Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times
10 L.A. staircase walks with breathtaking ocean views
The StairMaster at the gym offers a fine enough workout.
But, let’s say it’s a beautiful day in Los Angeles, and after a long day at work, you’d like some outdoor exercise. Maybe you’d even like to gaze out at the Pacific.
In L.A., water rules everything around us. Drink up, cool off and dive into our stories about hydrating and recreating in the city.
Enter the staircase walk. Public stairway passages carve through L.A.’s many hills and mountains. Not only can they show you a new side of the city, but they will also, inevitably, tone your glutes. An elite few also offer ocean views, making a tough climb that much more worth it. Regardless of whether you find yourself in Beachwood Canyon or Redondo Beach, rigorous adventure in the form of a staircase and a glimmering lookout awaits.
Each of the walks below was inspired by one of two local stair climbers: author Charles Fleming, a former L.A. Times writer who penned two “Secret Stairs†books, or Dan Gutierrez of SoCal Stair Climbers, which is both a social club where folks meet up to do guided walks, and a free website where Gutierrez outlines each of his walks in great detail.
Several routes are near transit, so you can skip our dear city’s infamous traffic and see it from a different vantage point.
Showing Places
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
Pacific Palisades — Castellammare
Pacific Palisades Urban Trail
This scenic, 518-step walk is strenuous, but the sweeping ocean views and unique, stately homes you’ll pass along the way serve as a lovely distraction.
Here’s how to get there:
1. Park in Will Rogers State Beach Parking Lot 5 on the ocean side of Pacific Coast Highway. The fees vary depending on the season, but you should expect to pay between $6 and $13 on any given visit. Important note: In theory, the self-serve parking machines should accept debit and credit cards, but when we went, only cash worked and the machines didn’t give change. So pack your wallet with money in exact amounts.
2. Head north on PCH past a bank of public showers and restrooms toward the pedestrian bridge that goes over the highway.
3. At the overpass, climb the 35 steps to cross the highway and then walk past the south side of the once-grand Thelma Todd’s Sidewalk Cafe, now a historic site owned by the Many advertising agency, up another 40 steps up to Castellammare Drive.
4. Turn left onto Castellammare, walking uphill a short distance to the next set of stairs on the right — 69 steps up to Posetano Road. Across the street, you’ll see evidence of stairs that used to go farther up, until they were destroyed by a landslide, so here we turn left. We’re still walking uphill, but this street has many lovely homes that our slow ascent gives us plenty of time to admire.
5. At Revello Drive, turn left and head downhill. Just after 17712, you’ll find your next set of stairs on the left, heading down 91 steep steps with gorgeous views of the Pacific Ocean.
6. You’ll touch down at the corner of Breve Way and Castellammare. Follow Breve as it curves downhill to Porto Marina Way and then turn right, walking uphill again to 17737 Porto Marina to find your next set of stairs on the right, which — you guessed it — rise 86 steps up, back to Castellammare.
7. Turn left at the top of the stairs and continue walking uphill on Castellammare. Here you’ll see more evidence of landslides and the herculean efforts to hold these slopes and massive homes in place. Along the way on the right, you’ll see a slope studded with buried concrete blocks that make the hillside look like a honeycomb. The holes in the blocks provide places for planting grasses and shrubs that could help stabilize the slope. Farther along, you’ll see the massive pilings supporting what appears to be a giant villa with huge, suspended-in-midair tennis courts and a patio jutting out the back. Strangely, the villa looks like a fairly normal home from the front at 17800 Tramonto Drive, which we will be passing shortly.
8. Castellammare gets steeper as it finally reaches Tramonto Drive. Our walk will continue uphill to the right, but it’s worth a short detour to the left, on Porto Marina Way, to walk to the gates of the stately Villa de Leon, built on the edge of the cliff, with butter-colored balconies and statuary and a vast view of the ocean. This 12,000-square-foot Mediterranean villa was built in 1927 for industrialist Leon Kauffman, one of the first residences to be built in the Castellammare development and reportedly one of the largest villas in Southern California.
9. After you’ve had your fill of gaping at the villa, head back up Porto Marina past Castellammare to where the road becomes Tramonto Drive and continues its uphill climb. To your left, through the trees, you can supposedly spot glimpses of the neighboring Getty Villa, but we couldn’t see much through the leaves.
10. After a steep blocklong climb, turn right onto Vicino Way to an easier climb to the next corner, at Tramonto Drive, where you turn right and walk on fairly level ground for several meandering blocks, past magnificent midcentury homes, older estates and truly astounding views of the Pacific Ocean.
11. Stay on Tramonto as it winds and curves, reveling in the views and wondering at the construction past Tranquillo and Notteargenta roads and Bellino, Quadro Vecchio and Coperto drives until you come to Revello Drive, where you turn right.
12. Revello will continue your winding descent, first heading south and then making a wide curve to the right, so that you’re facing north. Just before the road ends, right after 17496, you’ll find another staircase to the left, 122 steep steps to the bottom, passing huge jade plants and a tall hedge of bougainvillea in various shades in four sets of 25 steps and a final set of 22.
13. You’ll land on Posetano Road, where you turn right. At Stretto Way, stop to admire the massive cream-and-teal home of the actor (and cafe owner) Thelma Todd, who was active in films from 1926 until her mysterious death in 1935 at the age of 29, when she was found dead in her car in the garage of Jewel Carmen, the former wife of Todd’s lover and business partner, Roland West. The cause of death was ruled accidental carbon monoxide poisoning, but many questions remained unanswered, even after the coroner’s inquest.
14. On that somber note, make a hairpin turn left onto Stretto Way, and at the bottom of the block, turn right onto Castellammare and walk to the end of the road, where a big chunk of the street was washed away by landslides in the 1960s and ’70s, according to local staircase expert Charles Fleming. Today, there is a dirt path that allows pedestrians to cross the divide, down a little hill and back up to the paved road where we first encountered Castellammare.
15. Once you return to the pavement, walk straight a short distance, looking to the left until you see the 40 steps that take you back to the pedestrian bridge over PCH and down 35 steps to the other side, where you can return to your car. Note: If you’re hungry, as we were, keep walking south on PCH to Gladstone’s restaurant, across from Sunset Boulevard. You can approach the restaurant by walking along the beach too, if you prefer to preserve the rarefied vibe of Pacific Palisades just a little bit longer.
Here’s how to get there:
1. Park in Will Rogers State Beach Parking Lot 5 on the ocean side of Pacific Coast Highway. The fees vary depending on the season, but you should expect to pay between $6 and $13 on any given visit. Important note: In theory, the self-serve parking machines should accept debit and credit cards, but when we went, only cash worked and the machines didn’t give change. So pack your wallet with money in exact amounts.
2. Head north on PCH past a bank of public showers and restrooms toward the pedestrian bridge that goes over the highway.
3. At the overpass, climb the 35 steps to cross the highway and then walk past the south side of the once-grand Thelma Todd’s Sidewalk Cafe, now a historic site owned by the Many advertising agency, up another 40 steps up to Castellammare Drive.
4. Turn left onto Castellammare, walking uphill a short distance to the next set of stairs on the right — 69 steps up to Posetano Road. Across the street, you’ll see evidence of stairs that used to go farther up, until they were destroyed by a landslide, so here we turn left. We’re still walking uphill, but this street has many lovely homes that our slow ascent gives us plenty of time to admire.
5. At Revello Drive, turn left and head downhill. Just after 17712, you’ll find your next set of stairs on the left, heading down 91 steep steps with gorgeous views of the Pacific Ocean.
6. You’ll touch down at the corner of Breve Way and Castellammare. Follow Breve as it curves downhill to Porto Marina Way and then turn right, walking uphill again to 17737 Porto Marina to find your next set of stairs on the right, which — you guessed it — rise 86 steps up, back to Castellammare.
7. Turn left at the top of the stairs and continue walking uphill on Castellammare. Here you’ll see more evidence of landslides and the herculean efforts to hold these slopes and massive homes in place. Along the way on the right, you’ll see a slope studded with buried concrete blocks that make the hillside look like a honeycomb. The holes in the blocks provide places for planting grasses and shrubs that could help stabilize the slope. Farther along, you’ll see the massive pilings supporting what appears to be a giant villa with huge, suspended-in-midair tennis courts and a patio jutting out the back. Strangely, the villa looks like a fairly normal home from the front at 17800 Tramonto Drive, which we will be passing shortly.
8. Castellammare gets steeper as it finally reaches Tramonto Drive. Our walk will continue uphill to the right, but it’s worth a short detour to the left, on Porto Marina Way, to walk to the gates of the stately Villa de Leon, built on the edge of the cliff, with butter-colored balconies and statuary and a vast view of the ocean. This 12,000-square-foot Mediterranean villa was built in 1927 for industrialist Leon Kauffman, one of the first residences to be built in the Castellammare development and reportedly one of the largest villas in Southern California.
9. After you’ve had your fill of gaping at the villa, head back up Porto Marina past Castellammare to where the road becomes Tramonto Drive and continues its uphill climb. To your left, through the trees, you can supposedly spot glimpses of the neighboring Getty Villa, but we couldn’t see much through the leaves.
10. After a steep blocklong climb, turn right onto Vicino Way to an easier climb to the next corner, at Tramonto Drive, where you turn right and walk on fairly level ground for several meandering blocks, past magnificent midcentury homes, older estates and truly astounding views of the Pacific Ocean.
11. Stay on Tramonto as it winds and curves, reveling in the views and wondering at the construction past Tranquillo and Notteargenta roads and Bellino, Quadro Vecchio and Coperto drives until you come to Revello Drive, where you turn right.
12. Revello will continue your winding descent, first heading south and then making a wide curve to the right, so that you’re facing north. Just before the road ends, right after 17496, you’ll find another staircase to the left, 122 steep steps to the bottom, passing huge jade plants and a tall hedge of bougainvillea in various shades in four sets of 25 steps and a final set of 22.
13. You’ll land on Posetano Road, where you turn right. At Stretto Way, stop to admire the massive cream-and-teal home of the actor (and cafe owner) Thelma Todd, who was active in films from 1926 until her mysterious death in 1935 at the age of 29, when she was found dead in her car in the garage of Jewel Carmen, the former wife of Todd’s lover and business partner, Roland West. The cause of death was ruled accidental carbon monoxide poisoning, but many questions remained unanswered, even after the coroner’s inquest.
14. On that somber note, make a hairpin turn left onto Stretto Way, and at the bottom of the block, turn right onto Castellammare and walk to the end of the road, where a big chunk of the street was washed away by landslides in the 1960s and ’70s, according to local staircase expert Charles Fleming. Today, there is a dirt path that allows pedestrians to cross the divide, down a little hill and back up to the paved road where we first encountered Castellammare.
15. Once you return to the pavement, walk straight a short distance, looking to the left until you see the 40 steps that take you back to the pedestrian bridge over PCH and down 35 steps to the other side, where you can return to your car. Note: If you’re hungry, as we were, keep walking south on PCH to Gladstone’s restaurant, across from Sunset Boulevard. You can approach the restaurant by walking along the beach too, if you prefer to preserve the rarefied vibe of Pacific Palisades just a little bit longer.
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Route Details
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
Santa Monica Canyon — Rustic Canyon Loop
Pacific Palisades Urban Trail
I love, love, love this walk. It takes you not only up the infamous 4th Street Stairs but also through some serene and majestically green neighborhoods, great ocean views and — quite unexpectedly — a tiny stream during our dry-as-dust summer. At 976 steps, it’s an intense climb. But the sights are so transporting it makes all the effort worthwhile.
