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Welcome to LAist City Treks, a series of easy hikes and walks that will help 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 recommendations for grabbing a quick bite to eat once you're finished. In fact, many restaurants are within walking distance of the finish line, so you might want to plan ahead. If you go, tag us on social media @LAistOfficial and #LAistTreks
Where are we headed?
Encino like you’ve never seen it before: Encino boasts the largest and oldest community garden in Los Angeles, situated near one of L.A.’s last permanent produce stands. Throw in a park with a pond and orange trees, and you’ve got an unexpected walk on the “wild” side in the paved-over San Fernando Valley.
Why now?
There's lots of shade on this stroll, making it a great morning walk on a hot day: L.A. is bracing for its first heat wave of summer.
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Quickly, what can I expect?
- Route conditions: Flat, paved and some dirt
- Difficulty: An easy 1 out of 5, with 5 being the hardest
- Distance: 2.9 miles
- Duration: Up to 2.5 hours, because this is a leisurely stroll that encourages exploring
- Dog friendly: Yes
- Parking: Free 2 Hour parking on side streets (so keep an eye on your time). Metro bus line on Ventura Boulevard
- Special note: Double-check park hours before you go! As of this writing, Los Encinos Historic Park is open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Sepulveda Garden Center is open daily, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. And the Tapia Bros. Farm is typically open daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Map it!
Download it!
Want to take this map with you?
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Click here and then select "Send directions to your phone." (Note: These Google directions show the route veering off course on the final stretch of Hayvenhurst. Ignore that! You can indeed stay on Hayvenhurst all the way to Ventura Boulevard as you make your way back to the start.)
OK, let's get started ...
From Valley Girl argot and Brendan Fraser's Encino Man to its multitude of faceless mini-malls, Encino has long been a stand-in for the Valley’s “lack of culture” tropes and stereotypes. But Encino has a deep and fascinating history that still clings to its rural roots, all of it hiding in plain sight of the Ventura Freeway. This is an easily navigable route with a fun, free-range element.
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Enter the portals of Los Encinos Historic State Park at 16756 Moorpark St. During Spanish rule, Southern California was divided into ranchos, large sections of land often used for raising cattle. Virtually the entirety of the San Fernando Valley was known as Rancho Ex-Mission de San Fernando, except for a small carve-out called Rancho El Encino. These 4.7 acres are the last vestiges of that exemption — literally the birthplace of Encino, Spanish for “coast live oak.”
What am I looking at?
A stroll through the park offers a glimpse of what a working rancho looked like.
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The area was once busy with orange groves. You are invited to look, but not pluck.
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The duck pond is one of the most popular spots in the park.
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The best way to explore this oak-laden park is to simply roam the grounds. Plaques convey the history of its structures, which include adobes from the 1800s, a blacksmith shop, and one of the last remaining orange groves in the Valley (a sign warns, “Admire, Don’t Pick!”). The centerpiece of the park is a duck pond. It dates to 1874, originally fed by hot springs that soothed weary bones for thousands of years — everyone from ancient indigenous populations to 1920s Anglo guests at a short-lived resort. Exit the park at Ventura Boulevard, tsk-tsking all the ignorant motorists who buzz by this idyllic hideaway every day!
Segueing into suburbia
After turning right on Ventura, hang another right on Balboa Boulevard. Half a block down is one of those monolithic Department of Water and Power distributing stations you see around L.A. This one went up just after World War II, when such plants were meant to look like “temples of infrastructure,” according to the Center for Land Use Interpretation.
An imposing government buildling.
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From Balboa, go right on Otsego Street, part of a residential subdivision that also got built after the war. Many of its single-story ranch houses are well-preserved. Also notable: no sidewalks, a quirk not uncommon in an era when neighborhood kids often shared the street with automobiles.
When you reach Magnolia Boulevard, we want to cross the street. To do so safely, make a left, heading one block back to Balboa. Then turn right into the crosswalk to the north side of Magnolia. Proceed right — heading east — down the sidewalk. (Annoying? Sure, but consider it more steps for your Fitbit and more time to admire the white-petaled Magnolia trees that give the street its name!)
