Although a unit of the California state park system, it is managed by the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors.

[2] Originally part of Venice-Hyperion Beach State Park, it was renamed in honor of prominent early Angeleno Isidore B. Dockweiler in 1955.

[3] In August 2000 parkgoers witnessed smoke and flames shooting out of a Boeing 747's engine and metal parts as large as a dishwasher landing on the beach.

[5] With gentle breezes and a broad, sandy landing zone, Dockweiler was a major testing ground for hang gliding pioneers in the 1960s.

[citation needed] The Dockweiler State Beach bicycle path is maintained by the Los Angeles Department of Transportation.