The 10 Best Hiking Trails In Los Angeles
Do you live in Los Angeles or visit the city or some of the surrounding areas and love to hike?
Know that the hiking trails in LA offer some of the most incredible views of nature. The following ten trails are 5 to 4.5 star rated and are some of the best hiking trails Los Angeles, California, offers visitors.
These trails give all hikers an up-close and fantastic view of nature in and around busy Los Angeles. If the visitor to LA wants to know about the area, this hike is a wonderful way to experience the location. Previous hikers say that the work put into getting ready for a hike and driving to each location is worth the effort.
These hiking trails give visitors an element of serene peace and quiet. These trails help to revive a tired soul and body in preparation for another busy day in the life of one living in Los Angeles.
The following 4.5 and 5-star hiking trails were located through the Google Search Engine. I will list all five-star locations and proceed to the 4.5-star-rated hiking trails. While five more 4.5-star and one 3-star hiking trails remain on the Google list, the best hiking trails Los Angeles offers are listed as the top ten and are as follows.
Elysian Park Trail/Spot Angels Park (5-star)
- This hiking trail is located at 1025 Elysian Park Dr, Los Angeles.
- Enjoy the park Sunday through Saturday from sunrise to sunset.
This park is a hiker’s dream because of some of the best trails LA offers. The park has a whooping seventeen attractions sure to spark the interest of most age groups. This park is known for its award-winning child care, senior citizen centers, and doggie parks. This park is sensitive to the disabled.
If you want to camp overnight or for many days, this park accommodates campers with pristine campgrounds. If you have been out on the hiking trails and want a refreshing swim, there are clean swimming pools, beaches, and lakes to enjoy.
Day care and day camps are available for parents who want their children to enjoy their day in a special way. Parents can play a game of golf while the children are busy in day camp with exciting playgrounds and activities. Additionally, adults and children enjoy the historical sites, museums, horticulture centers, skating, special scheduled events, and synthetic turf fields for playing ball. The guests who enjoy a horseshoe game also have that. The park accommodates biking and jogging paths for guests who prefer to bike or jog.
Ascot Hills Park (5-star)
- This hiking trail is located at 4371 Multnomah St., Los Angeles.
- Call for information on this hiking trail and hours of operation at 213/485/4833.
In addition to the award-winning hiking trails found in Ascot Hills Park, guests can enjoy the Riparian Nature Trail. This park is famous for its natural setting, an abundance of flowers, foliage, and beautiful birds. The park embraces those who want a break from the hustle of city life. Guests enjoy the absence of city congestion, the constant noises of LA, peace, and tranquility. Ascot Park is host to special events and unique venues.
Earnest E. Debs Regional Park (5-star)
- This five-star hiking trail is located at 3700 Gage Ave, Bell, CA, an incorporated city of Los Angeles.
- Call for park information at 213/485/5054.
- Hours of operation are Sunday through Saturday, from dawn to dusk.
Parents can take advantage of their child care centers, day camps, and dog parks while hiking-kid-free in its impressive trails in this five-star park setting. Guests can reserve a campground site and enjoy this park’s swimming pools, beaches, lakes, historical sites, museums, horticulture centers, recreation centers, skate parks, and senior centers. Enter a game of golf on its pristine courses. This regional park is host to unique and private events and venues. Open to the public are barbecue pits, bike paths, hiking trails, ponds, and picnic tables.
Hollyridge Trail (5-star)
- This five-star hiking trail is located at 3200 Canyon Dr., Los Angeles.
- Hours of operation are anytime you wish to visit.
This park offers guests a 1.2-mile hiking trail. Guests who want their dog on a leash to accompany them are welcome. This trail is well-known for its scenic views. The trail is heavily popular with hikers all over the United States. This park offers ways to climb to the famous Hollywood sign that takes 5.1 miles out and back. Enjoy mountain biking, walking, and horseback riding. This park’s highest elevation is 383 feet. Restaurants and food venues are within close proximity to the park.
Echo Park Trail (5-star)
- This trail is located at 751 Echo Park Ave., Los Angeles.
- Call 805/650/7770 for park information.
Many enjoy hiking along the park’s beach areas and the Green and Yampa Rivers. While this park has no established trails, the park does offer routes that hikers can take to enjoy the scenic views. The park provides several directions for hikers and recommends that they take a map and a compass with them in addition to all the hiking gear they usually take. Hikers need to come prepared with all the hiking essentials, especially if hikers are going off the trail for visits to,
- Mitten Park
- Jenny Lind Rock
- Lower Sand Canyon
Echo Park offers clean picnic areas with tables, fire pits, a vault toilet, river raft floats, river rafting, boating, and cave exploration is a must, as is viewing the Pool Creek Petroglyphs. Drinking water is offered (seasonal), and tent camping sites are available year-round. The camp is not equipped to handle RVs and campers. Call the park number for information on camping charges. Some permits are required.
