Best Trails near Los Angeles, California

This trail is just pure awesome and action packed. After trekking all around the hills admiring the beautiful landscapes and purple sage flowers we finally started our upward ascent towards the cave! It's a LEGIT cave that you can actually climb up through (no need to have rock climbing experience - just need to grab and scramble a bit). I felt like I was in some secret batman cave a bit and and there was actually a bat or two that flew out the cave. My friend and I climbed up through the cave at a pretty decent high and find a nice area to relax and chill out before our descent back to the bottom.

Pro Tip - After you leave the cave I would highly recommend taking the fire road back to the Victory Trailhead parking lot. This reminds me, when arriving at the trailhead make sure to have $3 cash so can pay for your parking spot.

UPDATE (2/20/18) : I just re-did this hike again with a close group of friends and extended it to Castle Peak! This is a must if you really want to make this a fully adventurous trail. After you explore the cave, you must climb out of the cave and go all the way to the top of the ridge. This portion is steep and also a good uphill workout that is doable. Once you reach the top, you will see in the distance two rocky peaks. The second one in the distance is Castle Peak. This trek is more isolated and rugged so make sure to watch your step. You will do some fun rock scrambling and will get incredible 360 views. Once at Castle Peak, there is a pathway down that will lead back to the trail. Take the pathway back in the direction of the caves and you will hit the parking lot trailhead.

- @justroc @just.trek

Nice short trail perfect for the evening before sunset. It's fully exposed, but well maintained even after the fire. Beautiful views of the Getty & into Santa Monica. Hike around rush hour to enjoy a laugh at the shmucks sitting in traffic!

Easy, pleasant neighborhood hike.

muy bien

bee rock is a fun hike but can be hard to climb if you dint take the trail.

I wouldnt say this hike is 7 miles long. we parked in the parking lot right in front of the old park. it takes under 5 minutes to get too and 20 minutes to look through. there is a look out point up on the hill,which is a lot of fun to get too.

Great moderate hike. I am 45 and fit but I def felt it the next day. I live in Tarzana right below the trail head at Marvin Braude Gateway. I left the house on sat 7:30am and it was buzzing with bikes and hikers on the valley side. The middle stretch I had mostly to myself with the occasional random human being every 30 mins. It was very busy on the Temescal Trail portion. Took me 3.5 hours to reach the beach at Will Rogers. Beautiful trails. Mostly fire roads on the valley side that change to goat paths along the ridges and canyons of Topanga / Temescal. The worst part was walking Temescal Canyon Road to get to the beach.

There is no parking at the trailhead marked here, so we parked at Mineral Wells picnic area and took North Trail up (passing Amir’s Garden) to connect with the mapped route. Great hike with fewer crowds.

The lower portion of the hike is on paved paths and the upper portion is on wide fire roads. There is a bit of climbing, but not too challenging due to how short the hike is. Cool views from the Observatory, as always.

Really nice trail. From the parking lot, after approx 2 miles you can decide if to go left (see the sign from the front, bottom of the sign, or you can go right and you over the mountain, so you see the sign from the top. Totally suggested! Good for kids too, I suggest over 6 and with some trail experience

Really nicely groomed trail for the most part; shady in lots of spots too which was lovely. A couple of tiny stream crossings, and not at all crowded. No hassles with parking and the All Trails map worked perfectly. We ended up going almost 6 miles.

This is a terrible hike... trash everywhere, walking in busy roads. So many better options around LA. However, if you need a dirty diaper, this is your go-to trail.

Great hike.
Stated 8:am Saturday since only 64F & overcast. Went counter clockwise. First 1.3 mi very steep and think difficult to run down if went clockwise. Like to get elevation gain over with in beginning. Picnic tables around mid point. Last 4 mi ish in mostly tree canopy. Trail perfect for running down hill. Lots of friendly women and men on trail. Trail out of Brentwood. Moderate traffic on Saturday. No snakes or lions.
BEWARE of hidden no parking signs.

