Hiking in Griffith park is a great way to get out of the house, get a good view of Los Angeles, and depending on which trails you want to follow, a relaxing hike.
With over 50 miles of trails, you can see the entire park and the surrounding communities. You can hike to the observatory, to the Hollywood sign, and to a few of the view points. Griffith park is a great way to enjoy being outside without having to sit in traffic, and you can go into the observatory for a show that’s less than $10. The park is free and accessible to everyone and can be made into a great day trip with friends or family.
I have hiked Griffith park with a friend of mine, and we did not take the traditional trails up. We walked from the parking lot to the observatory, and from there started hiking up to the view points. We started hiking up, taking the steepest trail that cut through to the top. On the way up we met people who were just visiting and wanted to see the view, and others who had been doing this hike for years, some before and during their pregnancy.
The trail we chose was harder than the others, we had to climb up for parts and watch our footing because there was sand that had replaced dirt. Even while some of the trail was hard and pretty steep, there were breaks in where the trails would run through one another, and you had the option to keep up the hard trail or start up the flatter and winding trail towards the captain’s roost. As my friend and I barely made it to the top gasping for air after deciding to once again finish the hike through the steepest trail, a pregnant mother walked along side of us as if it was part of her everyday routine. It made us laugh at the thought of us getting to the top and needing a break while there were others who came and did this weekly. We also met people with their pets who did the hike as well. The top of the trail was great, and aside from the very comfortable benches where we rested, the view was great, we could point out the different cities that surrounded the park. It was a great time, but convincing my friend that we should do it again soon will take some work.
Overall it is a great activity that you can decide is either slow and calming, or short and steep, but regardless of the trails you choose, you will always end up with a beautiful view.
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