Discover Rugged Nature On This Breathtaking Hike Right In The Heart Of Los Angeles

Griffith Park's chaparral-covered slopes dominate the Los Angeles landscape. This 4,000-acre segment of the Santa Monica mountain range towers 1,600 feet above Hollywood, but it's more than just a backdrop for the iconic Hollywood Sign. Despite its urban locale, this is a veritable wilderness, and offers up some surprisingly rugged adventuring on over 50 miles of trails and fire roads, without having to travel to a national park near Los Angeles. 

The hike to the Griffith Park Observatory, and beyond to the summit of Mount Hollywood if you're a hardy hiker, is a Hollywood classic, with views that stretch all the way to the Pacific Ocean on clear days. You'll share the trail with all kinds of wildlife, both animal and human, from coyotes, mountain lions, deer, and rattlesnakes, to celebrities like Joaquin Phoenix, Rebel Wilson, Amanda Seyfried, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers' bassist, Flea. Isn't it nice to know that whether you've made it to the top of the A list or not, you can always make it to the top of Mount Hollywood?

There are two routes up to the Griffith Park Observatory. The Fern Dell trail begins near the Greek Theater, while the Boy Scout Trail starts on Vermont Avenue. Both are steep and challenging, with lots of sun exposure. But the views are worth it. Just keep an eye out for coyotes, because you may be less than a mile from the Walk of Fame, but you're definitely walking on the wild side up here.

Ferndell, as the name implies, is a leafy, shady oasis on the fringe of hot, dusty Hollywood. The start of the trail meanders along a babbling brook that's shaded by oak and sycamore trees, a welcome respite from both the glare of the sun — and the glare of the spotlights, if you happen to be famous. Soon, however, you'll ascend to the main attraction, a pair of fire roads that branch out and meet again near the base of the Griffith Park Observatory.

Take either one up or down: They're both going to be hot and sunny, so be sure to wear sunscreen, because this is one exposed trek, and layer on some Deet to protect against LA's notorious mosquitoes — the city is known as the most infested in America. You'll gain over 600 feet in a little over a mile on this climb. But the views are stupendous. You're looking up at the Observatory, which you'll recognize from "Rebel Without a Cause" or "La La Land," depending on your generation. Over 1,000 movies and TV shows have used Griffith Park as a location. And as you climb, you're looking over the Los Angeles Skyline.

The best thing about the Ferndell trailhead is that you can stop by the charming, rustic Trails Cafe after your hike for a slice of quiche or homemade vegan apple pie. Or try the cult favorite avocado sandwich, which Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop dubbed "epic." You may still smell like chaparral sagebrush, but you're back in Hollywood, baby.

Less well-known is the eastern route, which starts in Los Feliz. Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, and James Franco have called the Los Feliz neighborhood home, right next door to the trendy Silver Lake neighborhood. It's one of LA's only truly pedestrian-friendly nabes, so it makes sense that an iconic hike would begin here.

Take the Boy Scout Trail to the top (sometimes called the East Observatory Trail), a steep, broad fire road that yields epic views of downtown Los Angeles ands near the Greek Theater at the top of Vermont Avenue in Los Feliz. It's a steep but rewarding huff to the top. But for an even cooler hike, and an even greater thigh burn, take the stairs. There is a semi-secret set of stairs, built in 1924, that begin on Berendo Street near the corner of Cromwell. You'll climb over 500 feet, with spectacular views, including one of Frank Loyd Wright's Ennis House, before arriving at a gate to a fire road that continues on to the Observatory.

Whichever way you arrived, from the Observatory, you can choose to continue on to summit Mount Hollywood on a 3.5-mile loop hike. You'll get a view down to the back side of the Hollywood Sign on the way, as this hike takes you to three breathtaking viewpoints at the Captain's Roost, Dante's View, and finally the summit, which really does feel like the top of the world.