Here’s how to get there:
1. Park alongside the beach at Will Rogers Parking Lot 1, where Entrada Drive spills into Pacific Coast Highway. Parking here is $9, and it’s safest to bring cash, since the machines don’t reliably accept debit cards.
2. Walk north half a block along PCH to where Chautauqua Boulevard and West Channel Road merge into PCH in one massive snarl of traffic. There are no crosswalks here, so don’t try to cross PCH aboveground. Instead, find the entrance to the Little Tunnel, descend the 17 steps and safely cross under PCH to the other side, walking up 17 steps and emerging into the sun on the south side of Channel Road.
3. Walk south on PCH, past Patrick’s Roadhouse and a gas station, along the sidewalk until you come to your first set of stairs, a colorful set of 48 steps that climb to Ocean Way. A note here: The start of this walk wasn’t nice. The traffic is thick on PCH and the sidewalk is narrow. But it gets better, I promise.
4. At the top, head left, down the hill, until Ocean Way merges with Entrada. Walk up Entrada just past 278, a tall, white modern structure with a corner so sharp it has a surreal M.C. Escher feel. Look right to find your second set of stairs. These start as a path through sprays of bougainvillea, towering eucalyptus and tropical greens to a stair that climbs 79 steps to Mabery Road.
5. Turn left onto Mabery and follow the road down to East Ocean Avenue (also known as Ocean Avenue Ext. on Google Maps). Cross carefully to the other side of Ocean and head left, downhill, to the base of the 4th Street Stairs. (Note: There is a smaller set of stairs on the right just before the 4th Street Stairs, which you should ignore. The 4th Street Stairs are just past 358 Ocean, and are pretty easy to recognize since they zig and zag 189 steps to the top and have a fair number of panting, dripping athletic types running up and down them.
6. Luckily, the 4th Street Stairs have several landings along the way where you can catch your breath and enjoy the gorgeous views behind you. Be careful to hug the rails as you climb these stairs because runners aren’t shy about asking you to move.
7. At the top, you emerge at the corner of 4th Street and Adelaide Drive. Here are some truly breathtaking views of the ocean, Rustic Canyon and many gorgeous homes, with plaintive signs asking people to please refrain from doing calisthenics in view of their windows.
8. Turn left onto Adelaide, walking uphill, and savor the views until you reach 526. There on the left are the Santa Monica Stairs, 166 weathered wooden steps, thankfully heading down. You’ll soon understand that this is a continuation of the workout regime, with some runners charging up the 4th Street Stairs and then down the Santa Monica Stairs again and again in a sweaty circle. Anyway, be sure to stay right so they can speed past (unless you are fit enough to join their ranks).
9. At the bottom of the stairs, you’re back on Entrada, where you should cross the street and turn right, heading uphill a short distance, past 525 and a tall, jagged concrete wall to find your next stairs on the left, about 25 steps down to the cul-de-sac end of Attilla Road.
10. Walk straight on Attilla past Dryad Road to East Channel Road, where you turn left. This is a serenely beautiful neighborhood, full of majestic trees, quiet birdsong and children playing safely in the street.
11. East Channel Road dead-ends, becoming impassable for cars, but we foot travelers can continue forward, following a path through a wide gate on the right of the road to the other end of East Channel Road. Keep walking straight, past Amalfi Drive and Canyon Elementary School, until you see a crosswalk and a pedestrian bridge crossing the Santa Monica Canyon Creek bed on your right.
12. Across the bridge you emerge on Sage Lane, where you should walk straight until Sage bends left and you spot your next stairs on the right, rising 14 steps and then turning right up another 64 steps through what appears to be a tall grove of bamboo.
13. At the top, you’ll emerge onto Amalfi Drive. Turn left, and stay left when Amalfi runs into Sumac Lane.
14. Follow Sumac about a block, until it curves to the right. On your left, at 323 Sumac, you’ll find another set of steep stairs, 124 steps climbing straight up to Amalfi again, where you turn left, past just one house, and take a semihidden set of stairs along a steel fence that plunge you down again — without handrails — a very steep 124 steps to Mesa Road.
15. Turn right onto Mesa, heading uphill to 475, a stark, hypermodern-looking home built in 1937 by Harwell H. Harris for John Entenza, editor of Arts & Architecture magazine. This 850-square-foot house looks like a circle attached to a square with some very cool (and private) steps leading to a rooftop patio. We must, however, carry on to our public stairs just beyond 491 Mesa, a few doors down on the left.
16. Be careful as you descend because the 61 steps are uneven and broken in places. At the bottom, you’ll emerge onto West Rustic Road, my favorite part of this walk. It’s so quiet, green and, yes, rustic that it feels magical, especially when you cross the bridge in front of you, over Rustic Creek (which actually has a small trickle of water) and follow West Rustic Road to the left.
17. At the first corner, turn right onto Hillside Lane and follow the narrow street as it bends left, so quiet it feels like a deserted movie set of tall, lovely homes. Just as Hillside bends left again, look straight ahead for your final set of stairs, 85 steep, narrow steps that climb through green, shady yards to Vance Street at the top.
18. Turn left onto Vance, walking downhill past the magnificent mosaic of a guitarist and dancer at 390, straight and then right, as the road curves back, alas, to civilization. Along the way, there are some fine views of Santa Monica and Rustic Canyon, a small consolation. Suddenly, far too soon, you’re back in the real world amid the jarring traffic of Chautauqua Boulevard.
19. Turn left onto Chautauqua and follow the road down to where it converges with West Channel Road at PCH. The traffic is fierce here, so use the crosswalks from Chautauqua to the south side of Channel to get back to the tunnel that will take you down 17 steps to cross under PCH and then back up 17 steps to your car.
Here’s how to get there:
1. Park alongside the beach at Will Rogers Parking Lot 1, where Entrada Drive spills into Pacific Coast Highway. Parking here is $9, and it’s safest to bring cash, since the machines don’t reliably accept debit cards.
2. Walk north half a block along PCH to where Chautauqua Boulevard and West Channel Road merge into PCH in one massive snarl of traffic. There are no crosswalks here, so don’t try to cross PCH aboveground. Instead, find the entrance to the Little Tunnel, descend the 17 steps and safely cross under PCH to the other side, walking up 17 steps and emerging into the sun on the south side of Channel Road.
3. Walk south on PCH, past Patrick’s Roadhouse and a gas station, along the sidewalk until you come to your first set of stairs, a colorful set of 48 steps that climb to Ocean Way. A note here: The start of this walk wasn’t nice. The traffic is thick on PCH and the sidewalk is narrow. But it gets better, I promise.
4. At the top, head left, down the hill, until Ocean Way merges with Entrada. Walk up Entrada just past 278, a tall, white modern structure with a corner so sharp it has a surreal M.C. Escher feel. Look right to find your second set of stairs. These start as a path through sprays of bougainvillea, towering eucalyptus and tropical greens to a stair that climbs 79 steps to Mabery Road.
5. Turn left onto Mabery and follow the road down to East Ocean Avenue (also known as Ocean Avenue Ext. on Google Maps). Cross carefully to the other side of Ocean and head left, downhill, to the base of the 4th Street Stairs. (Note: There is a smaller set of stairs on the right just before the 4th Street Stairs, which you should ignore. The 4th Street Stairs are just past 358 Ocean, and are pretty easy to recognize since they zig and zag 189 steps to the top and have a fair number of panting, dripping athletic types running up and down them.
6. Luckily, the 4th Street Stairs have several landings along the way where you can catch your breath and enjoy the gorgeous views behind you. Be careful to hug the rails as you climb these stairs because runners aren’t shy about asking you to move.
7. At the top, you emerge at the corner of 4th Street and Adelaide Drive. Here are some truly breathtaking views of the ocean, Rustic Canyon and many gorgeous homes, with plaintive signs asking people to please refrain from doing calisthenics in view of their windows.
8. Turn left onto Adelaide, walking uphill, and savor the views until you reach 526. There on the left are the Santa Monica Stairs, 166 weathered wooden steps, thankfully heading down. You’ll soon understand that this is a continuation of the workout regime, with some runners charging up the 4th Street Stairs and then down the Santa Monica Stairs again and again in a sweaty circle. Anyway, be sure to stay right so they can speed past (unless you are fit enough to join their ranks).
9. At the bottom of the stairs, you’re back on Entrada, where you should cross the street and turn right, heading uphill a short distance, past 525 and a tall, jagged concrete wall to find your next stairs on the left, about 25 steps down to the cul-de-sac end of Attilla Road.
10. Walk straight on Attilla past Dryad Road to East Channel Road, where you turn left. This is a serenely beautiful neighborhood, full of majestic trees, quiet birdsong and children playing safely in the street.
11. East Channel Road dead-ends, becoming impassable for cars, but we foot travelers can continue forward, following a path through a wide gate on the right of the road to the other end of East Channel Road. Keep walking straight, past Amalfi Drive and Canyon Elementary School, until you see a crosswalk and a pedestrian bridge crossing the Santa Monica Canyon Creek bed on your right.
12. Across the bridge you emerge on Sage Lane, where you should walk straight until Sage bends left and you spot your next stairs on the right, rising 14 steps and then turning right up another 64 steps through what appears to be a tall grove of bamboo.
13. At the top, you’ll emerge onto Amalfi Drive. Turn left, and stay left when Amalfi runs into Sumac Lane.
14. Follow Sumac about a block, until it curves to the right. On your left, at 323 Sumac, you’ll find another set of steep stairs, 124 steps climbing straight up to Amalfi again, where you turn left, past just one house, and take a semihidden set of stairs along a steel fence that plunge you down again — without handrails — a very steep 124 steps to Mesa Road.
15. Turn right onto Mesa, heading uphill to 475, a stark, hypermodern-looking home built in 1937 by Harwell H. Harris for John Entenza, editor of Arts & Architecture magazine. This 850-square-foot house looks like a circle attached to a square with some very cool (and private) steps leading to a rooftop patio. We must, however, carry on to our public stairs just beyond 491 Mesa, a few doors down on the left.
16. Be careful as you descend because the 61 steps are uneven and broken in places. At the bottom, you’ll emerge onto West Rustic Road, my favorite part of this walk. It’s so quiet, green and, yes, rustic that it feels magical, especially when you cross the bridge in front of you, over Rustic Creek (which actually has a small trickle of water) and follow West Rustic Road to the left.
17. At the first corner, turn right onto Hillside Lane and follow the narrow street as it bends left, so quiet it feels like a deserted movie set of tall, lovely homes. Just as Hillside bends left again, look straight ahead for your final set of stairs, 85 steep, narrow steps that climb through green, shady yards to Vance Street at the top.
18. Turn left onto Vance, walking downhill past the magnificent mosaic of a guitarist and dancer at 390, straight and then right, as the road curves back, alas, to civilization. Along the way, there are some fine views of Santa Monica and Rustic Canyon, a small consolation. Suddenly, far too soon, you’re back in the real world amid the jarring traffic of Chautauqua Boulevard.
19. Turn left onto Chautauqua and follow the road down to where it converges with West Channel Road at PCH. The traffic is fierce here, so use the crosswalks from Chautauqua to the south side of Channel to get back to the tunnel that will take you down 17 steps to cross under PCH and then back up 17 steps to your car.
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Route Details
Pacific Palisades — Giant Steps (a.k.a. the Murphy Ranch walk)
Brentwood Urban Trail
This is the mother of all L.A. stair walks, a whopping 1,117 steps — basically half up and half down — into what was reportedly a Nazi survival camp. There you’ll find fruit orchards, a water tower and a power-generating center from 1933. In 1941, Los Angeles police raided the compound and arrested the residents the day after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The site has been owned by the city of Los Angeles since 1973, but many of the old buildings at the bottom of the canyon are demolished ruins overgrown by shrubs and so heavily graffitied that they feel more like archaeological artworks than vandalism.
