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| View from Griffith Park with the Griffith Observatory Photo: Yuri Hasegawa |
1) MOUNT HOLLYWOOD
2800 E. Observatory Rd., Los Angeles 90027213-473-0800
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Distance: 2.9 miles
Route: Out And Back
Start in the Griffith Observatory parking lot and follow the Mt. Hollywood Hiking Trail (Charlie Turner Trailhead) road sign. Climb north on a fire road toward the peak. Pass pine trees and terra cotta benches and picnic tables, with Century City towers visible in the distance on your left. A gradual climb overlooks Griffith Park. At the bend, you'll have a clear view of the Hollywood sign and radio towers on the next peak. Instead of continuing toward the horizon, take a hard left and pass a palm-studded lookout with tiered benches. Stay to the right and you'll reach a fenced-in lookout with 360-degree views of the San Fernando Valley and Downtown LA, with picnic tables and ties for horses. Hug the right when descending or end up in the park’s backcountry. Wrap around the "mountain" to find Wilson Golf Course, Dante's View micro-park and the Greek Theatre. Reconnect with the windy fire road that leads back down to Griffith Observatory. Note: If you'd like to extend your aerobic efforts, start your hike by the Trails Cafe and climb towards the Observatory above; or start at the bird sanctuary trail at the bend past the Greek and wrap up switchbacks toward the peak.
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2) O'MELVENY PARK
17300 Sesnon Blvd, Granada Hills 91344View Website
Distance: 3.1 miles
Route: Loop
Park in the spacious lot and set off on a concrete path past a picnic area with low-slung stone and beam fencing. At the sign for O'Melveny Trail/Equestrian Trail, take a right down a dirt fire road. Caution: Rattlesnakes signs appear, and by the time you pass through rustling brush, you may mistake a chorus of crickets from rattlers. Climb switchbacks to see craggy rock faces until you reach a plateau that overlooks the residential San Fernando Valley, a reservoir and higher mountains in the distance. Tread lightly on the descent since dirt is loose, and the decline is steep. There's little shade, and the sun can be punishing in summer, so hike early, in the evening or in cooler months.
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3) PORTUGUESE BEND RESERVE
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| Portuguese Bend Reserve | Photo: Joshua Lurie |
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Distance: 3.0 miles
Route: Loop
Take Crenshaw Boulevard to its southern end, and then keep going. This hike starts at a dead end with a Burma Road fire trail. Mountain bikers and horses join hikers on the long decline. Pass The Harman Overlook under pine trees on Eagle's Nest Trail. Single-track switchbacks will eventually reconnect you with Burma Road fire trail and views of the Pacific Ocean, with squawking shorebirds in the distance. Return to the start on windy, dusty Ishibashi Trail. You’ll see signs for coastal cactus wren and California gnatcatcher, so peel your eyes for these two rare birds. It looks like there may have been a brushfire, but bushes are bouncing back. Pass through a flat, dry meadow to reach the homestretch.
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Runyon Canyon | Photo: Yuri Hasegawa
4) RUNYON CANYON PARK
2000 N Fuller, Los Angeles 90046323-666-5046
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Distance: 3.0 miles
Route: Out And Back
This oversized dog park to the stars starts at the north end of Fuller Avenue, past a row of Hollywood apartment buildings. Pass through a gate with butterfly design, hang a quick left after a lawn used for yoga, and take a right past palms to start your concrete climb. To your right, people pass bygone tennis courts and climb stairs on the next ridge, which is a tougher road. Above you on the left, there's an even tougher climb. Herds of aspiring starlets appear around every corner. Eventually you'll reach houses, a cactus-framed Airstream trailer and the Hollywood Sign to your right before the trail lets out at a Mulholland Drive parking lot. Take a deep breath and descend to the trail’s start.
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Solstice Canyon | Photo: Joshua Lurie
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| Solstice Canyon | Photo: Joshua Lurie |
5) SOLSTICE CANYON
Corral Canyon Rd., Malibu 90265View Website
Distance: 3.0 miles
Route: Loop
Not far past Pepperdine University, you'll find Solstice Canyon. Park in a big lot and walk past Education Shelter to start up wide paved trail with trees and brush on both sides. Pavement gives way to dirt and a bubbling creek to your right. Stay to the left at the bridge and start a gradual climb. Arrive at Tropical Terrace, a burnt out home that supermarket owner Fred Roberts of Roberts Public Market built in 1950 with vaunted architect Paul R. Williams, burned in 1982 Dayton Canyon Fire. A walkable “blueprint” remains. In fact, this canyon is even more misbegotten. As a nearby sign says, in 1901, Henry Keller purchased a claim on this land, to hunt and fish. In 1903, a fire burned the canyon, taking the house with it. Sweeney rebuilt with stone and tin, and the one-room hunting lodge may have survived, but the wood porches helped the structure re-ignite in the 2007 Corral Fire. Take a left to see the remains and a waterfall. Otherwise, continue straight on Rising Sun Trail and climb dusty single track. Clay turns red, and there’s very little cover as you wrap up the hillside. Reach a plateau and wrap around the canyon’s top, the Pacific Ocean ahead. Descend and reach parking lot. Cross the lot and zigzag right, left and right on a paved trail to reach the original parking lot.
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* By JOSHUA LURIE Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board
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