There are so many parts of L.A. that we never get to see because we’re all stuck in our cars. So let’s shake things up a bit. LAist is launching a new series — LAist City Treks — and it’s all about exploring L.A.'s hidden gems on easy hikes and walks.
Why it matters: Remember during the pandemic when we were all itching to get back outside? Well, this new series channels that energy into checking out easy walks and hikes. This series will take you to the unexpected parts of L.A. that you typically just drive on by, or might otherwise miss in sprawling SoCal. Expect a bit of history, a bit of culture, and a whole lot of fun. And did we mention these walks are aimed at beginners (although you can always add on time and distance if you want more).
Why now: The first trek takes us across the structure dubbed the Park To Playa Bridge. This bridge was the last missing piece in the jigsaw puzzle to connect enough parkland and trails so that ambitious hikers — like you — could one day trek all the way from the Crenshaw area down to the Pacific Ocean. The bridge opened during the pandemic, without much fanfare. So this is your invitation to check it out as we explore a small, 3-mile section of the overall trail. You'll be rewarded with sweeping views at the top. And, if it's a clear day, you can see the Hollywood sign.
The guide: If you love walking, and you live in L.A., then you probably have a copy of the popular walking bible known as 10,000 Steps A Day In LA. The author, Paul Haddad, is now taking LAist readers on a new adventure with city treks around L.A. and SoCal.
Welcome to LAist City Treks, a series of easy hikes and walks that will helps you explore the parts of Los Angeles and SoCal that we rarely get to see — or only see through the car window. Expect to get about 5K steps, and plenty of photos for your social media channels. Keep scrolling, because you'll also find three recommendations for grabbing a quick bite to eat once you're finished.
Where are we headed?
We're heading to spectacular city views as we walk across the Park to Playa Bridge and make our way to the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook. If it's a clear day, you can even take in the Hollywood sign. And if you're feeling up to the challenge, check out as many of the Culver City Stairs — 282 steps in all — as you dare. Tag us on social media @LAistOfficial and #LAistTreks
Why now?
You can't get lost on this trail because it's all fenced in. But you'll still feel like you're getting away from it all in the middle of the city.
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This hike explores a scenic, three-mile stretch of the Park to Playa Trail. The full Park to Playa Trail spans over 10 miles, from the Baldwin Hills Parklands down to the Pacific Ocean. The trail was years in making, as cities and communities pieced the necessary land together like a jigsaw puzzle. The big missing piece was a bridge spanning busy La Cienega Boulevard. The bridge finally opened during the pandemic, but it remains unfamiliar to many.
So go now, before the summer heat becomes an issue, and check it out. The Park to Playa trail has six segments: You could also plan do do little pieces of it over several weekends, and then you'll have Park To Playa bragging rights.
Quickly, what can I expect?
Route conditions: Rolling terrain, mix of pavement and dirt trails
Difficulty: 3 out of 5, with 5 being the hardest (most of the route is easy, but there is one brief, challenging stretch
Distance: About 3 miles, with the option to add on distance (and stairs!) at the top
Dog friendly: Kinda — leashed dogs are allowed on the trail, but technically not the overlook. However, leashed dogs can be seen everywhere
Costs/Parking: Parking is free during the week, $7 per car on weekends. There is also a 25-cent shuttle service option on weekends
Trailhead bathroom: Yes. There are also bathrooms at the Stoneview Nature Center (closed Mondays) and at the turn around point.
Map it!
Want to take this map with you?
Click here and then select "Send directions to your phone." NOTE: The Google Maps directions send you up a steep hill to get to the bridge. We'd rather avoid that. So we recommend you park at the Doris Japanese Garden entrance and then follow our directions outlined here to get to the lower parking lot. It's a much friendlier path. Once you are at the bridge, the Google Maps directions will work just fine.
OK, let's get started...
Entrance to the Doris Japanese Garden at Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area
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On either side of the entrance, you'll find ornate carved lions... or is that a dragon? Either way, pay your respects.
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The fenced in koi pond is a bit weathered. But still pretty to look at.
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The turtles seem to hid in plain sight here.