Even the main trail to the stairs, the mostly asphalt Sullivan Fire Road above Rustic Canyon in Topanga State Park, is covered with mostly artsy graffiti. Walk carefully as you descend these very steep, narrow stairs.
Along the way, you’ll see many native plants, including large swathes of California buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum), the daisylike stems of California plumseed (Rafinesquia californica) and the red stems and cream-colored blooms on laurel sumac (Malosma laurina) shrubs. There are sweeping views of Santa Monica and the Pacific Ocean here too, as well as some pretty amazing mansions looming above the beginning of the trail.
There’s little shade along the fire road, so it could get oppressively hot. Remember to use sunscreen and bring a hat.
One final note about safety: I walked this trail with another woman in the midafternoon and felt fairly secure, but I would have felt less confident walking alone. Once you descend into the old Murphy Ranch ruins, where the graffiti is thickest, the walk starts to feel creepy, especially where the stairs are overgrown, and it’s hard to stand upright. I never felt any serious danger, but I was glad to be with a friend, if only to commiserate about the seemingly endless trek up more than 500 steps.
Here’s how to get there:
1. Park as close as you can to Umeo Road and Capri Drive in Brentwood, and as always in Los Angeles, carefully read all the street signs to make sure you aren’t violating parking rules that will cost you serious bucks if you get a ticket. We parked on Umeo, a short distance from Capri, and then began our walk climbing up Capri to Casale Road, where we turned left and began walking slightly downhill as Casale curved up and around some spectacular views and a home high above us, seemingly carved into the hill.
2. Casale ends at the beginning of Sullivan Fire Road, a narrow primitive road that curves to the right past a wide yellow fire gate with a sign saying you are entering Topanga State Park via the Rustic Canyon entrance. There are also warnings about mountain lions, another good reason to travel with a companion.
3. Follow the fire road as it curves through buckwheat, sumac and other native plants alive with bees, at least when I was there on a midsummer afternoon. You may see some old wooden railroad-tie stairs descending down the canyon on your left, but these look unsafe. Save your strength (and your ankles) for the big stairs up ahead.
4. The graffiti along this road is colorful, often artistic and sometimes poignant or funny (“I didn’t wish you were here†and “Hope you make it!†written in large, cheerful colors). On the way out, we passed three people lugging what looked like heavy sacks. When one of them stumbled and dropped their bag, a couple of spray cans rolled out, so at least some of this graffiti is very fresh indeed.
5. After about 20 to 25 minutes of walking slightly downhill, you will come to a chain-link fence on the left. Follow the fence past the first opening (you’ll revisit the stairs beyond on your return) and take a left into the next opening in the fence, about 100 feet farther along. This is your first set of stairs — about 40 steps down to the old abandoned water tower, festooned with layers of graffiti.
6. Walk behind the water tank to the right, over fallen branches and other debris, and find the next set of stairs, 321 steps so steep that at times it almost feels like you’re walking backward down a ladder. The steps are covered with leaves that can be slippery, and there are only sporadic handrails, so proceed with care as the stairs twist and curve down, down, down under overgrown brush and trees.
7. At the bottom, you’ll see a short dirt path that opens into a wider dirt road, one of the driveways leading into the ranch. Turn right, walking gently uphill for about 300 feet until the road begins to curve to the right. Look for a narrow dirt path to the left, where a thin, half-buried pipe has been painted mint green (paint that is beginning to fade and peel but is still visible). Follow this path to the left to an even narrower set of stairs, 130 curving steps so worn and faint they seem to be melting into the ground. As you get closer to the canyon bottom, you begin to see glimpses of graffiti-covered everything along the side of the stairs and through the trees, including some of the trees themselves.
8. At a small landing, you’ll drop another 37 steps into the shady canyon and what remains of the compound. To the left is the rubble from the old greenhouse, according to local staircase expert Charles Fleming, and to the right are the remains of the old power station, “now a tagger’s paradise.†Inside, the building is littered with empty paint cans, and every square inch, including the roof, has been covered.
9. Do some exploring around the compound if you like, but return to the power station when you’re done and start walking south, slightly uphill, along the broken paved road on the canyon floor, with Rustic Creek somewhere off to your right. This is a lovely shady walk, with sprawling sycamores and stately pines, but I can’t quite consider this a nature walk; the constant flashes of graffiti are a loud reminder of urban humanity.
10. A short distance from the power station, you’ll come to a graffitied wall that curves gracefully up to the left. Keep walking past this wall, because it only leads you back to the greenhouse and the stairs you came down.
11. Farther down, the road takes a sharp turn to the left, where four tall pines loom above a short graffitied wall. Follow the road to another section of wall, with two tall pines rising behind it. About 20 feet from the end of this wall, look for a dirt path heading uphill to the right. This will lead you to the biggest stair climb of all, what Fleming calls “the monster — the largest known staircase in Los Angeles,†rising 512 steps, past low branches and invasive shrubs back to Sullivan Fire Road.
12. These concrete stairs are narrow, with nary a handrail or overhead lighting. Take them slowly unless you have a passion for running up steep stairs. For those who consider this possible, Fleming tells the following story he heard from an unnamed man he met on the stairs: “In the mid-1990s he and three friends pooled $5,000 of their money and set a competition: The first one to successfully run up all 512 steps, two at a time, without slowing or stopping, even for a second, would claim the prize. Each of the four fitness buffs tried multiple times to complete the task. None could do it. The money went unclaimed, and finally the competition was canceled.â€
13. Rejoice when you reach the top and look back at the stupendous view of the mountains and sea while you try to calm your thundering heart and resume breathing normally.
14. Turn right and follow the fire road back the way you came. The return walk is sweeter, not just because of what you’ve accomplished but because the views go all the way to the sea. Be sure to look up as the road curves right against the hillside, and gape at the huge houses above, with elaborate pools and patios clinging to the side of the cliff. Return to Casale Road and wherever you parked your car.
Even the main trail to the stairs, the mostly asphalt Sullivan Fire Road above Rustic Canyon in Topanga State Park, is covered with mostly artsy graffiti. Walk carefully as you descend these very steep, narrow stairs.
Along the way, you’ll see many native plants, including large swathes of California buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum), the daisylike stems of California plumseed (Rafinesquia californica) and the red stems and cream-colored blooms on laurel sumac (Malosma laurina) shrubs. There are sweeping views of Santa Monica and the Pacific Ocean here too, as well as some pretty amazing mansions looming above the beginning of the trail.
There’s little shade along the fire road, so it could get oppressively hot. Remember to use sunscreen and bring a hat.
One final note about safety: I walked this trail with another woman in the midafternoon and felt fairly secure, but I would have felt less confident walking alone. Once you descend into the old Murphy Ranch ruins, where the graffiti is thickest, the walk starts to feel creepy, especially where the stairs are overgrown, and it’s hard to stand upright. I never felt any serious danger, but I was glad to be with a friend, if only to commiserate about the seemingly endless trek up more than 500 steps.
Here’s how to get there:
1. Park as close as you can to Umeo Road and Capri Drive in Brentwood, and as always in Los Angeles, carefully read all the street signs to make sure you aren’t violating parking rules that will cost you serious bucks if you get a ticket. We parked on Umeo, a short distance from Capri, and then began our walk climbing up Capri to Casale Road, where we turned left and began walking slightly downhill as Casale curved up and around some spectacular views and a home high above us, seemingly carved into the hill.
2. Casale ends at the beginning of Sullivan Fire Road, a narrow primitive road that curves to the right past a wide yellow fire gate with a sign saying you are entering Topanga State Park via the Rustic Canyon entrance. There are also warnings about mountain lions, another good reason to travel with a companion.
3. Follow the fire road as it curves through buckwheat, sumac and other native plants alive with bees, at least when I was there on a midsummer afternoon. You may see some old wooden railroad-tie stairs descending down the canyon on your left, but these look unsafe. Save your strength (and your ankles) for the big stairs up ahead.
4. The graffiti along this road is colorful, often artistic and sometimes poignant or funny (“I didn’t wish you were here†and “Hope you make it!†written in large, cheerful colors). On the way out, we passed three people lugging what looked like heavy sacks. When one of them stumbled and dropped their bag, a couple of spray cans rolled out, so at least some of this graffiti is very fresh indeed.
5. After about 20 to 25 minutes of walking slightly downhill, you will come to a chain-link fence on the left. Follow the fence past the first opening (you’ll revisit the stairs beyond on your return) and take a left into the next opening in the fence, about 100 feet farther along. This is your first set of stairs — about 40 steps down to the old abandoned water tower, festooned with layers of graffiti.
6. Walk behind the water tank to the right, over fallen branches and other debris, and find the next set of stairs, 321 steps so steep that at times it almost feels like you’re walking backward down a ladder. The steps are covered with leaves that can be slippery, and there are only sporadic handrails, so proceed with care as the stairs twist and curve down, down, down under overgrown brush and trees.
7. At the bottom, you’ll see a short dirt path that opens into a wider dirt road, one of the driveways leading into the ranch. Turn right, walking gently uphill for about 300 feet until the road begins to curve to the right. Look for a narrow dirt path to the left, where a thin, half-buried pipe has been painted mint green (paint that is beginning to fade and peel but is still visible). Follow this path to the left to an even narrower set of stairs, 130 curving steps so worn and faint they seem to be melting into the ground. As you get closer to the canyon bottom, you begin to see glimpses of graffiti-covered everything along the side of the stairs and through the trees, including some of the trees themselves.
8. At a small landing, you’ll drop another 37 steps into the shady canyon and what remains of the compound. To the left is the rubble from the old greenhouse, according to local staircase expert Charles Fleming, and to the right are the remains of the old power station, “now a tagger’s paradise.†Inside, the building is littered with empty paint cans, and every square inch, including the roof, has been covered.
9. Do some exploring around the compound if you like, but return to the power station when you’re done and start walking south, slightly uphill, along the broken paved road on the canyon floor, with Rustic Creek somewhere off to your right. This is a lovely shady walk, with sprawling sycamores and stately pines, but I can’t quite consider this a nature walk; the constant flashes of graffiti are a loud reminder of urban humanity.
10. A short distance from the power station, you’ll come to a graffitied wall that curves gracefully up to the left. Keep walking past this wall, because it only leads you back to the greenhouse and the stairs you came down.
11. Farther down, the road takes a sharp turn to the left, where four tall pines loom above a short graffitied wall. Follow the road to another section of wall, with two tall pines rising behind it. About 20 feet from the end of this wall, look for a dirt path heading uphill to the right. This will lead you to the biggest stair climb of all, what Fleming calls “the monster — the largest known staircase in Los Angeles,†rising 512 steps, past low branches and invasive shrubs back to Sullivan Fire Road.
12. These concrete stairs are narrow, with nary a handrail or overhead lighting. Take them slowly unless you have a passion for running up steep stairs. For those who consider this possible, Fleming tells the following story he heard from an unnamed man he met on the stairs: “In the mid-1990s he and three friends pooled $5,000 of their money and set a competition: The first one to successfully run up all 512 steps, two at a time, without slowing or stopping, even for a second, would claim the prize. Each of the four fitness buffs tried multiple times to complete the task. None could do it. The money went unclaimed, and finally the competition was canceled.â€
13. Rejoice when you reach the top and look back at the stupendous view of the mountains and sea while you try to calm your thundering heart and resume breathing normally.
14. Turn right and follow the fire road back the way you came. The return walk is sweeter, not just because of what you’ve accomplished but because the views go all the way to the sea. Be sure to look up as the road curves right against the hillside, and gape at the huge houses above, with elaborate pools and patios clinging to the side of the cliff. Return to Casale Road and wherever you parked your car.
