THE GUIDE TO BIKING IN GRIFFITH PARK

E Bike Tours | Photo: Eddy Choz, Discover Los Angeles

Griffith Park is one of the most beloved public spaces in Los Angeles. It is vast, beautiful and in many places undeniably wild. It is home to the world-famous Griffith Observatory (one of L.A.’s best free-to-the-public attractions), 70+ miles of hiking trails, several mountain peaks, three golf courses, at least one mountain lion and the Greek Theatre. The hiking trails are better than the best you could reasonably hope for in the heart of such a massive metropolis, crisscrossing the park to create seemingly limitless possibilities for adventures. But it is on a bicycle that the entire park really opens up for exploration.

By bike you can see and do more in Griffith Park than by car or foot.

Most of the routes described are on roads with bike lanes or are closed to traffic, but there are many other roads that could potentially be explored. In my opinion, this makes the park one of the best places to cycle in Los Angeles.

If you are willing to climb some hills and break a sweat you can ride from East Hollywood/Los Feliz to Burbank/Glendale by climbing up and over Griffith Park, taking full advantage of the southern end of the Santa Monica Mountains. Or if you want a more relaxing ride you can cruise the various perimeter bike paths that connect with the Los Angeles River Bike Path and Forest Lawn Memorial Park.

This guide outlines rides in Griffith Park for every skill level. More advanced riders will relish the challenge and fun of climbing over the mountains and casual riders will love the ease in which the lower meadows of the park can be explored.

All of the rides described in this guide may be combined into a big 13-15 mile loop or may be taken individually.

A NOTE OF CAUTION: Road conditions vary on the routes described. Some parts are better maintained than others. On routes that include Mount Hollywood Drive potholes, gravel and rough road are frequent. Use caution and wear a helmet.

E BIKE TOURS

A great way to explore Griffith Park by bicycle is with E Bike Tours, which offers two three-hour tours of the park - the flagship G'day LA and the Wild Backside. Enjoy spectacular views, visit cultural attractions, and discover hidden gems like Cathy's Corner (as seen in La La Land) and the largest Mexican avocado tree in the U.S.
"LA LA LAND" LOCATIONS

OVER THE HILL - NORTH TO SOUTH

Difficulty: Medium / Hard
Length: 6.4 miles one way
Elevation gain: 896 ft.
Ride Type: There and Back
Special Considerations: Rough roads + potholes, steep downhill grade

Griffith Park at sunset | Photo: Joshua Johnson

Regardless of whether you’re approaching this route from the north or south, get ready to climb and then coast. Half of this ride is steadily climbing the closed-to-traffic Mt. Hollywood Drive to a pass that divides East Hollywood and Burbank. But the work and nearly 900 feet of elevation (probably under the hot sun) is rewarded with panoramic views of L.A. and a close encounter with beautiful California chaparral mountain wild space. For the sake of this guide we will be describing the ride from south to north, starting in Los Feliz.

There is plenty of parking near the entrance of the park where people can usually be found picnicking and hanging out on the grass. The road gradually climbs past The Trails Cafe, the Fern Dell natural springs, a collection of bbq grills and many of the popular hiking trails that lead to Griffith Observatory.

Ride past the parking lots and trailheads and you’ll start to see sharp corners and a steady rise in the steepness of the road. The only traffic you’ll encounter at this point are visitors on their way to the Observatory. Speaking of, you’ll get some pretty great views of the iconic building from across the canyon.

As you approach the road that leads to the Observatory, you’ll undoubtedly notice an increase in traffic and there may even be traffic attendants directing vehicles. At the "T" keep left and then left. Don’t go through the tunnel. Keep left and ride through the series of gates intended to keep traffic off of Mount Hollywood Drive. Breathe a sigh of relief as you are now officially on a road officially closed to traffic save for park vehicles. As you continue to climb you’ll see visitors walking the trails to the summit of Mount Hollywood, one of the highest points in Griffith Park.

After a short climb the road will flatten and turn sharply. This is also a great view of the Hollywood Sign. Go ahead and take a photo, you know you want to. Continue on and soon Three-Mile Trail will connect to the road. Three-Mile Trail quickly accesses Mount Hollywood and Dante’s View if you care to take a side jaunt without your bike.The next wide dirt path you’ll see on your left is used frequently by hikers and equestrians (though officially closed to cyclists). It will descend to the left just before you get to a "Y" in the paved road.

This wide dirt path is the very end of the Old Mulholland Highway and eventually leads to the Hollywood Sign. This is a great hike if you can make time.

Keep straight on the paved road and when you approach the "Y" where the paths diverge and begin to descend keep left. The next route in this guide, MOUNT HOLLYWOOD LOOP will describe the road on the right, but for now go left.

The road gets rougher on the way down. There are potholes, rough gravel, sharp turns and patches of washout. Down this rough, twisty road you’ll coast with two hands on the brakes. There are several wonderful places to stop and take in huge views of Burbank and North Hollywood. This descent is a well deserved reward and my favorite portion of this ride.

Keep twisting downhill towards Travel Town and Forest Lawn Memorial Park (a big, beautiful cemetery) until you see a water tank that reads ‘Travel Town’. Shortly after there is a gate that bars cars that and Mt. Hollywood Drive meet Griffith Park Drive. You may either go left towards the Travel Town Railroad Museum or right towards Wilson and Harding Golf Course.

At this point it is easy to connect to either of the PERIMETER rides describes below. You may complete the loop by riding to Los Feliz Boulevard and riding uphill/west to the Fern Dell Drive Entrance of Griffith Park, where this route began.