Spot Homes Of Legendary Musicians In This Mountainous California Canyon Neighborhood

While today's celebrities like the Kardashian-Jenners call Hidden Hills their home, that spotlight once belonged to Laurel Canyon. This trendy Los Angeles neighborhood used to be a magnet for legendary rockstars — their very own stomping ground. Iconic musicians of the time were drawn to this area for its counterculture spirit. Together, they built a creative sanctuary where they collaborated and wrote many of their biggest hits.

Stars like Marlon Brando and James Dean had houses in this neighborhood during the Golden Age of Hollywood, but it was Natalie Wood who really set the trend. An influencer of her time, she was the one who made Laurel Canyon a fashionable choice for artists, dreamers, and rebels. After Wood turned heads with her performance in "Rebel Without a Cause," it wasn't long until she started hosting parties with big names like Dennis Hopper and Nick Adams. And when Cass Elliot of The Mamas and the Papas bought the house from her in the '60s, it marked the start of a chapter that defined a generation. The heart of the hippie rockstar culture had officially arrived.

If you live in the City of Angels, the chances of spotting a celebrity are pretty high. But if you want to see where the music mecca of the '60s and '70s came to life, Laurel Canyon is where the magic happened — it's peak California dreamin'.

Cass Elliot was the heart and soul of Laurel Canyon, known for bringing people together in her home. Photographer Henry Diltz once said in an interview with The Telegraph that they used to call her the "Gertrude Stein of Laurel Canyon." It was in her home that she famously introduced Graham Nash to David Crosby and Stephen Stills — and, well, the rest is history. Her six-bedroom house, originally built by Natalie Woods' parents in 1951, was where the counterculture thrived. After Elliot passed away, Ringo Starr lived there for a while, and Dan Aykroyd lived there with his family at some point, too. If these walls could talk...

Jim Morrison — the man, the myth, the legend — rose to fame as quickly as he left us all behind. The song "Love Street" was inspired by the time he spent living in Laurel Canyon with his girlfriend. Built in 1922, their three-bedroom house features iron fixtures, high-ceiling beams, and a secluded upper terrace. The couple often sat on the balcony people-watching while surrounded by well-grown trees.

Counterculture chaos was abundant in Frank Zappa's Laurel Canyon home. The self-taught artist moved to a cabin on Lookout Mountain, which soon became a hub for partying hippies. The three-floor home was basically a "cavernous" playground, as Gail Zappa told LA Curbed. It had a 2,000-square-foot living room, a spiral staircase, and even a bowling alley. No wonder this is where Zappa's psychedelic and progressive sound was born.

Reading about these homes is one thing, but seeing them up close is a whole other story. Who wouldn't want to stand where Joni Mitchel wrote all 12 tracks of "Ladies of the Canyon"? Or visit the place that inspired Linda Ronstadt's "Don't Cry Now" and solidified her place in Laurel Canyon's music scene?

One way to combine exercise with rock n' roll trivia is by taking the Laurel Canyon Hippie Hiking Tour. Local residents host the tour and take you past famous residences of Jackson Browne, Slash, Neil Young, and even John Lennon's treehouse. The hike itself isn't anything crazy — it's the stories that are — and it's only about three miles long. Another way to tour the homes is with author Pamela Des Barnes, who has personal experiences with the area's celebrities. Pamela shares anecdotes from her days as a groupie on the four-hour tour.

No matter how you decide to view these houses, your journey isn't complete without a visit to the Canyon Country Store. Grab a cup of coffee and take a moment to reflect on the creative souls who frequented this landmark. Who knows, you just might find yourself browsing celebrity homes for sale.