Great trail on a nice overcast day. Some nice views of DTLA, Griffith Park and greater Los Angeles. Managed to catch a glimpse of the ocean!

Nice urban walk on a paved bike trail following a surprisingly lush stretch of the L.A. River. On a short walk, saw lots of waterfowl: cormorants, egrets, herons, ducks. The water looked inviting, but I didn't pack my hazmat suit.

Easy to follow, wide track trail starting at the pony rides/miniature train station. Most of the climb is moderate, till you get to the short but steep single track to the summit. There are lots of signs, and the trails are well maintained. Not the best views of DTLA, Silver Lake, and Burbank, but worth it if you're close.

It’s a nice hike but nothing spectacular. The smell of horse poop and pee can be a little overwhelming from sunset ranch. There is no shade so avoid on hot days.

The view at the top is fantastic however. Amazing views of the Hollywood Reservoir and the view of the back of the Hollywood sign is certainly unique!

I'm laying here after hiking and I don't know if it's the sun or just taking the more challenging parts of trail but I'm tired... lol This is a nice hike. What I like about it is that it is challenging enough to hike/run without being disappointed that there were no ocean views because of the haze. There is no shade so be sure to stay hydrated or hike closer to sunset. This trail is dog-friendly so be on the lookout since some people some don't pick up after their dogs.

The fire road trail is wide and paved in a way that is versatile enough to hike/bike ride and have your dog off-leash. On this particular day it was kind of hazy so I didn't get the clearest views of the ocean but I read that in a clear day you can see to Catalina. Always be aware that not only are there lizards and snakes but also dog poop to watch for. Also know that some of the mountain bikers come down hill quickly so be alert.

This was my first time but I found out about it because I wanted a trail that was close enough that I could take the dog with he visits. I like that there is a parking lot but also adequate street parking. Respect the neighborhood and when you visit we shouldn't have to worry about permits when the lot is full.

With nice views, a versatile trail and being another gem on the west side I can say that I would recommend this trail for those looking for a little bit of a challenge. Stay hydrated.

Great hike just watch out for the horse poop. minimal shade.

***DO NOT FOLLOW DIRECTIONS TO MANDEVILLE CANYON-TRAIL CAN ONLY BE ACCESSED VIA MULHOLLAND DR.***

Great little hike! For better views (SF valley, West LA, and the ocean on a clear day) and a more secluded feel follow the trail that criss-crosses the fire road. Saw two rabbits, a dead rattlesnake, and plenty of cool birds. Some nice wildflowers along the way too. Good for a light sweat but not too strenuous-fine for small dogs. Went at 7 a.m. on a Tuesday...only a few people on the trail.

Beautiful views! After hiking to the Wisdom Tree, we continued past Cahuenga Peak to get to the Hollywood sign. That section was challenging in parts, but worth the view!

Short (an experienced hiker could probably bang it out in 45 minutes) but challenging hike. The first half of the loop is almost all uphill-my calves were burning by minute 15. The downhill is steep and offers great views of the San Fernando Valley/ Encino Reservoir. I began my hike at 8 a.m. on a Monday and encountered maybe 10 people on the trail. Probably too steep for a small dog. Good for a workout-not really a “nature hike”.

easy.

Fun adventure! Parking is very tricky if you take Bridgeport Dr. Take Wollam St. instead.

My first time on this trail. Was able to go to the front of the a Hollywood sign and then took the trail to behind the sign 1 additional mile loop.Could see the Hollywood reservoir. Nice views of the Griffith observatory . Great city skyline views.

Nice trail. I was happy I could take my dog. There are a lot of forks in the road so the map on this app is needed.

Main thing is about this trail is the views and the park.

I would not try running on this trail since its concrete all the way up.

It’s steep. Scenic. Decent feel of a natural setting in LA, which is no small feat. The walk is easy but steep. Not technical by any means but my 7-year-old would struggle with it. My teens loved it. Great views of the LA skyline.

Through some neighborhoods for a small part of it. Great for running. Good elevation change and a decent workout.

Amazing