Runyon Canyon Park (4.5-star)
- The location of this park is 2000 N. Fuller Ave., Los Angeles
- Call for more information at 323/666/5046.
Hikers enter this park on 160 acres near the Santa Monica Mountains, with plenty of hiking trails. The park has strict rules, such as not smoking anywhere on the property. The odd thing is that this park has no restroom facilities on the trails. Hikers are welcome to hike with their dogs if they are on a leash and the hiker is in designated areas only.
There is an abundance of park rangers who insist that hikers remain on designated trails. Park rangers are a phone call away at 323/644/6661 for emergencies. Hikers are urged to take all the essentials on trails, such as plenty of water.
Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area (4.5)
- This hiking trail’s location is 4100 S. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles.
- Call for historical park information at 323/298/3660.
This recreation area hosts award-winning hiking trails with maps and directions. This park offers many amenities, such as baseball, softball, soccer, basketball, fishing lakes, boating, exercise and fitness courses, walking, and volleyball. The park has picnic tables, group picnic shelters, playgrounds for the children, restrooms, fire pits, grills, and concession stands. There are several community centers in the park. The park partners with Baldwin Hills Parklands Shuttle Bus to transport visitors for $.25 one way and is free for seniors.
- Kenneth Hahn State Recreational Area
- Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook
This park is handicapped accessible. Visitors should access the park’s website for various hours for different venues or call the number listed.
Griffith Park (4.5-star)
- This park is located at 4730 Crystal Springs Dr., Los Angeles.
- Call for park information at 323/644/205.
Hikers get the chance to hike rugged hills through over 50 miles of trails intermingled together, including bridle paths and fire roads. The park provides information, maps of all trails, if a trail is closed, and special restrictions regarding trails. At dusk, all the trails close, so return before dusk.
Hikers are prohibited from smoking, using alcohol anywhere in the park, or having an open fire. Please obtain a copy of the park’s strict rules. One recommended trail leads from the Observatory parking lot to Mount Hollywood, where hikers can view the Los Angeles Basin. The park is home to wild critters, so hikers must remain on designated trails.
- Quail
- Rodents
- Foxes
- Coyotes
- Rattlesnakes
- Deer
The park offers a lot of exciting choices to enjoy.
- Bike rentals
- Tent camping
- Boy’s and girl’s camp
- Golf
- Horseback riding
- Jogging
- Picnics
- Soccer, swimming, tennis, badminton, baseball, softball, and playgrounds
Coldwater Canyon Park (4.5-star)
- This park is located at 1100 N. Beverly Hills.
- Call for park information at 310/285/5420.
This fantastic park offers excellent hiking trails for all levels of hikers. This park has biking trails with rental bikes and jogging paths. In addition to hiking trails, Coldwater Canyon Park has swimming pools, beaches, and lakes. Campgrounds are available for tent camping. There are daycare centers, day camps, dog parks, skate parks, senior centers, and golf courses. Facilities are available for special events.
Eaton Canyon (4.5-star)
- This hiking trail is located at 1750 N. Altadena Dr., Pasadena, CA (Pasadena is in Los Angeles County)
- Call this park for more information at 626/398/5420.
- Designated parking is available for park parking. Residential parking is strongly avoided.
This canyon is a hiker’s dream. Hiking starts at Eaton Saddle near San Gabriel Peak in the Angeles National Forest. Park rules are strict for hikers because this park is a wildlife and nature preserve. The organizational goal is to protect its natural beauty. Hikers must be mindful of wildlife and other hikers. The goal is to remain safe and stick to the trails. No trash must be left by any hiker. The park allows hikers to bring their dogs but they must remain on a leash.
There are many different trails, so the park recommends that when trails become crowded, please revert to another less crowded tail. If the day presents heavy rain, the park closes due to the high risk of flooding. The park recommends that hikers be prepared with plenty of water for you, your dog. Bring all of your hiking essentials. If it is sweltering, please limit your time on the trails.
In addition to hiking, there are many other venues of interest, such as:
- Animal exhibits and presentations
- Equestrian centers and trails for horseback riding
- Bird watching and walking
- Nature centers and plant walk
- Picnic tables, shelters for individuals and groups
- Barbecues
- Libraries
- Gift shops
Looking Beyond the Ten Best Hiking Trails in Los Angeles for Five, 4.5-Star Rated Trails and One 3-Star Hiking Trails Los Angeles
- Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook (4.5-stars)
- Will Rogers State Historical Park (4.5-stars)
- Temescal Gateway Park (4.5-stars)
- Franklin Canyon Park (4.5-stars)
- Whittier Narrows Dam (4.5-stars)
- MacArthur Park(3-stars)
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