You can park for free on the street which has many trees for shade. The hike entrance is to the…read moreright of the Descanso Gardens. If it's a hot day I recommend bringing some water and a hat. It's a two mile journey up to the top at Cerro Negro. We started our hike late around noon and it was hot with few people along the route.

Today is wild and it's yours. What can I say I'm wild for her cherry adventure. ;D…read more Cherry Canyon Park composed of a small but dense network of trails that are great for hikers, runners, bikers and walkers. It offers a panoramic view of mountains. This park is located in La Cañada Flintridge near the popular Descanso Gardens. There are different entrance/exit points to CCP such as Descanso-CherryCanyon trail, Conservancy trail, Motorway, Forest hill and Hampstead. I decided to take the Descanso Cherry Canyon trail on Descanso dr road. The trail has an elevation gain of 950 ft with a hiking level of 4 (moderate with steep inclines; not for beginners). The loop trail length up to 5 miles and you'll definitely spend at least 2 hours; it's highest summit reach to 1,887 feet. Cherry Canyon trail is dog friendly and bike friendly. There is little to no shade on these trails. Fellow hikers were amiable and respectful. There's very little to no human traffic on these trails. Furthermore, the trails were well maintained and trail signs are abundant. However, you can easily get loss given these trails were interconnected as evidence by a young male hiker who got loss asked me for direction. Finding street parking was easy. Cell reception was good. Overall, it's a wonderful trail to get a good cardio workout and enjoy the mountain view.

This trail (and by the way I have no idea how it got its name) is hidden in the hills above…read moreGlendale and La Crescenta. It's one of my favorite hikes in the area because it's pretty strenuous, yet it's all uphill out and downhill back (my favorite kind of hike). I love it because you got some pretty awesome views after just a few minutes of hiking. In fact I think this trail has some of the best views of the Crescenta Valley in the area. The Yelp directions are really accurate but parking is limited as it's in a residential area. I was lucky enough to hike on a weekday and have no idea what it would be like on a weekend; I found parking easily and didn't see another soul, other than a gazillion lizards. Be safe, take a cell phone and any other safety gear that's needed. And don't forget water.

Don't ever go on this trail. You'll absolutely hate it. You'll be miserable and the grueling hours…read moreyou spend hiking it will be time you'll never get back. Just don't even consider it - move on to other trails. No seriously don't keep reading bc it's a waste of time. Ok, now that I've weeded out the people who don't really read on haha...Actually this "trail" is truly a whimsical hidden gem! I hesitate to review it bc it's still largely quiet and lightly trafficked! A real local secret treasure! We LOVED our hike here! It's along a "fire road" but don't let that fool you - it's not paved. It's rocky and bumpy and definitely still feels like a nature trail (but the incline is very gradual and we didn't need any poles). Seems like only service vehicles use it and not very often. It's wide and easy to hike on. The incline is a good butt-kicker - a great workout but very manageable if you're at all used to any incline. I found it to be pretty easy, even though AllTrails calls it moderate (and I'm not "in shape" by any stretch of the imagination lol). We did 6 miles total with a gain of just under 1100 feet. Incline all the way in, downhill all the way out - just how I like it! I love trails that have a little "reward" to work towards and this one does not disappoint!! If you make it all the way, you're rewarded with a really cool tee pee (although it's bare right now with no canvas), a cool bee farm next to a lavender field, amazing views, and a small rock maze with a treat inside! We sat up on a high rocky vantage point to really soak it all in and refuel before heading back down. But really you're rewarded all along the way bc the views are just breathtaking! There's a nice bench about halfway where you can see all of the SGV, the LA basin, DTLA, and even Marina del Rey!! It was a tad smoggy but you can see the ocean and Channel Islands too when it's more clear. I bet sunsets are just incredible here! The other name for this trail is the "Tee Pee trail" and that's how you find it on AllTrails. It's right off the Angeles Crest Hwy. We just plugged "Mt Lukens Fire Road" into our gps and it took us right to the parking area. Parking is a dirt/gravel pull out on the side of the highway. It's narrow and backs right up to a steep mountain drop off so be very careful when parking or you'll go over the side of the mountain!! Kinda scary! You'll know you're there bc you'll see a ranger station across the hwy from the parking and that's where the trailhead is...even though it says "not open to the public" - it's ok to hike it - they just don't want anyone driving inside. Crossing the road from the parking is also a little scary though bc it's hard to see cars coming around the bends so be careful and RUN! Lol To get to the tee pee and bee farm, you'll eventually come to a cute mailbox marked "Bee Flat" with a chain across the road at the top of a hill. You'll see a nice, grassy area with a well worn trail. Go to the left of the mailbox and head towards the beehives. The tee pee is all the way at the end. It's private property but the owners allow hikers unless otherwise stated. It's not residential at all so it's not like it's someone's house or yard or anything. It's just a small little bee/lavender farm area. I think an adventure pass is required to park. And it's limited and seems to fill fast - it was almost full when we arrived at 745am on a Friday! But it was virtually empty when we left around lunch time. And there aren't any bathrooms so come prepared. This trail does go far on beyond the tee pee area - my understanding is it takes you all the way to the Mt Lukens peak which is the highest point within the LA city limits! #hikinggoals!!