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Choose the center path as you walk into the Japanese garden. You want to walk so that the koi pond is on your immediate left. (If you choose the wrong path, you could be in for a very steep hill.)
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If you stick to the center path, and keep the koi pond on your immediate left, this trail should soon come into view. See that yellow metal pole up ahead? That's your sign you're on the correct path.
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A few more steps, and look to your left: You'll see the lower parking lot, and the bridge that we're about to walk over. You might be wondering — couldn't I have just parked here? But this parking lot is not always open. In the future, though, look for its entrance immediately to the left as you are entering the park. It's a narrow, one-way road. And if the gate is open, you are free to head on in, according to park officials.
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Enter the Kenneth Hahn Recreation Area entrance at 4100 S. La Cienega Boulevard in Baldwin Hills and make your first left into a parking lot. From there, you'll travel back through two parking lots — almost as if you are heading back to La Cienega — until you hit a cul-de-sac and see the distinctive red entrance to the Doris Japanese Garden. You'll park here, and then venture through the gate, stopping to say hello to the ornate carved lions on either side. The garden here is a little weathered and worn, but you can still enjoy the koi, the turtles, squirrels, ducks and other wildlife that make their homes here.
Upon entering, choose the center path so that you keep the koi pond on your immediate left as you walk on by it. Keep on this path, and, as you can see in the photos above, you'll see a yellow metal pole up ahead — that means you're in the right place. A few more steps and the lower parking lot, and the bridge, will soon come into view on your left. (This path is all so new that you won't even find it yet on the park's own maps! And if you don't stick to the right path, you could end up on a nearby trail that has a grueling 12% grade.) Continue on the path as bends and curves down into the lower parking lot, and the eastern end of the bridge.
Here, the hike begins in earnest.
What's with that name?
This covered bridge honors the person who helped create it.
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This isn't just for looks. It's a critical crossway for critters dodging cars.
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This is probably where you'll do a doubletake: The optics of a convicted felon’s name engraved into the steel truss of this bridge may seem surprising, but there’s no denying that Mark Ridley-Thomas helped create more open space in South L.A. as a member of the county board of supervisors.
As you walk over the bridge, the beds of native landscaping to your right aren’t just for show; they offer safe passage for the park’s critters to cross over bustling La Cienega Boulevard. After you step off the bridge, you'll follow the fenced trail as it begins to gently zig and zag its way up the hillside.
Watch out for art work
This is L.A., and so you're never too far from creativity, even on the trails. About 500 feet past the bridge you’ll find one of a half-dozen “Citizen Seeds” sculptures created by artist Kim Abeles. The installation calls attention to the area’s biodiversity and history.
Keep walking, enjoying the twists and turns of the road as you continue a gradual climb.
Detour at the Stoneview Nature Center
A few more hundred feet on your right is the Stoneview Nature Center. Completed in 2017, the county-run complex is a model of adaptive land use, sitting as it does on an abandoned oil mine. Amble along a well-curated trail that takes you past meditative gardens, compost stations, a labyrinth, even a “bee hotel.” There are many classes held here, such as cooking and art creation for kids, yoga in the shade for adults. (You can also drive directly to the center.)
The entrance to the Stoneview Nature Center, which is definitely worth exploring.
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Raised garden beds are just once place where visitors here can learn about raising their own food and native plants.
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Shhhh! It's yoga time on the weekends under the trees here. Extra umbrellas also provide some shade.
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Cooking and arts classes are held here, too.
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There are many places to have a picnic in this area.
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If you like to garden, you'll find plenty of resources here.
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On a breezy day, you can hear the gentle sounds of the wind chimes here, made from kitchen and gardening tools.
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Plan ahead, and find your secret spot to break out a picnic. If the breeze is just right, you just might be serenaded by the soothing sound of metal music. I’m talking, of course, about the two unique wind chimes in the nature center's avocado and orange groves. Designed by the art collective Fallen Fruit, the chimes are made up of discarded kitchen utensils and cookware donated by neighbors.
What's this mural in the middle?
