with your best friends for a hefty skate session. Tricks going down, memories being made, and all while taking over a plaza that has great ground, ledges, and filming opportunities. Head to JKWON on Sunday’s to see a thriving Los Angeles skate scene in KoreaTown, complete with some of your favorite pro skaters like Stevie Williams and Boo Johnson.
Address: 3700 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90010, USA
Hollywood High School – Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
We understand a lot of skaters come to Los Angeles for the skate history and understandably so. Everyone wants to check out the legendary Hollywood High School rails, the 12 and the 16. But there’s also a host of ledges and stair sets within the school that actually are pretty fun and easy to skate. Either way, a trip to Hollywood High is a must do for any skater visiting LA.
Address: 1601-1611 N Highland Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90028, USA
Los Angeles Courthouse Ledges – West Los Angeles, California
At the time of this article, these ledges are still skateable. Rumor has it, this legendary spot is about to be demolished for apartment buildings, along with decade after decade of skate history. Call up your friends or send a message to the skate message boards – skate this legendary Los Angeles Courthouse spot in West Los Angeles while you have the chance!
Address: 42610 10908, Los Angeles, CA 90025, USA
Crypto.com Arena – Downtown, Los Angeles
Crypto.com Arena, formerly known as Staples Center, once hosted the X Games, where winner Paul Rodriguez won gold in what is largely considered the best X Games street contest of all time. Chad Muska and Eric Koston were throwing hammers down the stair sets, as today the set still stands next to a host of manny-pads and ledges. There’s plenty of spots nearby if you get the boot as well.
Address: 1111 S Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90015
Los Angeles Public Library – Downtown Los Angeles, California
The Los Angeles Public Library is one of the more obscure skate spots on this list but also one of the best. While the building has security until 5pm, weekend skaters and summer skaters can enjoy its scenic flatground, as well as two large gaps seen in plenty of skate videos. Take a walk around the building and witness the famous Jason Dill manny pad as well from the DC Video.
Address: 630 W 5th St., Los Angeles, CA 90071
Van Nuys Courthouse – Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California
Everyone thinks of the West LA courthouse when you say Courthouse in LA but the Van Nuys courthouse has no threat of being destroyed and also hosts plenty of skatespots. If you’re staying in the San Fernando Valley, or visiting one of the Valley skateparks on this list, Pedlow, NOHO, or Sheldon, make sure to check out the Van Nuys Courthouse. You won’t regret it, we promise.
Address: 14400 Erwin St, Van Nuys, CA 91401
Best Skate Schools in Los Angeles
Here is a complete guide to the best skate schools, skate camps and skate lessons in the greater Los Angeles area.
Los Angeles Skateboard School – GOSKATE invites you to check out our Los Angeles office which just so happens to be the largest national skateboarding school in Los Angeles.
Local Los Angeles Skateboard School – There’s really nothing better than learning how to skateboard with a bunch of Los Angeles locals. Learn everything from this article and more!
Local Los Angeles Skateboarding Lessons – Some students really benefit from a private one-on-one lesson, receiving the attention they need without the pressure of other students.
Local Network of Local Skateboarders – In skateboarding, there is absolutely nothing more important than community. Here is a link to a local network of local skateboarders provided by yours truly.
Skateboarding Lessons in Los Angeles –Not every skate school needs to be at a school yard. These skate instructors bring the skate school to you and your loved ones or any local Los Angeles skatepark.
GOSKATE Skate Camp – Does your child thrive in an environment with other classmates and skaters? The GOSKATE Skate camp is the best way to take your child’s skate career to the next level while making some amazing friends in the process.
Los Angeles Skate Competitions
It’s no secret that Los Angeles is home to celebrities but it’s less known that these famous celebs are also skateboarders. And honestly, some of these skateboarders are also celebrities.
Click a celebrities name to read more about their involvement in the skateboarding world.
We hope you enjoy our complete guide to How To Skateboard in Los Angeles. We’ve done our best to show you the best places to skate in LA, while also supplying you with the best skate shops to get the best gear. We invite you to contact us anytime with any tips, tools or suggestions to always keep GOSKATE rolling in the right direction.
Want to see a complete guide on your city? Contact Us today and let us know which cities should be next on our To Skate List. We always love hearing from you!
