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Climb Beacon Hill in L.A.'s Griffith Park for a bird's eye view of valley and mountains.

Sharply terminated by the Los Angeles River and Interstate 5, Beacon Hill stands as the last eastward gasp of a 50-mile-long mountain range -- the Santa Monica Mountains. Back in the early 20th century, the hill served a utilitarian purpose as the site of an illuminated beacon for Grand Central Airport in Glendale. Today, it presides over flatlands overrun by industrial buildings. Commercial air operations have long since shifted to LAX and four other big airports around the Los Angeles Basin.

Beacon Hill remains unspoiled today because it lies in L.A.'s spacious Griffith Park. On this looping hike up to Beacon Hill's seldom-visited summit, you'll have a unique view of the city of Glendale's medium-rise downtown skyline and spreading housing tracts, and the looming Verdugo Mountains beyond.

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Start your hike on Griffith Park's east side, just west of Interstate 5. This section of the park includes the Crystal Springs picnic ground, and the park's visitor center and ranger headquarters. From the entrance to the large parking lot west of the ranger station and south of the merry-go-round, head south across a paved road onto a parallel fire road. Travel 0.1 mile east, and then turn sharply right up the narrow but obvious footpath that goes straight up the hill. A very steep but short climb takes you up past twisted live oaks and tree-sized toyon shrubs. When you reach a ridgetop path lined with pine trees, turn left and walk up to Beacon Hill's rounded summit. The top is grown over with rangy laurel sumac bushes, but you need only descend a little to the east for a fairly unobstructed view of Glendale.

You can return by a much more gradual but longer route, entirely on fire road. From Beacon Hill, walk west on the ridge to a five-way junction on a shady saddle. Take the right branch, and wind easily down the sides of a steep, north-flowing ravine called Fern Canyon. You pass through some of Griffith Park's densest growths of vegetation -- an agreeable mixture of native chaparral, oaks, and various nonnative trees. Near the bottom, stay right at both of two closely spaced intersections. Your starting point lies directly ahead.

This article contains information about a publicly owned recreation or wilderness area. Trails and pathways are not necessarily marked. Conditions can change rapidly. Hikers should be properly equipped and have safety and navigational skills. The Reader and Jerry Schad assume no responsibility for any adverse experience.

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Sharply terminated by the Los Angeles River and Interstate 5, Beacon Hill stands as the last eastward gasp of a 50-mile-long mountain range -- the Santa Monica Mountains. Back in the early 20th century, the hill served a utilitarian purpose as the site of an illuminated beacon for Grand Central Airport in Glendale. Today, it presides over flatlands overrun by industrial buildings. Commercial air operations have long since shifted to LAX and four other big airports around the Los Angeles Basin.

Beacon Hill remains unspoiled today because it lies in L.A.'s spacious Griffith Park. On this looping hike up to Beacon Hill's seldom-visited summit, you'll have a unique view of the city of Glendale's medium-rise downtown skyline and spreading housing tracts, and the looming Verdugo Mountains beyond.

Sponsored
Sponsored

Start your hike on Griffith Park's east side, just west of Interstate 5. This section of the park includes the Crystal Springs picnic ground, and the park's visitor center and ranger headquarters. From the entrance to the large parking lot west of the ranger station and south of the merry-go-round, head south across a paved road onto a parallel fire road. Travel 0.1 mile east, and then turn sharply right up the narrow but obvious footpath that goes straight up the hill. A very steep but short climb takes you up past twisted live oaks and tree-sized toyon shrubs. When you reach a ridgetop path lined with pine trees, turn left and walk up to Beacon Hill's rounded summit. The top is grown over with rangy laurel sumac bushes, but you need only descend a little to the east for a fairly unobstructed view of Glendale.

You can return by a much more gradual but longer route, entirely on fire road. From Beacon Hill, walk west on the ridge to a five-way junction on a shady saddle. Take the right branch, and wind easily down the sides of a steep, north-flowing ravine called Fern Canyon. You pass through some of Griffith Park's densest growths of vegetation -- an agreeable mixture of native chaparral, oaks, and various nonnative trees. Near the bottom, stay right at both of two closely spaced intersections. Your starting point lies directly ahead.

This article contains information about a publicly owned recreation or wilderness area. Trails and pathways are not necessarily marked. Conditions can change rapidly. Hikers should be properly equipped and have safety and navigational skills. The Reader and Jerry Schad assume no responsibility for any adverse experience.

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4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
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