Scramble up a steep Griffith Park
hilltop that overlooks Glendale, then walk back down a gentle fire road. A
short, fairly easy hike.
Location: Griffith Park Region: Hollywood/Beverly Hills Distance: 1.9-mile loop
Difficulty: Moderate When to go: Year-round Hours: 6 a.m. to sunset Phone: 323-913-7390 Elevation Gain: 550 ft. Are dogs allowed: Yes, on a leash. Restrooms: At the ranger station Parking: Free parking in lot
Trail Information
Full Review: This country's best urban
parks have the amazing ability to transport you out of the congested
metropolis to a peaceful, natural hideaway. Griffith is not one of those
great parks. No matter where you hike, you're always within sight of city
and smog, within earshot of busy freeways. Even the best of its trails feel
awkwardly urban.
But if you live nearby, the Beacon Hill trail makes for a decent after-work
excursion. You can take a jog among the chaparral, oaks and pepper trees to
a smoggy overlook. The scenery is spotted with drainage pipes and power
lines, but it sure beats running alongside speeding buses and cars on the
park's perimeter.
To get to the trailhead, walk out of the parking lot entrance and cross the
street. Continue up a dirt path that intersects the road. Take the first
right turn, which leads you around a bend and up a steep, narrow path that
looks more like a Blair Witch movie set than an actual trail. This takes you
up and up and up, under a thick tree covering, until you reach a fire road
at the top.
Turn left onto the fire road and walk until you reach a five-way
intersection. The path on your left goes slightly downhill, then up for a
quick scramble to the top of Beacon Hill. When you're ready, turn around and
walk back to the intersection, then back down the fire road you came from.
Instead of turning back down the steep, narrow path, continue down the fire
road into Fern Canyon, as it twists and turns and finally dumps you out onto
the street just above where you parked.
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