Results tagged “trail”

          

It's no Mount Whitney, but the hiking to the top of Sandstone Peak is truly satisfying. Your journey to the top, elevation 3,111 feet, has sights and sounds different than the Santa Monica Mountains we know closer to Los Angeles. Forget the city noise below Runyon Canyon or the families splashing about at Malibu Creek--the trails of Circle X Ranch on the western part of the range are mostly quiet with lone birds heard echoing through the canyons and the sights of sheer cliffs dropping off into deep canyons is exhilarating.

After a wildfire swept through a portion of Joshua Tree National Park last May, officials announced today that the Lost Horse Mine Trail has been reopened. "While the Lost Horse Mine Trail is being re-opened, park visitors are urged to remain on the trail while hiking through the area," a statement read. "The pace of germination and post-fire re-growth [of fragile desert plants] has been slowed somewhat due to the lack of summer rainfall and generally dry conditions across the park." Speaking of dry conditions, swarms of bees in search of moisture have caused the closure of the Jumbo Rocks Campground until further notice. Bees have been actively moisture in trash cans, bathrooms and off human skin.

A $25,000 donation to the Altadena Foothills Conservancy will enable the non-profit to study a trail from Eaton Canyon to the Rio Hondo River in Rosemead, ultimately enabling a large trail system in the San Gabriel Valley. "The system would connect Arcadia to Whittier, through Temple City and Rosemead, and loop around the other side of Whittier Narrows park up through Industry and Baldwin Park to reach Irwindale," according to the Daily News. The trail would run along the mostly-concreted Eaton Wash that's currently off limits to the public. Last month, a 20-acre site was secured as open space by residents and the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy.

The brutal drenching Southern California took back in 2005 shut down a good deal of recreational space around Los Angeles. An LAist favorite included the trail Henniger Flats in Altadena, but more locally was the loss of the Lake Hollywood Reservoir

Like Runyon Canyon, Temescal is one of the more popular hiking trails immediately accessible to Angelenos. Runyon is a city park so it is not under the threat of closing like 80% of states parks in Gov. Schwarzenegger's budget plan. Temescal, however, runs through two state properties. One is Temescal Canyon Gateway Park, which is under two conservation agencies not threatened with closures.

              

It's one of the city of Los Angeles' better ideas: an interconnecting network of trails in the equestrian friendly Northwest Valley. The 117-acre Palisades Park--not to be confused with the one in Pacific Palisades or in Santa Monica--is one of the many, stretching close to three and a half miles from Tampa Boulevard to Reseda Boulevard between the Limekiln Canyon Trail and the ones in Eddleston and Aliso Canyon parks.

              

A few weeks ago, the Bird Sanctuary Trail finally opened back up after the 2007 Griffith Park fire left it unusable to the public. It's a relatively short hike, but one that offers great views and connects to a wider system of trails.

It was back in 1992 when the Mulholland Scenic Parkway Specific Plan went into effect, setting course for the city of Los Angeles to preserve the historic 1924 drive through a set of land use regulations and improvements. Among those was the Core Trail, some 22 miles in length, roughly from near the Hollywood Bowl to Topanga Canyon Boulevard. Approaching 20 years since it became law, some are wondering why nothing has been done.

One of the losses in the Griffith Park fire, which began two years to the date, was the bird sanctuary trail off Vermont Blvd., north of the Greek Theatre. Today, after thousands of volunteers--most notably the Pacific Asian Volunteer Association who adopted the project--the trail once again opened to the public. Of course, Griffith Park's loudest cheerleader, Councilman Tom LaBonge, was there to tell everyone about it and take a hike with them. The short loop trail has some nicely shaded portions and crosses a small stream.

              

Into the hills of Sherman Oaks where expensive homes sit and windy roads lay are many a cul-de-sac. One of those areas off Beverly Glen leads a few Angelenos in the know about a little-known hiking trail in a practically ignored city park called Deervale (it's not even listed on the city's website).

This time it is LA Times Bottleneck blogger Steve Hymon calling out LA County Supervisor Don Knabe, a "leader in regional transportation." Well, the regional attraction that is the 22-mile bike path running from Temescal Canyon to Torrance has a section in Marina Del Rey that could be mistaken for the San Andreas Fault, according to Hymon who says the crack in pavement is "perfect for catching bike tires." So what's he doing about it? "Surely, such a leader will be able to get a relatively small section of bike path repaved so that grumpy reporters aren't making inquiries about it, as I'm about to do." Go, Steve, Go.

                    

In addition to providing you with an excellent cardio and lower-body workout, the Hollywoodland Staircases Walk also has amazing views of the city, the landscape, and two major landmarks (the Hollywood Sign and Griffith Observatory). Throw some local history (concrete staircases joining hilly residential streets installed in 1923 as part of the Hollywoodland real estate development) and a wide variety of architecture and you have more for your eyes to drink in than you bargained for in just a one-hour, 2 mile walk through the charming Beachwood Canyon neighborhood.

   

As you drive "over the hill" from the Valley to Hollywood along Laurel Canyon Blvd., there's a sign there asking for donations to save some plots of land from development. No, it isn't a citizens' group or a non-profit for wilderness, it's a government agency. "Donated funds needed immediately to save these six acres under option by part agency," it reads.

It is a shame that it took us a year and some months after the Orange Line's opening to bike it from end to end. So we braved the chilly weather today and did it. We even did it from the Clybourn St. Burbank border on the Chandler Bike Path that connects to the City of Burbank's 4-mile bike path. One way, the Orange Line ride is 14 miles (add 1.2 miles for the...