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(Jaclyn Cosgrove )
Redondo Beach Loop
Redondo Beach Beach Trail
The Redondo Beach Loop is an out-and-back walk that provides great exercise an ocean breeze and views of the Pacific. This walk, inspired by Dan Gutierrez of SoCal Stair Climbers’ route, also mercifully includes several public restrooms. It’s also ideal for photographs, as the ocean follows as your backdrop the whole way up.
Here’s how to get there:
1. To start, head to Veterans Park (309 Esplanade in Redondo Beach) and find the Hotel Redondo sign at the southern end of the park, near the picnic benches. Walk west, across the grass past the benches to find your first flight of stairs. As you head down these steps, you’ll see the Redondo Beach Pier to your right and perhaps some sailboats out on the water. Once down, turn left onto the beach path.
2. You’ll quickly notice a bathroom on your left. Take the 16 steps in front of the bathrooms, and then head over to a longer flight of 68 stairs. Appreciate the view at the top, then walk back down, and turn left to rejoin the beach path.
3. Shortly after you pass your first bright cerulean lifeguard tower, you’ll arrive at your next set of steps — all 51 of them. At the top of those, turn right onto a paved walkway that runs parallel to the lower beach path. Continue until you arrive at a five-story apartment building at 615 Esplanade, turn right and travel down 17 steps.
4. As a nearby sign warns, watch for bicycles as you turn left back onto the beach path. Walk until you notice a rocky jetty on your right. To your left, you’ll see your next step of stairs. Climb 61 steps. Take a breather, marvel at the view and then come back down. Turn left, again back onto the beach path.
5. You’ll pass another restroom and then the start of several volleyball courts. Your next set of stairs is the longest on this walk: 92 steps. It begins directly across from a lifeguard tower with “KH†on its side, as this staircase leads to Knob Hill Ave. Not that you’d be tired, but there’s a bench along the way and a handrail to guide you, just in case. This is another there and back situation. Climb this staircase, then come back down, and turn left and rejoin the beach path.
6. Continue walking south, past restrooms and a closed staircase. In the distance, you’ll see the Avenue C lifeguard tower, but turn left before you reach it onto the Avenue C Stairs, a towering set of 72 steps. At the top, turn right onto the sidewalk that runs parallel to Esplanade. Walk until you reach the intersection of Avenue E. You’ll notice mosaic art of marine life on the ground. Turn right to walk this steep ramp down to the beach.
7. Head south and quickly find your next set of stairs, a zigzag of 59 steps. At the top, turn right to rejoin the sidewalk along Esplanade. Notice the benches along the way that are dedicated to loved ones who’ve passed. Just past Avenue G, you’ll head down another steep ramp to rejoin the bike path.
8. You won’t be on the bike path long. Soon, you’ll see a ramp ahead. Cross the bike path to walk up that ramp. Look ahead to appreciate the houses dotting the hillside of nearby Palos Verdes. You’ll land near Avenue I. Turn right to walk along the sidewalk. If you aren’t in a hurry, pause to read the interpretative signs about local flora and fauna.
9. Arriving near the intersection of Esplanade and Vista Del Mar, you’ll turn right down another ramp, and then left back onto the beach path.
10. Your next set of stairs is just before the restrooms. Turn left up the semi-windy staircase. Ignoring the staircase down (for now). Instead, head south on the sidewalk, past a few sets of pink park benches. The sidewalk will jag slightly southeast to seven more steps. Take an immediate right down the ramp, which is shaped like a W. Once down the winding ramp, turn right to head up the staircase you ignored. Follow the path east up nine steps that will lead you to a playground sculpture shaped like a dolphin, which you may want to pose with for a commemorative photo of your journey.
11. From here, head north, up the beach path until you reach the steps you descended from Veterans Park. You can also take Esplanade north if you’d like to skip the beach path this time. If you’ve worked up a sweat, cool down at the shaved ice shop Wanna Chill, a short walk up the Knob Hill stairs, onto Knob Hill Avenue until you reach the intersection of Knob Hill and the Pacific Coast Highway. There are also several restaurants just northeast of Miramar Park, along South Catalina Avenue.
11a. You also could keep walking through Redondo Beach, for an 8.25-mile walk, but beware, you’ll continue without much of an ocean view.
Here’s how to get there:
1. To start, head to Veterans Park (309 Esplanade in Redondo Beach) and find the Hotel Redondo sign at the southern end of the park, near the picnic benches. Walk west, across the grass past the benches to find your first flight of stairs. As you head down these steps, you’ll see the Redondo Beach Pier to your right and perhaps some sailboats out on the water. Once down, turn left onto the beach path.
2. You’ll quickly notice a bathroom on your left. Take the 16 steps in front of the bathrooms, and then head over to a longer flight of 68 stairs. Appreciate the view at the top, then walk back down, and turn left to rejoin the beach path.
3. Shortly after you pass your first bright cerulean lifeguard tower, you’ll arrive at your next set of steps — all 51 of them. At the top of those, turn right onto a paved walkway that runs parallel to the lower beach path. Continue until you arrive at a five-story apartment building at 615 Esplanade, turn right and travel down 17 steps.
4. As a nearby sign warns, watch for bicycles as you turn left back onto the beach path. Walk until you notice a rocky jetty on your right. To your left, you’ll see your next step of stairs. Climb 61 steps. Take a breather, marvel at the view and then come back down. Turn left, again back onto the beach path.
5. You’ll pass another restroom and then the start of several volleyball courts. Your next set of stairs is the longest on this walk: 92 steps. It begins directly across from a lifeguard tower with “KH†on its side, as this staircase leads to Knob Hill Ave. Not that you’d be tired, but there’s a bench along the way and a handrail to guide you, just in case. This is another there and back situation. Climb this staircase, then come back down, and turn left and rejoin the beach path.
6. Continue walking south, past restrooms and a closed staircase. In the distance, you’ll see the Avenue C lifeguard tower, but turn left before you reach it onto the Avenue C Stairs, a towering set of 72 steps. At the top, turn right onto the sidewalk that runs parallel to Esplanade. Walk until you reach the intersection of Avenue E. You’ll notice mosaic art of marine life on the ground. Turn right to walk this steep ramp down to the beach.
7. Head south and quickly find your next set of stairs, a zigzag of 59 steps. At the top, turn right to rejoin the sidewalk along Esplanade. Notice the benches along the way that are dedicated to loved ones who’ve passed. Just past Avenue G, you’ll head down another steep ramp to rejoin the bike path.
8. You won’t be on the bike path long. Soon, you’ll see a ramp ahead. Cross the bike path to walk up that ramp. Look ahead to appreciate the houses dotting the hillside of nearby Palos Verdes. You’ll land near Avenue I. Turn right to walk along the sidewalk. If you aren’t in a hurry, pause to read the interpretative signs about local flora and fauna.
9. Arriving near the intersection of Esplanade and Vista Del Mar, you’ll turn right down another ramp, and then left back onto the beach path.
10. Your next set of stairs is just before the restrooms. Turn left up the semi-windy staircase. Ignoring the staircase down (for now). Instead, head south on the sidewalk, past a few sets of pink park benches. The sidewalk will jag slightly southeast to seven more steps. Take an immediate right down the ramp, which is shaped like a W. Once down the winding ramp, turn right to head up the staircase you ignored. Follow the path east up nine steps that will lead you to a playground sculpture shaped like a dolphin, which you may want to pose with for a commemorative photo of your journey.
11. From here, head north, up the beach path until you reach the steps you descended from Veterans Park. You can also take Esplanade north if you’d like to skip the beach path this time. If you’ve worked up a sweat, cool down at the shaved ice shop Wanna Chill, a short walk up the Knob Hill stairs, onto Knob Hill Avenue until you reach the intersection of Knob Hill and the Pacific Coast Highway. There are also several restaurants just northeast of Miramar Park, along South Catalina Avenue.
11a. You also could keep walking through Redondo Beach, for an 8.25-mile walk, but beware, you’ll continue without much of an ocean view.
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(Jaclyn Cosgrove/Los Angeles Times)
Signal Hill
Signal Hill Urban Trail
Signal Hill gets its name from Spanish colonizers, who saw Indigenous people use the area to signal other tribes on Santa Catalina Island, according to city history. It also happens to be an area rich with oil (which was discovered in 1921), something you’ll see evidence of along your walk.
This route takes you through quiet private neighborhoods with public walking trails. It has sweeping views of the ocean, ports and surrounding cities, along with a bit of public art.
Here’s how to get there:
1. Park on East Hill Street next to the Hathaway Business Park (2248 E Hill St). Note: Parking is off limits on this side of Hill Street from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m. Mondays for street sweeping. Once parked, head west on Hill Street toward the 16% grade hill before you. The street is aptly named. As you huff your way up, you’ll notice the rhythmic thrumming of working oil pumpjacks on both sides of the street.
2. Toward the top of the hill, turn right next to a green metal fence onto a sidewalk path that leads into Discovery Well Park. Follow the path as it curves past the 2200 Temple building and jags northeast. You’ll pass the last palm tree on the curve, brief walk over asphalt and join onto a dirt path, where a sign reads: “Private community, Public permitted on trails from sunrise to sunset.†Descend down this path into the first neighborhood on this trek.
3. You’ll take Llewellyn Drive until you reach Maxson Court, where you’ll take a right and then an immediate left to follow Jeans Court to your first staircase, which sits between 2257 and 2249. After 25 steps up, turn right on Sarah Court.
4. Continue briefly on Sarah Court before turning left onto Maxson Court. You‘ll reach your next staircase between 2417 and 2425. It’s a dirt path with 34 steps taking you up Avis Court.
5. Turn right on Avis Court, follow the curve and make a quick left onto Amelia Court. Next to house No. 2425, you’ll find your fourth staircase, another dirt stair path.
6. At the top, turn right on a gravel path. You’ll soon arrive at a staircase of 73 steps on your left. Take a deep breath and head up. At the top, you’ll be rewarded with a great view that includes the cobalt blue Walter Pyramid at Cal State Long Beach. Follow the path over Panorama Drive and onto Skyline Drive. At Stanley Avenue, look to your right for a nice view of the Pacific Ocean. Keep on trucking until Hilltop Park. You’ll visit it later. For now, at the intersection of Dawson Avenue and Skyline Drive, take a left onto Skyline Trail.
7. Cross Sea Ridge Drive and veer onto Sea Ridge Trail, next to house No. 2170. Head down, taking in the panoramic views of the ocean, L.A. proper, the Port of Long Beach and surrounding cities. At the fork, take a hard left heading southeast on the dirt Ridge Trail. Follow this pine tree abundant trail until you reach Junipero Avenue. Follow it south out of the neighborhood.
8. Continue south on Junipero Ave until you reach 20th Street. Turn left on 20th Street and then take your next left onto Stanley Avenue. Keep on chugging up Stanley, ignoring the “Not a through street†sign, as that doesn’t apply to walkers. Along the way you’ll see a cool semi-Brutalist house with a large anchor in the yard. You’ll reach a small staircase of 16 steps at the top. Carefully cross East 21 Street, being mindful of traffic, as you continue up Stanley Avenue, a 15% grade hill.
9. Near the top of Stanley Avenue, bear left (or northwest) being mindful of traffic as you walk on the western side of Hill Street on the sidewalk. If you’d like a quick break, look behind you, and on a clear day, you’ll get a view of the ocean and Catalina Island. Near a street sign for Vista Ridge Lane and Hill Street, bear left onto a walking path to enter Sunset View Park, where you can view “Suncatcher,†a public art piece that lines up on the solstice and equinox of each year.
