This is one of the least used
trails in the Hollywood Hills. It's an unrelenting climb, but the view from
the top spans much of the Westside.
Location: Franklin
Canyon Region: Hollywood/Beverly Hills Distance: 2.3-mile loop
Difficulty: Moderate (hot, exposed climb) When to go: Year-round Hours: Sun up to sunset Phone: 310-589-3230 Elevation Gain: 600 ft. Are dogs allowed: Yes, on a leash Restrooms: At the nature center on Franklin Canyon Dr., north of the
Lake Dr. intersection Parking: Free in the small trailhead parking lot
Trail Information
Full Review: Franklin Canyon Ranch sits right between Beverly Hills
and Studio City, so you'd think it might draw quite a bit of hiker traffic.
Not so. My last trip here was on a sunny Saturday afternoon, and I shared
the Hastain Trail with a grand total of three people. The view grabs just as
much landscape as any in LA, so I don't quite understand why this trail gets
so little notice. I advise you to take advantage.
Start walking up the well-marked Hastain Trail from the small parking lot at
its base. After a while you'll hear a faint buzzing sound - that's the hum
of millions of bees that are, for some reason, housed at two points along
the trail. They won't bother you if you don't bother them.
The trail zigzags up on a completely exposed trail (this is not a great pick
for a hot, smoggy day) to a fork. The right path leads to a dead-end. Keep
to the left to reach the lookout point, where you can walk along a skinny
ridge for a while before turning around and going back the way you came.
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