There are so many great hiking trails in the Los Angeles area, that it would take more than a short feature to describe them all. Below are a couple of  samples.

Griffith Park
4730 Crystal Springs Boulevard
(213) 485-4825

Disappear into the wilderness right in the middle of urban Los Angeles. Griffith Park has about 53 miles of trail to wander. The Sierra Club conducts regular hikes in Griffith Park. Call the Sierra Club at (213) 387-4287 for details.

Point Dume

Located about 20 miles or so west of Los Angeles off Highway 1 (exit on Westward Beach Road), Point Dume is a little bit of a drive from the city, but well worth it. This hike takes you up into Point Dume Headlands, with a dramatic view of the California coast and the vast Pacific Ocean. This place is popular from December to March with whale watchers looking for the gray whale migration. Parking is available at the end of Westward Beach Road, for a fee. Walk along Westward Beach to get to the path, which is fairly easy to find

Will Rogers State Historic Park
1501 Will Rogers State Park Road
Los Angeles, CA 90272
(310) 454-8212
(818) 880-0350

You’ll find this park right off Sunset Boulevard, as it winds through Pacific Palisades. Originally home to Will Rogers, the much loved cowboy humorist, this 185-acre ranch was declared a state park in 1944. It features a regulation size polo field, stables, and a golf course.

Go past the polo field and stables to get to the closest trailhead. Will Rogers State Park has trails for hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding, in varying elevations and degrees of difficulty. A popular trail takes you to Inspiration Point, a hilltop vista where you can catch a panoramic view of mountains, city, and ocean. The park is open daily, from 8am to sundown, and the day use fee is $6.

 

Topanga State Park
20825 Entrada Road
Topanga, CA 90290
(310) 454-8212 or 455-2465
(818) 880-0350

Canyons, cliffs and rock formations await visitors at Topanga State Park. Located at the edge of the Santa Monica Mountains, this park is an excellent place to take in the natural beauty of southern California, without having to go outside the city limits of Los Angeles. Over 30 miles of trails give hikers and horseback riders many scenic views of the Park and the Pacific Ocean.

Topanga SP is accessible from both the Ventura Freeway (the 101) and the Pacific Coast Highway (the 1). From the 101, exit on Topanga Canyon Boulevard, go south, then turn left at Entrada Road. From the 1, go north on Topanga Canyon Boulevard, then turn right on Entrada. The park is open daily from 8am to 6pm, and the day use fee is $5.