Stop at an oasis
Why did we just do all of that? So we can stop at this gem: At 16633 Magnolia Blvd. (opposite Rubio Avenue), enter the parking lot for the Sepulveda Garden Center. Administered by L.A.’s parks department, this community compound includes 800 garden plots (10 by 20 feet each) that can be rented by the month. The gardens’ hodgepodge of styles invites exploration. While most plots are well cultivated, not everyone here has a green thumb! One gentleman, who rents an apartment in Reseda, told me he just likes to have a little space to call his own, replete with lawn chairs, a few wilting flowers, and a windmill.
This community garden is a great place to take kids: Exploring is invited.
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Birds and insects and pollinators are welcomed in these parts.
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Some in this community garden are very serious about growing things. Others just like having a little slice of dirt to enjoy.
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More serious growers can find everything here to tend their mini-Edens — wheelbarrows, hoses, even a greenhouse to germinate seeds. If you’re visiting with kids (or heck, just yourself), embark on scavenger hunt to track down the grounds’ communal butterfly garden, cactus garden, wood bridge, picnic benches, and random scarecrows. Hard to believe all this lies within yards of the 101 Freeway. Besides providing shade, a grove of mature trees dampens the roar of passing traffic.
Trafficking in art
This mural screams "Life in L.A."
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Exit through the same driveway you came in. Turn left on Magnolia, then left on Hayvenhurst Avenue. Under the freeway’s overpass is a famous mural by artist Sandy Bleifer in which cars are crammed into an open sardine can. I can’t think of a better metaphor for L.A. traffic; in fact, this stretch of freeway is dependably one of the most congested in the city. If the cars look old, that’s because they were painted way back in 1975!
When you're done admiring, keep walking.
One last stand
You might want to pack a grocery bag or two, and maybe even a cooler: A trip to Encino includes stopping at Tapia Bros. Farm for some ultra fresh produce.
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The produce stand is one of the oldest in Southern California.
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On the other side of the freeway, you’ll find the sign for “Tapia Bros. Farm.” Enter their dirt lot at 5251 Hayvenhurst Ave. and get transported back to pre-WWII San Fernando Valley and its many drive-up produce stands. Run by the Tapia family for generations, the farm still does a great business, especially during the holidays, when it rolls out a pumpkin patch and corn maze. Before leaving, drop in on their egg-laying hens, then pick up a bag of fresh fruit or a jar of wild honey to go.
Going commercial
Time to head back. Retrace your steps on Hayvenhurst, crossing over Magnolia and staying on Hayvenhurst until you hit Ventura Boulevard. (By the way, another block past Ventura leads to the Jackson family estate where singer Michael and his siblings grew up; but there’s nothing to see, as the house is safely secluded.)
Next, to borrow from Tom Petty’s Freefallin’ — another pop-culture reference to Encino — turn “west down Ventura Boulevard.” The next four blocks present many decent dining and shopping options; admittedly, they also contain the kind of bland buildings often associated with Encino. But hey, at least now you know there’s more here than meets the eye. Turn right on La Maida Street to return to Moorpark Street, where your journey began.
Done! Where to eat?
LAist's Associate Editor for Food and Culture Gab Chabrán notes that there are several favorites in the area, including Mendocino Farms, famous for its sandwiches and pastas, Sweetgreen, known for its glorious salads, and Poquito Mas, a favorite for Mexican. He also suggests the following:
Versailles
The beloved Cuban restaurant known for its roasted pork, chicken, black beans and rice and so much more ... including a family friendly, welcoming atmosphere.
Location: 17410 Ventura Blvd., Encino
Hours: Daily, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Laidrey Coffee Roasters & Cafe
An exquisite spot for coffee (or tea, or matcha, or ...). They also have a wide array of pastries, parfaits, bowls, burritos, and toasts, including avocado toast, of course, plus los and cream cheese toast and a monkey toast — almond or peanut butter, served with slices of banana on brioche bread drizzled with honey.
Location: 17034 Ventura Blvd., Encino
Hours: Daily, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Sushi Katsu-ya
For a more upscale sushi experience, without the prices to match, head to Sushi Katsu-ya. Everything on the special roll menu online — a Cajun salmon roll, spicy tuna with popcorn shrimp tempura — is $14 or less.
Location: 16542 Ventura Blvd., Encino
Hours: Monday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and then 4:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., and then 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Sunday, noon to 2:30 p.m., and then 4:30 p.m. to 9:30 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.
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