The nice folks at Metro are always on the hunt for good public transit-accessible hikes in the region and where hikes meet environmental friendliness, Outdoors Week is there. Here are three options for carless hikes:
Pacific Palisades: Metro's first pick is Temescal Canyon, a lovely oasis (with waterfall and city-spanning views) off of Sunset Blvd. in the Pacific Palisades--take the 2, 302, or Big Blue Bus 9. If you're coming from points east, it may be a good idea to take the BBB 10, which picks up in Downtown and hits Santa Monica via the 10 freeway, Bundy Drive, and Santa Monica Blvd. (transfer to the BBB 9 in SM).
Chinatown: Next up is LA State Historic Park aka the Cornfields. This 13-acre park is steps from the Chinatown Gold Line station (accessible without transfer from Pasadena, East LA, and Union Station), and is part of a 32-acre plot of land (a former rail yard) that's supposed to be fully activated in the coming years, complete with a new amphitheater, trails and a wetland area. For now, you can peer at the skyline, watch the trains rumble by, and "ride a bike, have a picnic, fly a kite and even look for urban wildlife such as birds traveling down the Pacific flyway," according to the park's website. The land is pretty flat, so it's less hiking and more walking/strolling.
Los Feliz: Last but not least is the mother-of-all-city-green-spaces, Griffith Park. With over 4,000 acres, there're plenty of opportunities for working your glutes. An uncomplicated way of getting there is to simply hop on the 180 or 181 in Hollywood or Los Feliz, get dropped off at the park's entrance, and start your way up the peak.
If you want to attempt the Mt. Hollywood trail, take the Observatory Shuttle, which runs from the Sunset/Vermont subway station up to the Griffith Observatory. The Source blog says to find the "dirt road that exits the [Observatory] parking lot and follow it for about a quarter of a mile to the bridge over Mt. Hollywood Drive. As the dirt road veers left, keep following it for another 1,000 feet, then pick up the smaller hiking trail that branches off to the right. This path ends at an intersection of several paths; Mount Hollywood itself is just 500 feet further north up the hill."
· Trailhead Hunter: Temescal Canyon [The Source]
· Trailhead Hunter: L.A. State Historic Park [The Source]
· Trailhead Hunter: Griffith Park [The Source]
· Vote for LA's Best Hike [Curbed LA]
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