Surprisingly or not, there are so many awesome hiking trails in and around the LA area and this is…read moreone of those nice hiking trails that is not too difficult but also long enough and enough elevation gain to get some good exercise and enjoy the outdoors and the views of LA.

Quiet, easy hiking trail for the whole family. Baby stroller access may be a little tricky the…read morefirst 10-15 minutes. But after that it's smooth sailing. A very pleasant and peaceful walk. You may notice some freeway noise in some parts. HOW TO GET THERE: Set your GPS/Navigation to "Descanso Garden". You're going to park inside Descanso Garden anyways. Its free and its a 3 minute walk from the Trailhead. Do Not use the Yelp app's "Get Directions" on your smartphone. It'll take you to someone's house. I wish Yelp would correct this. PARKING: Don't tell anyone I told you this but I always park at Descanso Garden Parking Lot. It's free. I park my car right at the entrance to Descanso Garden so that I'm close to the entrance. There's always a gazillion empty parking spaces here. As soon as you park your car, walk back to the entrance (towards the main road, Descanso Drive) and then turn left onto the dirt sidewalk. You'll walk for a minute and find the 3 little yellow steel posts that other Yelpers described. That's your landmark for the entrance to the Trail. TRAILHEAD ACCESS: The trail begins about a 3 minute walk from the Descanso Garden parking lot. So when you exit the Descanso Garden parking lot, immediately turn left. Walk on the dirt sidewalk for less than a minute and on the left hand side you'll see 3 yellow steel posts (you know the kind that prevents people from driving over it). Walk through these 3 yellow posts and you'll find yourself walking on asphalt flanked by 8 feet tall brown colored fencing. You'll ask yourself "Am I at the right place?". Trust me, you are. Follow the signs and suddenly you'll find yourself at the trailhead. DIFFICULTY LEVEL: Easy. I went to Descanso Trail with my in-laws today. They're both in their mid-70's (very healthy) and they had no problems. The most difficult part of this trail comes about 5 minutes into the walk. You'll find yourself staring at an uphill climb consisting of several switchbacks. There's lots of loose rocks that someone can slip on. Especially small children and elderly. Climbing up is not bad. Even for my mid-70's in-laws they had no trouble. Did it without resting. Coming down these switch-backs is a little more challenging but definitely do-able for the healthy elderly. A walking/hiking stick will help. The rest of the hike is smooth sailing. Slight uphill and downhill walking here and there. Nothing challenging. The trail is made of compacted dirt, mainly about 5 feet to 10 feet wide. If you're a good hiker, if you've hiked Half Dome then this Descanso Trail hike will be a 'walk in the park'! BABY STROLLER: For about 99% of this trail, a stroller will have no problems whatsoever. However, within 5 minutes of starting this hike (read my "Difficulty Level" section above) you will find yourself at the bottom of an upward climb through some switchbacks. I think some healthy parent with a capable stroller probably could push the buggy uphill. But I believe for most parents, this will pose a challenge. You're better off holding the baby in your arms and having someone else carry the stroller uphill. Luckily, this uphill walk will take less than 5 minutes. After this, the rest of the trail is easy sailing for a stroller. Mainly compacted dirt. Keep in mind there are some gently upward and downward hills you need to navigate. CELLPHONE RECEPTION: I had 3 to 5 bars on my Verizon iPhone the whole time on the trail. No problems with reception at all.

Hiking is a passion of mine which I truly enjoy. This is a trail that allows the flexibility of…read morebeginner to advanced workouts. For starters if you are into running, jogging or bike rides this trail is perfect. I enjoy the running aspect as I love a great workout. If you enjoy some chill time or a read this is a great spot as well. From enjoying a great sunrise or sunset this is a great spot.

Verdugo Mountains are a small, rugged mountain range of the Transverse Ranges system, located just…read moresouth of the western San Gabriel Mountains in Los Angeles County, Southern California. These mountains offer seven different elevation trails: (a) La Tuna; (b) Hostetter; (c) Vital Link; (d) Stough trail; (e) Skyline Motorway; (f) Beaudry and (g) Las Flores Motorway. I took the Vital Link trail, a 3-5 miles with 1,275 to 1,890 ft of elevation. The Verdugo Mts have a wide variety of wild plants, trees, rodents and lizards. What I like about this mountain is its 360 degree view of LACounty. Little to no shades going to the summit, so bring sunscreen and water. Overall, I enjoyed hiking this mountains. It keep me fit af!

