Griffith Park

One of the city's finest assets is Griffith Park, which spans 4,310 acres and is situated at the eastern extremity of the Santa Monica Mountains. A big urban park in North America, it is ranked as the second-largest city park in California due to its size. It dates back to a period many years before the city's development even got underway, when only Native Americans lived in the Southland. The Autry Museum of the American West, the Griffith Observatory, the Los Angeles Zoo, and the renowned Hollywood Sign are just a few of the well-known Los Angeles attractions that can be found within Griffith Park itself. Not only does Griffith Park have man-made attractions, but it also has mountains, canyons, and 50 miles of hiking trails. One of the best areas to explore in this area is the 50-year-old abandoned and undisturbed land with a diverse array of flora and fauna, as well as the climb up to Mount Hollywood, the park's highest point at 1,625 feet.

This terrain divides the park into numerous parts or "pockets" of activities because a large portion of it is made up of wild, untamed natural areas with hiking and horse routes. Concessions, golf courses, picnic spaces, pony and train excursions, and tennis courts are all located inside the various zones. The largest picnic area in the park, which is frequently used for sizable family gatherings, cultural fairs and festivals, reunions, and other special occasions, will be replaced by two baseball fields on the east side of Griffith Park in 2014. This project would involve the removal of 44 trees and the replacement of the picnic area, which is four acres (1.6 ha). The proposal might be changed to protect a sycamore that the city has designated as a "heritage tree," a living reminder of Los Angeles' past.

Founded: 1896

Location: 4730 Crystal Springs Dr., Los Angeles
Contact: www.laparks.org/dos/parks/griffithpk

Phone: 323-913-4688
Opening hours: 5am-10:30pm daily