LA places to walk/hike
 

Spending 4 days in LA and looking for suggestions for a couple different short (1-2 hours), easy to moderate hikes/walks in the area. We don't want something so difficult that we'd need hiking boots or special gear, just things that can be accomplished in a good pair of walking/tennis shoes.

We're staying in West Hollywood, but we'll have a car.

You may like to do a search for the Temescal Loop Trail on google. Sounds like a good hike with some effort, and
great scenery.

There's always Griffith Park. Even with the Observatory closed, I would hope that the hiking trails are still open (I haven't been there for a couple of years).

I'm going to do a quick search on Mandeville Canyon-- there might be hiking trails there (I just don't know). I'm a city guy, so I don't seek out hiking opportunities, preferring to explore the streets of town....

How far are you willing to go for a good hike? Several I have done include:

* San Vincente Mountain Park - located where Mulholland turns into a dirt trail just west of the 405. There is an old abandonded cold war era NIKE missle site at the entrance to the wilderness area.
*Whiting Ranch - located way south in Orange County just off Lake Forest Drive. Has lots of bike trails as well.
*Mt. San Jacinto - Palm Springs. Ride the cable car to the top and enjoy the much cooler air and miles of trails.
*Mt. Wilson - Located above LA along the Angels Crest (CA 2) Highway. Visit the observatory also. Fantastic views of the entire LA Basin on clear days. On smoggy days, the towers of downtown LA peep above the smog...
*Hanson Dam in the Valley - near Sylmar.
*Big Bear - lots of trails aroung the lake.

Keith

Artchik:

On the 405 freeway, get off on Sunset Blvd. Head west. (Or get on Sunset from Hollywood and head west).

Go through brentwood, pacific palisades, etc. Make a right turn on Bienvenida.

Drive until it dead ends into a gated community. Turn left and park.

If you are looking at the gated community, to your right will be a small gate, which heads to the trail. (This is all part of the Temescal Loop trail that Jun20 is talking about).

You can follow the trail up to get ocean views of Santa Monica, etc. (Follow to Skull Mountain) Hopefully it will be a clear day, or sometimes you can't even see the ocean. You can easily do this in tennis shoes....I see people running the trail all the time.

You will come to a split on the trail at some point. There should be a marker posted. Going to the right (you should be heading downhill) will take you to a tiny waterfall (left takes you up to Skull Mountain). The waterfall is more a drip this time of year. There is a nice, shady place to eat a packed lunch down there. You can backtrack back up to the views after you eat.

Just watch the markers going back to your car...make sure you take the Bienvienda route, or else you can end up on the bottom of sunset somewhere.

There is a beautiful Botanical Garden in Passadena, a nice walk through beautiful grounds.

Passadena is North of LA, and the Garden is very worth the trip.

Griffith Park trails are open. My husband and a group of his friends hike up to the bird sanctuary a few times a week.

Check out Descanso Gardens in La Canada. The grounds are beautiful and provide a relaxing, lovely place to walk. They have a great gift shop too.

The trail to Inspiration Point in Will Rogers State Park is beautiful and only about 3 miles round trip. The view is great esp. if it's a clear day - from Catalina in the west to snow covered mtns (in winter) in the east.

Some of the most beautiful short (and long) hikes in the area are in the Santa Monica Mountains, just north of Malibu. Here is the website:

www.nps.gov/samo/index.htm

There are a few loop trails (1.2 to 3.9 miles, easy to strenuous) in Solstice Canyon which is within the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. The main "feeder" trail that runs up the middle of the canyon is paved (cyclists are allowed) and is 2.1 miles round trip and rated easy.

Drive Sunset Boulevard west to Pacific Coast Highway. North on PCH to Corral Canyon Road, turn right and signs will direct to parking. Two waterfalls (seasonal) and beautiful views of the ocean and Malibu coastline. Take drinking water. There are porta-potties at the base area but no food services.

Thanks everyone for all the great suggestions! We are going to try to work in as many as possible to our itenerary.

Crazymina- the hike you recommend sounds wonderful. Is the parking inside the gated community or outside, and is it public parking? Don't want to come back from the walk to find the rental car towed......

mdv- do you know if the bird sanctuary trails are marked in Griffith park? That sounds pretty interesting.

I wouldn't call it a wonderful hike...but it's a nice day out if the view is clear. It's strange because it's right off a residential area and you hike by people's backyards first. But it does give you views of Santa Monica. I did this one a couple of weeks ago...the waterfall that Imentioned, well, it's just a little fountain to begin with (I mean, the thing is only 4 feet high). But it was just running snot when I went last. Watch out for the bees too.

So, if you still want to do this hike, the parking is the best part. I've never had problems parking, even on a Saturday (I've done this hike 4 times in the last 4 months. It's just good exercise). Free parking, right outside the gated community. It's basically street parking and the right side of the street is just a hill...so there's plenty of it because there are no homes to park in front of. That's why we park here instead of on Sunset, where another trail starts.

Let me know if you have any other questions...have a great time!

How about a walk along the Venice canals! They really exist. Drive along
Washington Blvd until you see on your
right (north) side Baja Cantina restaurant. Park as near there as you can, walk along the side parking on the
street (west side) and you should see the canals. You could easily spend an hour or two walking there, seeing people's backyards, ducks etc. Another great walk is Solstice Canyon in the SM Mountains. You get there by going north on Pacific Coast Highway for quite a while (you'll be in Malibu) until you get to Corral Canyon (the Restaurant
Beau Rivage--beautiful and expensive) will be on the right, pretty much where you'll turn right. Very easy strolling along a stream, or a bit more hilly going on a different hike--there will be a trail map availab.e