10. Take a left on Skyline Drive, passing Cindy Jackson’s bronze “Tribute to the Roughnecks†statue, built in honor of oil-drilling crews who worked the area’s fields. At the corner of Dawson Avenue and Skyline Drive, you’ll head northwest onto the path at Hilltop Park. Turn right onto the loop, passing artist Craig Cree Stone’s “Earth Upon Water†public art piece. Continue around the loop and turn right, heading along a paved path. You will reach a cul de sac. Head around it to reach the walking trail Panorama Promenade. You’ll know you’re there when you see a black metal gate with the trail’s name on it in white cursive.
11. Follow the Panorama Promenade for a short distance before turning right onto a path marked by two short concrete barriers. At the end of that path, turn left and head straight onto the public walking path next to the small playground. Walk past the neighborhood pool and then cross the cul de sac of Stanley Avenue. At house No. 2501, you’ll find a public walking path that you’ll follow. You will then cross over Eastwind Way to a short trail between houses 2499 and 2501 to rejoin the Panorama Promenade. Turn right onto the promenade path, which is dotted with lovely redbud trees.
12. Exit the promenade to head south on Molino Avenue. You’re toward the end of your walk, so make sure you get one last glimpse of the ocean before turning left on Skyline Drive. Follow that street as it turns into Temple Avenue. Turn left, or east, onto Hill Street and follow it back to your car.
This route takes you through quiet private neighborhoods with public walking trails. It has sweeping views of the ocean, ports and surrounding cities, along with a bit of public art.
Here’s how to get there:
1. Park on East Hill Street next to the Hathaway Business Park (2248 E Hill St). Note: Parking is off limits on this side of Hill Street from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m. Mondays for street sweeping. Once parked, head west on Hill Street toward the 16% grade hill before you. The street is aptly named. As you huff your way up, you’ll notice the rhythmic thrumming of working oil pumpjacks on both sides of the street.
2. Toward the top of the hill, turn right next to a green metal fence onto a sidewalk path that leads into Discovery Well Park. Follow the path as it curves past the 2200 Temple building and jags northeast. You’ll pass the last palm tree on the curve, brief walk over asphalt and join onto a dirt path, where a sign reads: “Private community, Public permitted on trails from sunrise to sunset.†Descend down this path into the first neighborhood on this trek.
3. You’ll take Llewellyn Drive until you reach Maxson Court, where you’ll take a right and then an immediate left to follow Jeans Court to your first staircase, which sits between 2257 and 2249. After 25 steps up, turn right on Sarah Court.
4. Continue briefly on Sarah Court before turning left onto Maxson Court. You‘ll reach your next staircase between 2417 and 2425. It’s a dirt path with 34 steps taking you up Avis Court.
5. Turn right on Avis Court, follow the curve and make a quick left onto Amelia Court. Next to house No. 2425, you’ll find your fourth staircase, another dirt stair path.
6. At the top, turn right on a gravel path. You’ll soon arrive at a staircase of 73 steps on your left. Take a deep breath and head up. At the top, you’ll be rewarded with a great view that includes the cobalt blue Walter Pyramid at Cal State Long Beach. Follow the path over Panorama Drive and onto Skyline Drive. At Stanley Avenue, look to your right for a nice view of the Pacific Ocean. Keep on trucking until Hilltop Park. You’ll visit it later. For now, at the intersection of Dawson Avenue and Skyline Drive, take a left onto Skyline Trail.
7. Cross Sea Ridge Drive and veer onto Sea Ridge Trail, next to house No. 2170. Head down, taking in the panoramic views of the ocean, L.A. proper, the Port of Long Beach and surrounding cities. At the fork, take a hard left heading southeast on the dirt Ridge Trail. Follow this pine tree abundant trail until you reach Junipero Avenue. Follow it south out of the neighborhood.
8. Continue south on Junipero Ave until you reach 20th Street. Turn left on 20th Street and then take your next left onto Stanley Avenue. Keep on chugging up Stanley, ignoring the “Not a through street†sign, as that doesn’t apply to walkers. Along the way you’ll see a cool semi-Brutalist house with a large anchor in the yard. You’ll reach a small staircase of 16 steps at the top. Carefully cross East 21 Street, being mindful of traffic, as you continue up Stanley Avenue, a 15% grade hill.
9. Near the top of Stanley Avenue, bear left (or northwest) being mindful of traffic as you walk on the western side of Hill Street on the sidewalk. If you’d like a quick break, look behind you, and on a clear day, you’ll get a view of the ocean and Catalina Island. Near a street sign for Vista Ridge Lane and Hill Street, bear left onto a walking path to enter Sunset View Park, where you can view “Suncatcher,†a public art piece that lines up on the solstice and equinox of each year.
10. Take a left on Skyline Drive, passing Cindy Jackson’s bronze “Tribute to the Roughnecks†statue, built in honor of oil-drilling crews who worked the area’s fields. At the corner of Dawson Avenue and Skyline Drive, you’ll head northwest onto the path at Hilltop Park. Turn right onto the loop, passing artist Craig Cree Stone’s “Earth Upon Water†public art piece. Continue around the loop and turn right, heading along a paved path. You will reach a cul de sac. Head around it to reach the walking trail Panorama Promenade. You’ll know you’re there when you see a black metal gate with the trail’s name on it in white cursive.
11. Follow the Panorama Promenade for a short distance before turning right onto a path marked by two short concrete barriers. At the end of that path, turn left and head straight onto the public walking path next to the small playground. Walk past the neighborhood pool and then cross the cul de sac of Stanley Avenue. At house No. 2501, you’ll find a public walking path that you’ll follow. You will then cross over Eastwind Way to a short trail between houses 2499 and 2501 to rejoin the Panorama Promenade. Turn right onto the promenade path, which is dotted with lovely redbud trees.
12. Exit the promenade to head south on Molino Avenue. You’re toward the end of your walk, so make sure you get one last glimpse of the ocean before turning left on Skyline Drive. Follow that street as it turns into Temple Avenue. Turn left, or east, onto Hill Street and follow it back to your car.
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(Jaclyn Cosgrove)
Downtown Long Beach
Long Beach Urban Trail
On this five-mile staircase walk through downtown Long Beach, you’ll spot public art, buildings with rich histories and views of the Pacific Ocean from several angles. The path includes several places to grab a coffee or snack.
1. Start your walk at Bus Shelter F, designated by the F on a large silver column. Walk west toward Pine Avenue. Along the way you’ll notice animal mosaics decorating the ground. The first letter of each animal’s name corresponds with the letter of each bus shelter. Cross Pine and turn left on the street, walking past the historic First National Bank of Long Beach building, which now houses an Italian restaurant on its first floor.
2. Continue north on Pine Avenue until you reach the Pine Square shopping mall. Hang a left at the Johnny Rockets and head to the upper right corner of the mall’s courtyard for your first staircase. Head up 28 steps, and veer left at the top toward the nearby staircase to head down 27 steps. Return to Pine Avenue, where you’ll bear left. When you arrive at East Third Street, take the crosswalk and head right so you’re on the north side of the street.
3. Walk along East Third Street until you reach a 38-foot high glazed tile mosaic mural on your left, titled “Typical Activities of a Beach and Harbor City†at Harvey Milk Promenade Park. Head up the 40 steps to the left of the mural. Walk northeast across the parking lot to the next staircase, 42 steps down. Turn left (past the Crab Shack Express), and then an immediate right, crossing the crosswalk over East Third Street. Turn left onto the Promenade, a pedestrian-only path.
4. From the Promenade, turn left onto First Street, and then right onto Long Beach Boulevard. At the corner of Long Beach and Ocean Boulevards, you’ll see a historic mural romanticizing the many inhabitats of Long Beach, including the Tongva, its original residents. It was created by Millard Sheets & Associates Designs in 1979. Head east on Ocean Boulevard. Turn right on Linden Avenue and then turn left on Seaside Way. Where the street dead ends, you’ll find your next staircase to the right. Head 42 steps up to Shoreline Drive.
5. Bear left on Shoreline and then left on Ocean Boulevard. Cross Linden Avenue and then immediately turn left on its other side, headed south. Turn right on Seaside Way, and then immediately right into your next staircase. Head 49 steps up. At the top, you may see a shiny sign reading “Public Accessway.â€
6. Head west, walking under apartment buildings, alongside multiple yellow-and-red surfboard art pieces. To your left, you’ll see part of artist Wyland’s mural, “Planet Ocean,†on the side of the Long Beach Arena. Completed in 1992, it was the world’s largest mural at the time. Continue west, crossing a bridge over South Hart Place onto the Long Beach Terrace Theater and Plaza.
7. At the plaza’s fountain, make two quick lefts and head down 29 steps. Then jog south to the next staircase, heading 29 steps up, back to the terrace. Turn left and follow the path to the next staircase, going down 38 steps on the southeast side.
8. Head southeast around the Long Beach Arena, pausing to admire a closer view of the aforementioned ocean mural. Continue through the parking lot gate. Just before reaching Shoreline Drive, turn right onto the walking path at Rainbow Lagoon Park.
9. Follow that walking path until you reach a square spiral stairway that leads up from the Rainbow Lagoon path. At the top, take the walking path north toward the Long Beach Convention Center. Turn right into the area between the convention center and Hyatt Regency Long Beach, and take the white staircase on the left up and then follow it down. Take an immediate right and take the staircase up that’s just past a mural of the menacing herons. After 23 steps up, head northwest and turn left down a large staircase that leads to the Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame. Head north, walking away from the ocean and toward East Seaside Way.
10. At the last palm tree on the Motorsports Walk of Fame, turn right onto your next staircase, heading 47 steps up, taking you from street level to the same level as the Long Beach Convention Center. Head northeast to the Rainbow Bridge walkway, appreciating the plants growing alongside this path. Turn right to exit the bridge down 29 steps and then continue farther down another staircase 29 steps down, turning right on Collins Way. Note: This staircase is sometimes closed for construction. If open, take the staircase up 24 steps to Ocean Boulevard and hang a left.
11. From Ocean Boulevard, head west. Take a left on Pine Avenue, and then a right on Seaside Way. You’ll soon find your next staircase on the right, a set of 38 steps up, in an area called Pike Park, an homage to an amusement park that thrilled residents until its closure in the late 1960s. Up those steps, you’ll jag left (or west) down Walk of 1,000 Lights, once an impressive light display and boardwalk. Take this until it ends at Biona Court. Turn left and walk until you reach a staircase leading down and out of a parking structure. Head down 36 steps.
12. Back on Seaside Way, head west toward South Chestnut Place. Bear left on South Chestnut Place, taking the sidewalk under the parking structure to head to Shoreline Drive. Cross Shoreline, and then take it northwest under the Queens Way overpass. Your next staircase is on your left, just after you cross under the bridge. Head 25 steps up.
13. Take the sidewalk south, veering right to go down seven steps of a small staircase. Continue south, over Golden Shore, and skirt the eastside of the Catalina Express building, which you might have entered on your way to board a ferry to Catalina Island. Head toward the boats and water.
14. Join the multi-use walking and biking path, heading south, and get ready for a little adventure. Bear left into a parking lot with about 10 palm trees lining its eastern side. Walking south to the parking lot’s exit, you’ll see your next set of stairs, across Golden Shore. Cross carefully here.
15. Head 43 steps up this first staircase after crossing Golden Shore. Up the staircase, you’ll bear right and follow the sidewalk to cross the Queens Way Bridge. Pause here to take in the views of the water and city.
16. Near the large green road sign for the Port of Long Beach, bear right down your next set of stairs. Turn right, walk under the bridge and follow the sidewalk as it curves around Queensway Drive. You’ll find your next set of stairs beside a Queen Mary-themed wayfinding sign. Turn right and head 52 steps up. You’ll now walk over the other side of the Queensway Bridge, parallel to the bike path. From here, you can see the Queen Mary, whose maiden voyage was in 1936. Aw, what pretty blue water!
