Hiking Trails and Access in Los Angeles
Hiking in Los Angeles has not been an easy task for many years because of the amount of metro sprawl that has occurred in the basin. Very little land has been left for natural trails, wild life, and trees however a few places still provide an excellent day hike. Hiking provides exercise, a necessary component for a quality life.
Hiking In Kenneth Hahn Park
This is more like a national park than a local park. There is (fed) fishing, many miles of trails, and views of the entire Los Angeles county from the top. We normally bring briquettes for their BBQs and a few large dishes to share.
Getting into the park is normally around $4-5 per car so pack it up. I suggest going to the very top of the park which is past their very own police location and beyond the man made river. Parking is pretty easy on week days in the morning. Walk any place you want but there is a great trail with ocean views that starts across the large bowl like meadow. The trail head is not marked and it is just in the far north corner of the field. You can walk for many miles with out repeating the same walk but I suggest getting about a 2 mile hike out of it.
Topanga Hiking Hot Spots
Take the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) to the 27 and take a right on Topanga. Go a few miles up and you will find some of the most beautiful hills near Los Angeles. There are many different destinations including Allan’s Bench, the rock overlooking the ocean, and many waterfalls.
Topanga Animals on Hike
Most of the trails are marked from the road but you can also ask one of the nice people at the parking stations for a $0.25 map. There is also lot parking near the trail heads for $8.00 and they will issue you a yellow car pass or you can just park on the near by roads. Be sure to park completely off the road.
Topanga Plants on Hike
I suggest starting your hike by going up as far as you can, then heading to the ocean on a near by ridge. This will bring you to a visible ride where you can look for hundreds of miles across the ocean because you are so high in the air. Trails range from about 1 to 4 miles but in the summer heat it can seem like 10 miles going up hill.
The Topanga hills are very close to Los Angeles and they are one of the greatest hiking locations in the area. Their bathrooms, clear trails, on-the-trail drinking fountains, and other accommodations make their advanced hikes feel easier.
Hiking In Los Angeles National Park
Just north east of Los Angeles is the Los Angeles National Park. It is home to thousand of hiking trails and is about as far away as Orange County (right next door!). This national park has seasonal snow, rivers, waterfalls, and plenty of hiking trails. There are also 4×4 trails and logging trails so if you are picky about your trail mates make sure you know what type of trail you are hiking on.
Pull up a mapping system like Google Earth and look at all of the different hiking trails and ways to get there by road. Watch out for trail head rats (people who will take stuff out of your car while you are hiking) and bring plenty of water.
