Discovering Griffith Park. Casey Schreiner
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Название: Discovering Griffith Park
Автор: Casey Schreiner
Издательство: Ingram
Жанр: Спорт, фитнес
isbn: 9781680512670
isbn:
Location: Bronson Cave
Distance from Sign: About 1 mile
How to Get There: Follow directions for Hike 6
Location: West Observatory Trail
Distance from Sign: About 1.5 miles
How to Get There: Hike 9; if you head down from the observatory, you can utilize the DASH Observatory or Griffith Parkline
IF YOU’RE INTERESTED IN SOME SCIENCE-RELATED BONUS MATERIALS
The “official” viewing point of the Hollywood Sign has been moved to the west lawn of the Griffith Observatory, a place that the Los Angeles Times notes “offers a nice view, but . . . certainly not the only view or even the best view. It just happens to be the most politically expedient [one].” It’s also one of the most accessible viewpoints and definitely one of the easiest to find. It keeps folks from bothering residents on the narrow streets of Hollywoodland, and for most people, the views are just fine. The crowds at the lawn can get pretty huge, especially on weekends, but you’ll also have access to the free science exhibits at the Griffith Observatory and some beautiful viewpoints from the building’s roof, too. Try to come here in the morning for the lightest crowds.
If you want a smidge more solitude, head to the north side of the observatory parking lot for the Charlie Turner Trailhead and hike up to the Berlin Forest. It’s just a 0.3-mile round-trip, and there’s a bit of shade in the forest, too.
Location: Griffith Observatory
Distance from Sign: 1.5 miles
How to Get There: Paid parking, DASH Observatory, Griffith Parkline, or trek in on foot from Hikes 9, 10, or 14; see Hike 12 for trek to Berlin Forest from observatory
IF YOU LOVE A GOOD COMMEMORATIVE VIEWPOINT
When you’re looking toward the Hollywood Sign, consider that the public land you’re viewing wasn’t always public. In 2010, the Tiffany & Co. Foundation donated $1 million to the Trust for Public Land to secure a large tract of privately held land on Cahuenga Peak that a developer was threatening to build on. Additional generous donations from the likes of folks like Aileen Getty and Hugh Hefner and a massive public awareness campaign and fundraising effort from the City of Los Angeles secured the land, which was annexed into Griffith Park.
Location: Tiffany & Co. Foundation Overlook on the Mount Hollywood Trail
Distance from Sign: Just over 1 mile
How to Get There: Hike 12 from the Charlie Turner Trailhead
Even with new barriers, the Hollyridge Trail (Hike 5) is still a great place to see the sign.
This official viewpoint on the Mount Hollywood Trail commemorates those efforts and also offers up an excellent view of the Hollywood Sign. Although it can get crowded here, hikers tend not to dawdle so there’s usually a good turnover for the best views. Plus, you’ll almost always have someone who can snap a photo for you!
IF YOU WANT A BREAK ON YOUR BIKE RIDE
If you’re on a bicycle, most of the available viewpoints are a little tough to get to—but not this excellent pullout on Mount Hollywood Drive. This paved road is closed to most auto traffic and is one of the best north-south cycling routes in Griffith Park.
This viewpoint on a small western switchback of Mount Hollywood Drive provides slightly closer views than the Tiffany & Co. Foundation Overlook just above it but has much lighter foot traffic and only requires a bit more navigational know-how to reach.
Location: Mount Hollywood Drive
Distance from Sign: About 1 mile
How to Get There: By bike on Mount Hollywood Drive; Hike 33; or hike up from the DASH Observatory stop at West Observatory Road and Mount Hollywood Drive
The rustic hand-built staircases in Amir’s Garden are just one of the special touches in Griffith Park.
Other Outdoor Stuff
If you’re already lacing up your hiking boots, you can skip ahead to the “Hiking Griffith Park” section. But there is so much more you can enjoy outdoors in Griffith Park—and some of these activities won’t even make you break a sweat (unless you’re, like, really chowing down those tacos).
VOLUNTEER GARDENS AND SPECIAL FORESTS
When Los Angeles was still just a growing town and far fewer people explored the trails and byways of Griffith Park, some citizens decided to leave their own personal marks here. These people took advantage of park enforcement’s tendency to look the other way to set up citizen gardens, also called volunteer gardens—homegrown oases of manicured gardens inside the park. While today, trying to do something like this in the park would definitely get you in trouble—not to mention potentially cause issues with the native habitat—these small gardens remain treasured and unique spots within Griffith Park that are still cared for by volunteers.
Captain’s Roost
On the western slope of Mount Hollywood, the Captain’s Roost was the first of the volunteer gardens in Griffith Park—meaning this guy who people knew only as “The Captain” decided to “volunteer” his services to plant and run a garden without asking anybody if he could do so first. This man’s identity remains shrouded in mystery, but by accounts of those who remember, both he and the caretakers who took over after him were not exactly friendly to others. The Captain’s Roost was almost totally destroyed in the 2007 Griffith Park Fire, but volunteers have slowly been bringing the area back to life with new drought-tolerant and native plantings. Today the roost is a small bench and narrow footpath through some lovely sage scrub and two rows of telltale palm trees, which provide an easy way to spot the area from other parts of the park.
Reachable By: Hikes 11, 12, 16, 30