The Lavendar Chiveevi mural. It is a dedication to the land, and its people.
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Exit Stoneview and make a right, continuing on your walk. You'll soon come up on Lavender Chiveeví, a Los Angeles County commissioned mural that honors the biodiversity of the plants found in the area, the surrounding community and roads, and the indigenous people who once called the area home.
Active oil pumpjacks can be seen in the distance, part of the Inglewood Oil Field. The trail will dip once more before it begins a climb of 200 feet over the next half-mile.
Don’t worry, you got this! Just take your time.
Along the way, take an opportunity to pause and turn. At several points, you can enjoy the blissful feeling of seeing nature all around, and barely any signs of "civilization" beyond a glimpse of some power lines and the whirring of traffic in the distance.
Final push to the top
Make your way to the top, and you'll find it's always busy with people getting in a workout or just enjoying the sweeping views. When it's a clear day, you can make out the Hollywood sign.
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The trail will lead you to the edge of the parking lot at the Baldwin Hills Scenic Outlook. Walk all the way through the parking lot, and just before you hit the street on the other side — Hetzler Road — take a right and walk into the outlook area. This spot is almost always busy with people walking dogs, working out and chatting with friends.
Walk past the bathrooms and events area and begin making your way to the left, along a new series of fenced trails, and head to the outer edge and outlook. You'll know you're going in right direction when you hear lots of voices. Follow the voices.
You'll then walk out into an opening and all your hard work will be rewarded with sweeping cities views.
The turnaround point
The famed Culver City Stairs are no joke. There are 282 steps in all.
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Now, you have a decision to make: Turn back, or explore the Culver City Stairs and the trail that zig zags around it. Just remember, what goes down, must come up, and these stairs are no joke. Also fun: Just watching others navigating the stairs while you enjoy the vistas before you including the Hollywood sign, DTLA, and more.
When you're ready, make your way back the way you came, back down the trail, across the bridge, and back up past the koi pond to your parking spot.
No one gives you side eye for ordering a taco on a fresh flour tortilla (instead of corn) at Loqui. There are also plenty of bowls with the protein of your choice served with rice, beans and man options for vegetarians. They also have extra sides of protein (shrimp, chicken, etc.) for those watching the carbs. And chips and quac for those who are not.
Step back into the year 1958, slide into a red booth, admire the Googie architecture and enjoy some classic diner fare at Pann's, such as eggs and buttermilk biscuits, hot cakes, and country fried steaks, milkshakes, burgers and more.
Location: 6710 LaTijera Blvd., Los Angeles Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
If it's a Saturday or Sunday, and you're not too grimy from the hike, head to Post & Beam for their weekend brunch. They're known for Southern food with a California twist, such as shrimp and grits and fried chicken and waffles and pecan pie French toast. Plant based and gluten free options, too.
Location: 7367 Santa Rosalia Drive, Los Angeles Hours: Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where to next?
Any suggestions for great hikes in and around L.A.? Don't keep it to yourself! Let us know, and we might check them out for a future story.
Matt Dangelantonio
directs production of LAist's daily newscasts, shaping the radio stories that connect you to SoCal.
Published February 5, 2026 3:35 PM
Three people are dead and several others are injured after a woman crashed her car into a 99 Ranch Market in Westwood.
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Topline:
Three people are dead and there are multiple injuries after a driver crashed into a 99 Ranch Market in Westwood.
What we know: The crash happened around 12:11 p.m., according to LAFD, which says four people were transported to local hospitals. Two of those people were in critical condition and two were in fair condition. The L.A. Fire Department said the woman driver hit a bicyclist about a block earlier before crashing into the store.
Both the driver and bicyclist declined medical treatment and hospital transport. LAPD says it's not treating the crash as intentional. The LAFD says it removed the silver sedan from the store when it arrived at the scene to rescue people who were trapped. All three people who died were inside the bakery at the time of the crash.
The victims: Names of the victims have not been released, but LAFD has identified them as a 42-year-old woman and two men, ages 55 and 30.
The Los Angeles Police Department set up a perimeter in the parking lot of the California Science Center following a shooting Thursday.