17. Near the end of the bridge, bear right to head down your last set of stairs in this area. You might have noticed that the four staircases around the bridge are mirror images of each other. Once down, carefully cross Golden Shore and head east through the parking lot ahead of you. At the tan Pierport Landing building, jag left onto the short dirt path, and walk north past the building, over the teal 16-sided star art on the ground. This is a nice spot to take a break, or grab a drink from the nearby water fountain.
18. Follow the pedestrian path northeast, past the Aquarium of the Pacific. Soon after you pass the sidewalk vendor hawking custom-name keychains, you’ll turn left up the Harbor Cruise steps, and then cross Aquarium Way, walking toward Bubba Gump Shrimp Company. Head east to the steps just past the restaurant. Take those 36 steps up.
19. Bear right, heading to the bridge that resembles a roller coaster. This 450-foot pedestrian bridge over Shoreline Drive used pieces of the Pike’s Cyclone Racer, once billed “the fastest and steepest ride in the world.†Partway through the bridge, you’ll bear right down toward Aquarium Way. Head east to the next staircase next to Forever 21.
20. Take 36 steps up, and head north past Cinemark. Bear left down 36 steps. Once down, head north, past Cold Stone Creamery, toward Seaside Way. Turn right on Seaside Way, and then left on Pine Avenue. From here, you can either stop and enjoy the restaurants and shops around you, or head north on Pine Avenue to complete your walk by turning right on First Street.
1. Start your walk at Bus Shelter F, designated by the F on a large silver column. Walk west toward Pine Avenue. Along the way you’ll notice animal mosaics decorating the ground. The first letter of each animal’s name corresponds with the letter of each bus shelter. Cross Pine and turn left on the street, walking past the historic First National Bank of Long Beach building, which now houses an Italian restaurant on its first floor.
2. Continue north on Pine Avenue until you reach the Pine Square shopping mall. Hang a left at the Johnny Rockets and head to the upper right corner of the mall’s courtyard for your first staircase. Head up 28 steps, and veer left at the top toward the nearby staircase to head down 27 steps. Return to Pine Avenue, where you’ll bear left. When you arrive at East Third Street, take the crosswalk and head right so you’re on the north side of the street.
3. Walk along East Third Street until you reach a 38-foot high glazed tile mosaic mural on your left, titled “Typical Activities of a Beach and Harbor City†at Harvey Milk Promenade Park. Head up the 40 steps to the left of the mural. Walk northeast across the parking lot to the next staircase, 42 steps down. Turn left (past the Crab Shack Express), and then an immediate right, crossing the crosswalk over East Third Street. Turn left onto the Promenade, a pedestrian-only path.
4. From the Promenade, turn left onto First Street, and then right onto Long Beach Boulevard. At the corner of Long Beach and Ocean Boulevards, you’ll see a historic mural romanticizing the many inhabitats of Long Beach, including the Tongva, its original residents. It was created by Millard Sheets & Associates Designs in 1979. Head east on Ocean Boulevard. Turn right on Linden Avenue and then turn left on Seaside Way. Where the street dead ends, you’ll find your next staircase to the right. Head 42 steps up to Shoreline Drive.
5. Bear left on Shoreline and then left on Ocean Boulevard. Cross Linden Avenue and then immediately turn left on its other side, headed south. Turn right on Seaside Way, and then immediately right into your next staircase. Head 49 steps up. At the top, you may see a shiny sign reading “Public Accessway.â€
6. Head west, walking under apartment buildings, alongside multiple yellow-and-red surfboard art pieces. To your left, you’ll see part of artist Wyland’s mural, “Planet Ocean,†on the side of the Long Beach Arena. Completed in 1992, it was the world’s largest mural at the time. Continue west, crossing a bridge over South Hart Place onto the Long Beach Terrace Theater and Plaza.
7. At the plaza’s fountain, make two quick lefts and head down 29 steps. Then jog south to the next staircase, heading 29 steps up, back to the terrace. Turn left and follow the path to the next staircase, going down 38 steps on the southeast side.
8. Head southeast around the Long Beach Arena, pausing to admire a closer view of the aforementioned ocean mural. Continue through the parking lot gate. Just before reaching Shoreline Drive, turn right onto the walking path at Rainbow Lagoon Park.
9. Follow that walking path until you reach a square spiral stairway that leads up from the Rainbow Lagoon path. At the top, take the walking path north toward the Long Beach Convention Center. Turn right into the area between the convention center and Hyatt Regency Long Beach, and take the white staircase on the left up and then follow it down. Take an immediate right and take the staircase up that’s just past a mural of the menacing herons. After 23 steps up, head northwest and turn left down a large staircase that leads to the Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame. Head north, walking away from the ocean and toward East Seaside Way.
10. At the last palm tree on the Motorsports Walk of Fame, turn right onto your next staircase, heading 47 steps up, taking you from street level to the same level as the Long Beach Convention Center. Head northeast to the Rainbow Bridge walkway, appreciating the plants growing alongside this path. Turn right to exit the bridge down 29 steps and then continue farther down another staircase 29 steps down, turning right on Collins Way. Note: This staircase is sometimes closed for construction. If open, take the staircase up 24 steps to Ocean Boulevard and hang a left.
11. From Ocean Boulevard, head west. Take a left on Pine Avenue, and then a right on Seaside Way. You’ll soon find your next staircase on the right, a set of 38 steps up, in an area called Pike Park, an homage to an amusement park that thrilled residents until its closure in the late 1960s. Up those steps, you’ll jag left (or west) down Walk of 1,000 Lights, once an impressive light display and boardwalk. Take this until it ends at Biona Court. Turn left and walk until you reach a staircase leading down and out of a parking structure. Head down 36 steps.
12. Back on Seaside Way, head west toward South Chestnut Place. Bear left on South Chestnut Place, taking the sidewalk under the parking structure to head to Shoreline Drive. Cross Shoreline, and then take it northwest under the Queens Way overpass. Your next staircase is on your left, just after you cross under the bridge. Head 25 steps up.
13. Take the sidewalk south, veering right to go down seven steps of a small staircase. Continue south, over Golden Shore, and skirt the eastside of the Catalina Express building, which you might have entered on your way to board a ferry to Catalina Island. Head toward the boats and water.
14. Join the multi-use walking and biking path, heading south, and get ready for a little adventure. Bear left into a parking lot with about 10 palm trees lining its eastern side. Walking south to the parking lot’s exit, you’ll see your next set of stairs, across Golden Shore. Cross carefully here.
15. Head 43 steps up this first staircase after crossing Golden Shore. Up the staircase, you’ll bear right and follow the sidewalk to cross the Queens Way Bridge. Pause here to take in the views of the water and city.
16. Near the large green road sign for the Port of Long Beach, bear right down your next set of stairs. Turn right, walk under the bridge and follow the sidewalk as it curves around Queensway Drive. You’ll find your next set of stairs beside a Queen Mary-themed wayfinding sign. Turn right and head 52 steps up. You’ll now walk over the other side of the Queensway Bridge, parallel to the bike path. From here, you can see the Queen Mary, whose maiden voyage was in 1936. Aw, what pretty blue water!
17. Near the end of the bridge, bear right to head down your last set of stairs in this area. You might have noticed that the four staircases around the bridge are mirror images of each other. Once down, carefully cross Golden Shore and head east through the parking lot ahead of you. At the tan Pierport Landing building, jag left onto the short dirt path, and walk north past the building, over the teal 16-sided star art on the ground. This is a nice spot to take a break, or grab a drink from the nearby water fountain.
18. Follow the pedestrian path northeast, past the Aquarium of the Pacific. Soon after you pass the sidewalk vendor hawking custom-name keychains, you’ll turn left up the Harbor Cruise steps, and then cross Aquarium Way, walking toward Bubba Gump Shrimp Company. Head east to the steps just past the restaurant. Take those 36 steps up.
19. Bear right, heading to the bridge that resembles a roller coaster. This 450-foot pedestrian bridge over Shoreline Drive used pieces of the Pike’s Cyclone Racer, once billed “the fastest and steepest ride in the world.†Partway through the bridge, you’ll bear right down toward Aquarium Way. Head east to the next staircase next to Forever 21.
20. Take 36 steps up, and head north past Cinemark. Bear left down 36 steps. Once down, head north, past Cold Stone Creamery, toward Seaside Way. Turn right on Seaside Way, and then left on Pine Avenue. From here, you can either stop and enjoy the restaurants and shops around you, or head north on Pine Avenue to complete your walk by turning right on First Street.
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(Michael McKnight)
Culver City Stairs (officially known as the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook)
Culver City Walk
Officially known as Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook, this state park is best known for the 282 concrete steps that lift visitors from bustling Jefferson Boulevard to the scruffy hilltop where one of L.A.’s most breathtaking city views awaits. Actually, the stairs don’t lift anything. Your legs do that.
The staircase is steep and each footfall varies in height (from 3 to 20 inches), so it’s hard to get into a climbing rhythm. I actually enjoy this unpredictability — it keeps me focused once my legs and lungs catch fire about a third of the way up. Beware of bringing your progeny: My 8- and 14-year-old daughters made it to the top, but not easily. Bring water and a camera, so you can celebrate your achievement with the sprawling City of Angels as your backdrop.
Here’s how to get there:
1. Start at the entrance of the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook off Jefferson Boulevard. You’ll follow a dirt path briefly east, follow a switchback to the west, and soon find the infamous Culver City Stairs. Head straight up, pausing to breathe and appreciate the views.
2. At the top, you’ll find the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook. You can take in the views, including the Pacific Ocean on a clear day, and either head back down the steps, or take the meandering dirt trail down.
3. To take the trail down, you can take a short loop in a southeastern direction, meeting up with the dirt path at the end of the loop. You’ll turn left onto the path, walk past the stairs and continue down the Park to Playa Trail. You’ll join up with the Hillside Trail, which zigzags back down the hillside.
There’s often a food truck, or two, at the trailhead, where you can enjoy a cold beverage or local fare.
The staircase is steep and each footfall varies in height (from 3 to 20 inches), so it’s hard to get into a climbing rhythm. I actually enjoy this unpredictability — it keeps me focused once my legs and lungs catch fire about a third of the way up. Beware of bringing your progeny: My 8- and 14-year-old daughters made it to the top, but not easily. Bring water and a camera, so you can celebrate your achievement with the sprawling City of Angels as your backdrop.
Here’s how to get there:
1. Start at the entrance of the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook off Jefferson Boulevard. You’ll follow a dirt path briefly east, follow a switchback to the west, and soon find the infamous Culver City Stairs. Head straight up, pausing to breathe and appreciate the views.
2. At the top, you’ll find the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook. You can take in the views, including the Pacific Ocean on a clear day, and either head back down the steps, or take the meandering dirt trail down.
3. To take the trail down, you can take a short loop in a southeastern direction, meeting up with the dirt path at the end of the loop. You’ll turn left onto the path, walk past the stairs and continue down the Park to Playa Trail. You’ll join up with the Hillside Trail, which zigzags back down the hillside.
There’s often a food truck, or two, at the trailhead, where you can enjoy a cold beverage or local fare.
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Beachwood Canyon
Hollywood Hills Urban Trail
If you have an out-of-town guest with limited time, this is the walk to take them on. On this trek, you’ll see great views of the Hollywood sign, historic stairs and the ocean on a clear day. Not to mention a chance to tour winding, charming streets full of unique L.A. homes. It’s a great way to see a lot of L.A. in a short amount of time.