"There's only one hill!' said the announcer before the Verdugo Mountains 10k this morning, waiting…read morefor knowing chuckles from returning runners. Only one hill......yep. The steepest hill ever and straight up 1,735 feet! Even though I've lived in the area for almost 20 years, I had never actually hiked the fire road out of Brand Park. The Verdugo Mountains 10k gave me the opportunity at last. I'd had this 10k on my radar for several years but, quite frankly, was quaking in my running shoes at the prospect of actually doing it. I'd heard it described as extremely grueling; to be honest, if anything, this aspect of the race has been under-hyped. I'd been "training" and thought I might be kind of ready. Well.......I finished it but not in any kind of decent time for me and found this the hardest race ever. It's a given that running straight uphill is difficult. But a bigger problem was coming downhill. I'd assumed it would be possible to make up some time; but the road was SO steep and rocky that this was not to be. If anything I ran more slowly downhill than up so as not to slip and fall and to avoid killing my knees. Thankfully it wasn't just me; my friend and goddaughter agreed that this was the toughest run EVER. The http://www.runtheverdugos.com/ organization did an excellent job with this race. Staff was placed strategically to ensure safety on the trail, with plentiful water stops. Everything went very smoothly, even the pancake breakfast at the end. (Five stars for the pancakes!) The Verdugo Mountains themselves offer lovely views and wonderful cool breezes floating down the canyons. This being spring, wildflowers bloomed everywhere. If you are into high intensity workouts and challenging runs, this is the road for you. Who needs to pay money to a gym? Just drive to Brand Park, take the road past the Doctor's House, breathe deeply, and start running. Enjoy!

Mt Wilson was an amazing hike, utterly beautiful. The observatory at the top and the picture…read moreopportunities were fun. We hiked on a perfect weather day and enjoyed ice cream at Mother Moo Creamery at the bottom. Wonderful experience. Please come and create your own adventure.

+ Fun hike! Good exercise if - it weren't for the fires…read morecausing destruction. Mt Wilson trail is now in disrepair and inaccessible. No notice of when it'll reopen. - Before driving 1 hr up there, I searched online "mt wilson forecast" to check for road/trail closures. The websites don't mention any. I drive up there, turns out Mt Wilson is closed! D:{ + But thankfully Chantry Flat just 5min drive away is open. + Decent single restroom at the Mt Wilson trailhead. + There's a restaurant at Mt Wilson summit, near the Observatory haha . Moderate amount of shade on these trails. - Lots of flies on these trails trying to fly into my mouth.

This hike going up the firebreak ridge to Lawlor, then to Strawberry Peak saddle and back is about…read more4.8 miles round trip. The hike starts at the same trailhead as Strawberry peak. You will continue on for about 1 mile, then see the steep ridge ahead that will take you directly to the peak. The climb is a little less than 1000 feet elevation in 0.6 miles. This ascent is very steep, and there will be some rock scrambling/climbing and loose gravel and scree to contend with. At times it may be difficult to get a foot hold. Take your time. At the top, the mountain starts to flatten and you will follow the trail to the right to Mount Lawlor peak (marked with a partial telephone pole). I would recommend to take the firebreak trail to Strawberry Peak saddle (about 0.7 miles) to descend, as it will be much safer. The trail is overgrown in parts and there is some rock scrambling down as well, but the trail is mostly visible and easy to follow. At the saddle, take a hard left and follow the single file trail back to the trailhead. This part of the trail is quite easy. If you are looking for a challenging alternative to Strawberry Peak, this hike fits the bill. parking - adventure pass required if you park in the designated parking lot (which is closed at this time due to covid-19 restrictions). Alternate parking is available across the street

Great hike but get ready for a tough ascent and a tougher descent. The first couple of miles are…read morefairly easy, the trail is straight forward and clear until you reach your U turn to head up to the summit (this is where it splits for strawberry peak) That trek up is tough, lots of climbing over rocks and spiky bushes. At times it feels like you've lost the trail but just keep heading up. I did not see anyone on my way up to the summit or down and I started around 10:30am. So this is definitely the path less traveled which I appreciate when I'm hiking. The way down is fairly straight forward, again it doesn't look much like a trail and there was LOTS of challenges- spiky bushes, loose dirt, it's a kicker for sure. If you're confused where to go basically continue on the trail south and it's a straight shot down. Very literally straight down. There's some cables to hold on to so keep an eye for those they're very helpful! I checked my GPS a couple times to make sure I was heading in the right direction but again it's really just down. A couple of things: WEAR PANTS!!! The spiky bushes are real and even with capris my legs are all cut up. Definitely wear hiking boots to protect your ankles on the way down. I'm writing this review during Covid 19 shelter in place, so the main parking lot is closed but there is a small parking lot just past the paved one where you can park and walk up. This trailhead as of when I'm writing this review is open and you're able to hike it still!

Great hike to do and there's different levels with different paths to go from right along the water…read moreto uphill to a large path for pets and bike-friendly. El Prieto Trail has a great history as well so that was cool to read up on history of Robert Owens, an African American pioneer who settled in the area in the 1850s. Large parking area as well. A little dusty in the beginning but as you get deeper in the trails, it's not bad at all!

The first time we hiked in the Gabrielino trail, we took the right fork which was mostly paved road…read moreand flat ground but this time we decided to go to the left fork and hike the El Prieto Trail. There is an incline and it's more challenging and nature-y. The trail is narrow and there are more mountain bikers, I've heard a lot of bells ringing the back and front of me along the 1.5 hour hike but all bikers were courtesy. I would definitely hike this trail again.