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Topline:
Los Angeles police officers shot and killed a man who appeared to be armed with a rifle outside the California Science Center in Exposition Park on Thursday morning, according to LAPD Deputy Chief Marc Reina.
What do we know right now? Reina said a motorcycle cop initially spotted the man around 9:30 a.m. carrying what appeared to be a rifle and walking west down State Drive, a small road that runs between the science center and Exposition Park Rose Garden. Multiple cops responded to the scene and faced off with the man. The subject continued down State Drive, Reina said, before police opened fire.
Read on ... for more on what witnesses to the incident saw.
Los Angeles police officers shot and killed a man who appeared to be armed with a rifle outside the California Science Center in Exposition Park on Thursday morning, according to LAPD Deputy Chief Marc Reina.
Reina said police do not yet know the identity of man, who they estimate was about 35 years old.
No police or other community members were injured in the incident, Reina said. The science center was placed briefly on lockdown but reopened. The north side of the museum remains closed, the deputy chief said.
Reina said a motorcycle cop initially spotted the man around 9:30 a.m. carrying what appeared to be a rifle and walking west down State Drive, a small road that runs between the science center and Exposition Park Rose Garden.
Multiple cops responded to the scene and faced off with the man. The subject continued down State Drive, Reina said, before police opened fire.
Los Angeles Fire Department personnel arrived at the scene and pronounced the man dead, Reina said.
The incident will be investigated by department use-of-force investigators, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office and the LAPD’s inspector general, the deputy chief said.
Investigators have not yet determined what prompted police to open fire, Reina said. Police do not believe the man fired his weapon.
Here's what witnesses saw
Stacey Hutchinson said he was sitting on a bench along State Drive drinking a cup of coffee when the incident unfolded.
He said the man appeared in good spirits and greeted him nonchalantly as he walked up the street before taking a seat. Hutchinson said he saw the man carrying what appeared to be a long gun.
Police initially responded with bean bag guns, Hutchinson said, but drew firearms when the man picked up the weapon.
Police opened fire after the man pointed the apparent rifle in their direction, Hutchinson said.
The man did not appear to be trying to enter the science center, Hutchinson said, and appeared to remain calm until police asked him to drop his weapon.
Keep up with LAist.
If you're enjoying this article, you'll love our daily newsletter, The LA Report. Each weekday, catch up on the 5 most pressing stories to start your morning in 3 minutes or less.
Jill Replogle
covers public corruption, debates over our voting system, culture war battles — and more.
Published February 5, 2026 2:34 PM
Then-Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do serving at an Orange County Board of Supervisor's meeting back in November 2023.
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Former Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do has been disbarred, stemming from his conviction last year on a federal bribery charge. The disbarment was expected. It stems from a state Supreme Court order that came down Dec. 1 and is now recorded as such on the state bar's website.
What's the backstory?
Do is currently serving a five-year prison sentence in Arizona after admitting to directing money to several nonprofit groups and businesses that then funneled some of that money back to himself and family members for personal gain. LAist has been investigating the alleged corruption since 2023. Do was also ordered to pay $878,230.80in restitution for his role in the bribery scheme that saw millions in taxpayer dollars diverted from feeding needy seniors, leading authorities to label him a “Robin Hood in reverse.”
What does the bar action mean?
The official disbarment means Do is prohibited from practicing law in California. He was also ordered to pay $5,000 to the State Bar.
Go deeper ...
Here's a look at some of LAist's coverage of one of the biggest corruption scandals in Orange County history:
Gillian Morán Pérez
is an associate producer for LAist’s early All Things Considered show.
Published February 5, 2026 2:21 PM
The first graduation at California Indian Nations College, class of 2020 and 2021.
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Courtesy California Indian Nations College
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Topline:
California now has it's first fully accredited tribal college in almost 30 years.
California Indian Nations College in Palm Desert recently received an eight-year accreditation from the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges.
Why it matters: The accreditation grants the college access to state and federal funding for higher education. Assemblymember James C. Ramos of San Bernardino calls the milestone historic, saying California has the highest number of Native Americans in the U.S.