A couple of important notes before you start: We took this walk on a Sunday, when there was far too much traffic and too many people walking up the hill to see the sign. If possible, try to go on a weekday, when the crowds are thinner, and stop in at the excellent Beachwood Cafe for a delicious meal (open daily 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. except Mondays and Tuesdays, when it’s open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.).
Be sure to find a restroom before you get to Beachwood Canyon, because you won’t find any there.
Here’s how to get there:
1. Parking will be your first challenge. Once you drive through the “Hollywoodland†gates of Beachwood Canyon (the original name of this housing development from 1923), the cafe will be on your left, at the corner of North Beachwood Drive and Westshire Drive. We had good luck finding parking on Woodhaven Drive, a narrow, winding street with extraordinary homes just a short jog right and then immediately left from the cafe. Wherever you park, start your walk at the cafe.
2. Walk north (uphill) on North Beachwood Drive on the right side of the street. You’ll pass the other end of Woodhaven Drive on your right, and a short distance later, past a long, brown fence shaded by a magnificent backyard oak at 2800 Beachwood, look for your first stairs on the right, the North Beachwood Westshire Stairs. (Do not take the stairs a little farther to the left — we’ll tackle those later.)
3. These shady stairs are steep but beautiful, 143 steps up to Westshire Drive, where you take a right and continue to climb until the road splits at Lechner Place. Stay right and continue on Westshire on a winding walk downhill.
4. When Westshire takes a wide curve to the right, look for your next stairs on the left at 2748, another steep and shady climb with wrought-iron handrails up 149 steps to Hollyridge Drive, where you turn left.
5. Here is a relatively flat walk past some magnificent homes, several with aspirations to being castles. We are high in the hills now, and occasionally you may get glimpses of some terrific views in between houses, but don’t get impatient. The big view is coming soon. When the road splits at Lechner Place, stay right, heading uphill, on Hollyridge and continue your stroll, admiring some pretty diverse architecture along the way.
6. You’ll find your next set of stairs just after 3057 Hollyridge, 178 steep steps down, thank goodness, where you land at 3020 N. Beachwood Drive. (When we took the walk, the steps were temporarily closed; if the gate is still closed, just continue straight on Hollyridge until it turns down to Beachwood, about three long blocks farther than where the stairs descend.) Turn left, heading downhill, and enjoy this easy walk as you stay left, past Belden Drive and Ledgewood Drive, because we’re climbing again at the next set of stairs on the right, at Woodshire Drive.
7. These are “Hollywoodland’s Granite Retaining Walls and Interconnecting Granite Stairs.†They are a tony, double set of stairs with stately planters in the middle where a little stream once flowed, and were built in 1928, according to the plaque at the bottom. Now it’s 148 dry steps to the top on Belden Drive.
8. Turn left and follow Belden around a couple of curves, just past Rodgerton Drive, where your next stairs will be on the right just past 2917, another 118 steps up to Durand Drive.
9. And here I diverge from the route of author Charles Fleming, who developed this stair walk for his “Secret Stairs†book, because truth be told, I got a little lost. His route sends you left on Durand, downhill to a hairpin turn left onto Flagmoor Place, then left again onto Belden, where you find the Woodshire Stairs to your right, just past 2872, dropping 125 steps to Woodshire Drive, where you turn right, down to Belden, then left on Belden for a short block to where you started at the Beachwood Cafe.
10. We, however, turned right on Durand and followed it uphill (gluttons for punishment, I guess, but we got our reward farther along). This is another curvy, narrow road without sidewalks, so walk with care because you’re going to be distracted by the stupendous views of the Hollywood sign, which plays peekaboo for a while as you round curves but becomes a pretty solid fixture by the time you reach 3092 Durand Drive.
11. After many twists on Durand, we veered right onto Heather Drive. If we’d walked much farther on Durand, we would have run into the Mulholland Highway, which was thick with traffic on a Sunday, so we opted for the quieter adventure on Heather Drive, winding around past Lugano Place until we reached Ledgewood Drive and turned right, heading down an increasingly steep hill, again with no sidewalks, so walk with care.
12. We jogged a little to the left at Rodgerton Drive to continue our descent on Ledgewood, and here, about a block down to the left, we got our reward: passing the enchanting Garden of Oz. Looking through the gate, you can see signs asking passersby to refrain from taking photos of the colorful mosaics and sculptures within. But just a few steps downhill, you’ll pass parts of the garden that are easy to admire and photograph, including the delightful “throne†of stones built into the hill to your left. It’s called “A Throne of Your Own,†and it’s a great spot to stop and take photos.
13. Continue walking down Ledgewood, which gets very steep. You can walk past Belden until you reach Beachwood and turn right, back to the cafe. Or if you want one more set of stairs, turn right on Belden, and follow this winding street just past 2960 to take the Hollywoodland stairs down, 148 steps, back to Beachwood Canyon. Turn right and return to the cafe.
A couple of important notes before you start: We took this walk on a Sunday, when there was far too much traffic and too many people walking up the hill to see the sign. If possible, try to go on a weekday, when the crowds are thinner, and stop in at the excellent Beachwood Cafe for a delicious meal (open daily 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. except Mondays and Tuesdays, when it’s open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.).
Be sure to find a restroom before you get to Beachwood Canyon, because you won’t find any there.
Here’s how to get there:
1. Parking will be your first challenge. Once you drive through the “Hollywoodland†gates of Beachwood Canyon (the original name of this housing development from 1923), the cafe will be on your left, at the corner of North Beachwood Drive and Westshire Drive. We had good luck finding parking on Woodhaven Drive, a narrow, winding street with extraordinary homes just a short jog right and then immediately left from the cafe. Wherever you park, start your walk at the cafe.
2. Walk north (uphill) on North Beachwood Drive on the right side of the street. You’ll pass the other end of Woodhaven Drive on your right, and a short distance later, past a long, brown fence shaded by a magnificent backyard oak at 2800 Beachwood, look for your first stairs on the right, the North Beachwood Westshire Stairs. (Do not take the stairs a little farther to the left — we’ll tackle those later.)
3. These shady stairs are steep but beautiful, 143 steps up to Westshire Drive, where you take a right and continue to climb until the road splits at Lechner Place. Stay right and continue on Westshire on a winding walk downhill.
4. When Westshire takes a wide curve to the right, look for your next stairs on the left at 2748, another steep and shady climb with wrought-iron handrails up 149 steps to Hollyridge Drive, where you turn left.
5. Here is a relatively flat walk past some magnificent homes, several with aspirations to being castles. We are high in the hills now, and occasionally you may get glimpses of some terrific views in between houses, but don’t get impatient. The big view is coming soon. When the road splits at Lechner Place, stay right, heading uphill, on Hollyridge and continue your stroll, admiring some pretty diverse architecture along the way.
6. You’ll find your next set of stairs just after 3057 Hollyridge, 178 steep steps down, thank goodness, where you land at 3020 N. Beachwood Drive. (When we took the walk, the steps were temporarily closed; if the gate is still closed, just continue straight on Hollyridge until it turns down to Beachwood, about three long blocks farther than where the stairs descend.) Turn left, heading downhill, and enjoy this easy walk as you stay left, past Belden Drive and Ledgewood Drive, because we’re climbing again at the next set of stairs on the right, at Woodshire Drive.
7. These are “Hollywoodland’s Granite Retaining Walls and Interconnecting Granite Stairs.†They are a tony, double set of stairs with stately planters in the middle where a little stream once flowed, and were built in 1928, according to the plaque at the bottom. Now it’s 148 dry steps to the top on Belden Drive.
8. Turn left and follow Belden around a couple of curves, just past Rodgerton Drive, where your next stairs will be on the right just past 2917, another 118 steps up to Durand Drive.
9. And here I diverge from the route of author Charles Fleming, who developed this stair walk for his “Secret Stairs†book, because truth be told, I got a little lost. His route sends you left on Durand, downhill to a hairpin turn left onto Flagmoor Place, then left again onto Belden, where you find the Woodshire Stairs to your right, just past 2872, dropping 125 steps to Woodshire Drive, where you turn right, down to Belden, then left on Belden for a short block to where you started at the Beachwood Cafe.
10. We, however, turned right on Durand and followed it uphill (gluttons for punishment, I guess, but we got our reward farther along). This is another curvy, narrow road without sidewalks, so walk with care because you’re going to be distracted by the stupendous views of the Hollywood sign, which plays peekaboo for a while as you round curves but becomes a pretty solid fixture by the time you reach 3092 Durand Drive.
11. After many twists on Durand, we veered right onto Heather Drive. If we’d walked much farther on Durand, we would have run into the Mulholland Highway, which was thick with traffic on a Sunday, so we opted for the quieter adventure on Heather Drive, winding around past Lugano Place until we reached Ledgewood Drive and turned right, heading down an increasingly steep hill, again with no sidewalks, so walk with care.
12. We jogged a little to the left at Rodgerton Drive to continue our descent on Ledgewood, and here, about a block down to the left, we got our reward: passing the enchanting Garden of Oz. Looking through the gate, you can see signs asking passersby to refrain from taking photos of the colorful mosaics and sculptures within. But just a few steps downhill, you’ll pass parts of the garden that are easy to admire and photograph, including the delightful “throne†of stones built into the hill to your left. It’s called “A Throne of Your Own,†and it’s a great spot to stop and take photos.
13. Continue walking down Ledgewood, which gets very steep. You can walk past Belden until you reach Beachwood and turn right, back to the cafe. Or if you want one more set of stairs, turn right on Belden, and follow this winding street just past 2960 to take the Hollywoodland stairs down, 148 steps, back to Beachwood Canyon. Turn right and return to the cafe.
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Los Feliz-Griffith Park Loop
Griffith Park Urban Trail
There are lots of cool things about this walk — it takes you past Frank Lloyd Wright’s Ennis House, an awe-inspiring Mayan Revival manse high on a hill, and some eye-popping views around the Griffith Observatory Plus, glimmering views of the Pacific Ocean and even Catalina Island on a clear day. But it’s also a tough slog with few stairs (just 463 steps overall) that feels more like a neighborhood hike than a stair walk. Still, it passes some memorable houses and provides a good excuse to visit the observatory while getting a great workout , so by all means give this one a whirl.
Here’s how to get there:
1. Park on Vermont Avenue, across from the entrance to the Roosevelt Golf Course, just below the Greek Theatre. There are restrooms in the park across the street.
2. Walk downhill on Vermont Avenue for about a third of a mile, past Aberdeen Avenue on the left and Cockerham Drive on the right, a lovely stroll with stately historic homes, bougainvillea spilling over cream-colored walls and extraordinary gates. Turn right onto Cromwell Avenue into a quiet neighborhood of huge Spanish- or Mission-style homes on top of the hills well above the road. If you’re like me, your neck will ache at the end of the day from looking up at the architecture and yards.
3. Cromwell meanders a bit with gentle ups and downs. When you see North Berendo Street on the left, look to your right to find your first set of stairs.
4. These are the Berendo Stairs, also known as the Los Feliz Heights Steps. They were built in 1924 and look as stately as the surrounding homes, with an elegant stone-speckled wall, built-in benches, graceful planters and a lion’s-head fountain that is not running. You may want to take advantage of the benches at the middle and top as you climb the 181 steps to 4800 Bonvue Ave.
5. Turn right on Bonvue Avenue, walking downhill just a short distance until you see another set of stairs just past 4770 heading up 70 steps. At the top you’ll walk under an arched gate between someone’s home and garage onto Glencairn Road.
6. This is the end of a winding cul-de-sac, so turn right and follow it out until it meets North Catalina Street. Look for a peculiar canine-feline sculpture at 4840 and the extraordinary views of downtown L.A. from the vacant lot next door.
