Earlier this year I married one of my John Muir Trail hiking partners. Three months ago we relocated from the sleepy beachside town of San Clemente to the bright lights of Los Angeles. Many people probably assume there is no hiking in LA, but nothing could be further from the truth. There are some great parks right in town. I saw the Space Shuttle arrive in LA from a trail in Griffith Park last month. There is great access to the Santa Monica and San Gabriel Mountains. And the city itself invites you to walk.
There’s really no better way to get to know a city than walking through it, and in that spirit, I’ll be joining a few hundred others for this year’s Great Los Angeles Walk on Saturday, November 17th. This 17 mile walk extends from the steps of the Disney Concert Hall downtown all the way to the Pacific Ocean in Santa Monica. Now in it’s 7th year, this route will follow the entire length of Melrose Avenue — on the roads I take to-and-fro the gym on a regular basis. Getting to know it more closely will be a treat.
The Great LA Walk is free and there is no official registration. They are asking that people RSVP via the Facebook event page. And you can follow @GreatLAWalk on Twitter for updates.
I’ll be bringing my camera and photoblogging the walk. Just to prove that people really do walk in LA.
That sounds really cool. If I weren’t so close to Helen having a baby I’d go to it but I have to be close by just in case. Is there anything like this in the OC? Should we put something together?
Thanks, Oscar! This will be a real test for Joan, who has been healing her back. We’re hoping to make it the whole way, but keeping the option to stop if need be.
As for doing something like this in OC, I’m not sure where? There is the bike path along the Santa Ana River, but it’s not that scenic or interesting for much of the route (better for a bike ride). Maybe this 17 mile walk down Beach Blvd: http://goo.gl/maps/yztFK which starts in Fullerton and goes through Buena Park, Stanton, Anaheim, Garden Grove, Westminster and Huntington Beach? That would give you a pretty good sampling of Orange County (or at least, that stretch of OC).
Or… maybe a stretch along PCH?
Jeff: If this USC vs. UCLA household didn’t have the big game to watch that day, we’d do this — it’s been on our radar for a couple years. But, just getting a regular hike in requires we DVR and stay off all social channels to watch the game early afternoon…doing a 17mile walk in LA would force us to hold off on the game until the evening.
For Oscar: While it doesn’t provide as much of an urban flavor, OC does have the gorgeous 22-mile (one way) Mountains to Sea trail, which can be done as a shuttle with cars parked at both ends. The 15-mile Aliso Creek Trail is another nice option, again requiring a shuttle — but, allows you to start or end at historic Cook’s Corner for food and drink.
I am coming to the LA area for a few days and would like to do a multi-day walk without getting too far from “civilization”. The trails mentioned above seem interesting, but the links to the Mountains to Sea trail and the Aliso Creek trail are not working. Any other recommendations? Thanks.
Brad – Here’s a working link with an interactive map of the Mountains to Sea Trail: http://forever.irvinecompany.com/the-land/interactive-map/1133
And here’s one for the Aliso Creek Trail: http://www.traillink.com/trail/aliso-creek-riding-and-hiking-trail.aspx
Both of these “trails” are mostly paved, and well-suited for runners (I used the Mountains to Sea Trail when training for my first marathon) and road bikers. Hiking? Not so much.
But if you really want an urban hike, check out the Inman 300: http://socalhiker.net//inman-300-worlds-first-urban-thru-hike/
Perfect! Thanks!