How to Hike Fryman Canyon in Los Angeles

This three-mile, round-trip hike through Lila Wilacre Estate Park in Los Angeles' Fryman Canyon, takes you from the San Fernando Valley floor to the top of the Hollywood Hills. The park, once the estate of a silent film star, is part of the Betty B. Dearing Trail, an ambitious attempt to create a hiking trail that extends from Griffith Park to the Pacific Ocean. Wilacre Park is located a half-mile south of Ventura Blvd. just off Laurel Canyon Blvd. at 3431 Fryman Canyon Road in Studio City. There is a large dirt parking lot located at the trailhead and the hike offers breathtaking valley views as you rise ever higher.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Comfortable walking shoes
• Hat
• Sunscreen
• Bottle of water

1. The wide trail begins just left of the parking lot entrance and is paved at first. It ascends uphill past terraced hillsides and the remains of a grand brick fountain that attest to glory of the site's Roaring Twenties past.
2. The grade rises under a canopy of oak and eucalyptus and then opens up to an isolated glade where the pavement ends and the dirt trail begins. The trail winds along the side of a hill offering breathtaking vistas of the surrounding hills and valley below.
3. At the top, you'll discover stone walls and climb stairways built by WPA workers during the Great Depression of the 1930's. The steps lead up to Coldwater Canyon Park where horse stables and a water tower from the 1920's still remain. The renovated stables now serve as home to the Tree People, a non-profit, environmental organization.
4. Relax on the benches before heading back down. Dogs are welcome and there's even a special doggie-drinking fountain.

Tips & Warnings

• Wear comfortable walking shoes.
• Wear a hat.
• Apply sunscreen.
• Bring a bottle of water.
• On-leash dogs welcome.
• Don't hike in the middle of the day in summer. Temperatures can be scorching.
• Watch out for rattlesnakes. They're few and far between, but not unheard of.