7. At Catalina, bear right walking uphill and stay right at Glendower Avenue, continuing your uphill climb with more good views of Hollywood and downtown.
8. Glendower winds around, but at the crest of the hill, just past 2763, you’ll see a green sign on the right hanging crooked from a lamp post that reads “Public Walk.†These are the Glendower Stairs, plunging 133 steps down to Bryn Mawr Road. As you descend, look to your left, where you can see the Ennis House “crouched like a melting Mayan ruin,†says author Charles Fleming, a former L.A. Times writer who penned the book “Secret Stairs,†which inspired this walk.
9. At Bryn Mawr, cross the street, veering to the right, to find another set of curving stairs half hidden by shrubs. These 79 steps curve around a sun-dappled mosaic featuring an orange tree and the Griffith Observatory. It ends at Bonvue Avenue, where you should turn left, heading uphill. (A note here: If you need to cut the walk short, this is a good place to cross the street and take Glendower back down to Vermont Avenue and return to your car. Otherwise, we’ve got a couple more miles of hills, trails and views to go!)
10. As you walk up Bonvue, it veers to the right and becomes Glendower Avenue, home to some extraordinary residences. You’ll pass Bryn Mawr Road on the left and the exquisite 1924 storybook cottage known as the Hlaffer-Courcier House on the right. Then, a short distance later, the massive Ennis House begins to reveal itself on the left. The road will continue up and around the Ennis House property, so you can wonder at its forbidding concrete-block visage from many angles. As you round the bend, admire the charming Spanish-style house to the right and then continue your upward climb and Ennis House obsession. On this side there’s a long, tall wall that gives you a closer look at the designs on the more than 27,000 specially made concrete blocks used to construct the house.
11. Glendower Avenue will continue winding along to the top of the hill, where you turn right on Glendower Road and walk to the end, turning left through the black gates onto a trail into Griffith Park. A warning: The gate is locked remotely from sunset to 5 a.m., and on the day we tried to get through, well past 5 a.m., it refused to budge. We called the Griffith Park Ranger Communications Center for help. They told us the gate should be open, and a short time later, the lock released and we were able to get through.
12. This dirt trail up to Griffith Observatory is long, hot and dusty, especially on summer afternoons, but the views are stupendous. Again, if you need to cut your walk short, turn right when the trail splits and take the Boy Scout Trail back to Vermont Avenue and the golf course area where you parked. But if you can keep going, take time to really savor the far-reaching views of L.A., and the distant splash of blue on the horizon that is the dear Pacific. Then head up the trail curving behind the observatory until you emerge on the lawn at the far side of the building.
13. If the observatory is open, you can wander around or get a cool drink. When you’re ready to leave, walk downhill on the right side of the lawn, on East Observatory Avenue. This leads you down and to the right to North Vermont Canyon Road. Follow the road past the Greek Theatre on your right, and a little farther on to where you are parked across from the golf course.
Here’s how to get there:
1. Park on Vermont Avenue, across from the entrance to the Roosevelt Golf Course, just below the Greek Theatre. There are restrooms in the park across the street.
2. Walk downhill on Vermont Avenue for about a third of a mile, past Aberdeen Avenue on the left and Cockerham Drive on the right, a lovely stroll with stately historic homes, bougainvillea spilling over cream-colored walls and extraordinary gates. Turn right onto Cromwell Avenue into a quiet neighborhood of huge Spanish- or Mission-style homes on top of the hills well above the road. If you’re like me, your neck will ache at the end of the day from looking up at the architecture and yards.
3. Cromwell meanders a bit with gentle ups and downs. When you see North Berendo Street on the left, look to your right to find your first set of stairs.
4. These are the Berendo Stairs, also known as the Los Feliz Heights Steps. They were built in 1924 and look as stately as the surrounding homes, with an elegant stone-speckled wall, built-in benches, graceful planters and a lion’s-head fountain that is not running. You may want to take advantage of the benches at the middle and top as you climb the 181 steps to 4800 Bonvue Ave.
5. Turn right on Bonvue Avenue, walking downhill just a short distance until you see another set of stairs just past 4770 heading up 70 steps. At the top you’ll walk under an arched gate between someone’s home and garage onto Glencairn Road.
6. This is the end of a winding cul-de-sac, so turn right and follow it out until it meets North Catalina Street. Look for a peculiar canine-feline sculpture at 4840 and the extraordinary views of downtown L.A. from the vacant lot next door.
7. At Catalina, bear right walking uphill and stay right at Glendower Avenue, continuing your uphill climb with more good views of Hollywood and downtown.
8. Glendower winds around, but at the crest of the hill, just past 2763, you’ll see a green sign on the right hanging crooked from a lamp post that reads “Public Walk.†These are the Glendower Stairs, plunging 133 steps down to Bryn Mawr Road. As you descend, look to your left, where you can see the Ennis House “crouched like a melting Mayan ruin,†says author Charles Fleming, a former L.A. Times writer who penned the book “Secret Stairs,†which inspired this walk.
9. At Bryn Mawr, cross the street, veering to the right, to find another set of curving stairs half hidden by shrubs. These 79 steps curve around a sun-dappled mosaic featuring an orange tree and the Griffith Observatory. It ends at Bonvue Avenue, where you should turn left, heading uphill. (A note here: If you need to cut the walk short, this is a good place to cross the street and take Glendower back down to Vermont Avenue and return to your car. Otherwise, we’ve got a couple more miles of hills, trails and views to go!)
10. As you walk up Bonvue, it veers to the right and becomes Glendower Avenue, home to some extraordinary residences. You’ll pass Bryn Mawr Road on the left and the exquisite 1924 storybook cottage known as the Hlaffer-Courcier House on the right. Then, a short distance later, the massive Ennis House begins to reveal itself on the left. The road will continue up and around the Ennis House property, so you can wonder at its forbidding concrete-block visage from many angles. As you round the bend, admire the charming Spanish-style house to the right and then continue your upward climb and Ennis House obsession. On this side there’s a long, tall wall that gives you a closer look at the designs on the more than 27,000 specially made concrete blocks used to construct the house.
11. Glendower Avenue will continue winding along to the top of the hill, where you turn right on Glendower Road and walk to the end, turning left through the black gates onto a trail into Griffith Park. A warning: The gate is locked remotely from sunset to 5 a.m., and on the day we tried to get through, well past 5 a.m., it refused to budge. We called the Griffith Park Ranger Communications Center for help. They told us the gate should be open, and a short time later, the lock released and we were able to get through.
12. This dirt trail up to Griffith Observatory is long, hot and dusty, especially on summer afternoons, but the views are stupendous. Again, if you need to cut your walk short, turn right when the trail splits and take the Boy Scout Trail back to Vermont Avenue and the golf course area where you parked. But if you can keep going, take time to really savor the far-reaching views of L.A., and the distant splash of blue on the horizon that is the dear Pacific. Then head up the trail curving behind the observatory until you emerge on the lawn at the far side of the building.
13. If the observatory is open, you can wander around or get a cool drink. When you’re ready to leave, walk downhill on the right side of the lawn, on East Observatory Avenue. This leads you down and to the right to North Vermont Canyon Road. Follow the road past the Greek Theatre on your right, and a little farther on to where you are parked across from the golf course.
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(Jaclyn Cosgrove)
Santa Monica’s Bluffs & Beach
Santa Monica Beach Trail
This staircase walk is a semi-leisurely stroll along the beach, mixed with fun jaunts up historic staircases that have provided easy beach access for decades. It’s a great walk to people watch and appreciate California beach culture.
Here’s how to get there:
1. Begin your walk next to Bubba Gump Shrimp Company on the Santa Monica Pier. Near the southern corner of the restaurant, you’ll find your first staircase. Head down these steps and then bear right along the wooden path around the restaurant. Turn left onto the multiuse pathway, taking care to walk in the lane designated for pedestrians.
2. Follow the path around the parking lot until you notice a tremendous pedestrian overpass to your right. Head toward that bridge and take 42 steps up to cross over Pacific Coast Highway. But, you’re not done. At the end of the bridge, continue up 44 more stairs, appreciating the bluffs and probably a few squirrels. Bear left, past the cannon, onto the walking path through this portion of Palisades Park. Head westerly toward Arizona Avenue. Regardless of how cute they are, refrain from feeding the squirrels.
3. Near Arizona Avenue, bear left onto your next staircase. These 75 steps will take you down to a pedestrian overpass to cross over PCH again. Take the 36 steps down from the bridge to street level. You’ll turn left and then another immediate left through a parking lot, walking to the pedestrian path that meanders along the beach. Head northwest, past Perry’s Cafe, following the Ocean Front Walk as it veers left. Turn right at the next Perry’s Cafe, near bike racks, two benches and, next to the building, a small group of palm trees. Head northeast through the parking lot.
4. Head up the circular walkway that resembles a half pretzel from an aerial view. You’ll take the overpass onto the California Incline walking path, marveling at the wonders of modern architecture. Bear right toward the next set of trails, a winding set of 42 stairs. On the ramp, pause to take in the views, and maybe even snap a photo with the ocean behind you. At the top, head left through the park, popping into the public restroom if needed.
5. Near Montana Avenue, you’ll find your next set of stairs (and perhaps a local fruit vendor). Bear left onto this old wooden structure and descend 133 steps. Continue over the pedestrian bridge and down the spiral set of stairs to beach level.
6. Cross through the parking lot, and head toward the beach path. At this point, you have a few options: You can turn right and walk as far as you’d like down the beach. Maybe even jump into the glorious ocean. Or turn left and meander back to your car. There are multiple food and snack options along the way.
Here’s how to get there:
1. Begin your walk next to Bubba Gump Shrimp Company on the Santa Monica Pier. Near the southern corner of the restaurant, you’ll find your first staircase. Head down these steps and then bear right along the wooden path around the restaurant. Turn left onto the multiuse pathway, taking care to walk in the lane designated for pedestrians.
2. Follow the path around the parking lot until you notice a tremendous pedestrian overpass to your right. Head toward that bridge and take 42 steps up to cross over Pacific Coast Highway. But, you’re not done. At the end of the bridge, continue up 44 more stairs, appreciating the bluffs and probably a few squirrels. Bear left, past the cannon, onto the walking path through this portion of Palisades Park. Head westerly toward Arizona Avenue. Regardless of how cute they are, refrain from feeding the squirrels.
3. Near Arizona Avenue, bear left onto your next staircase. These 75 steps will take you down to a pedestrian overpass to cross over PCH again. Take the 36 steps down from the bridge to street level. You’ll turn left and then another immediate left through a parking lot, walking to the pedestrian path that meanders along the beach. Head northwest, past Perry’s Cafe, following the Ocean Front Walk as it veers left. Turn right at the next Perry’s Cafe, near bike racks, two benches and, next to the building, a small group of palm trees. Head northeast through the parking lot.
4. Head up the circular walkway that resembles a half pretzel from an aerial view. You’ll take the overpass onto the California Incline walking path, marveling at the wonders of modern architecture. Bear right toward the next set of trails, a winding set of 42 stairs. On the ramp, pause to take in the views, and maybe even snap a photo with the ocean behind you. At the top, head left through the park, popping into the public restroom if needed.
5. Near Montana Avenue, you’ll find your next set of stairs (and perhaps a local fruit vendor). Bear left onto this old wooden structure and descend 133 steps. Continue over the pedestrian bridge and down the spiral set of stairs to beach level.
6. Cross through the parking lot, and head toward the beach path. At this point, you have a few options: You can turn right and walk as far as you’d like down the beach. Maybe even jump into the glorious ocean. Or turn left and meander back to your car. There are multiple food and snack options along the way.
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