Cinema News: 3 spectacular L.A. hikes to show guests

August 14, 2025 | View in browser

Clouds drift above the Hollywood sign in Griffith Park in Los Angeles with yellow digital touches.

By Jaclyn Cosgrove

Staff Writer

Los Angeles and its surrounding landscapes offer limitless opportunity for adventure. But which one should you take your out-of-town guests on?

Should you trek up to Mt. Lee in Griffith Park where you and your pals can take selfies with the Hollywood sign? Or do you wake up early and take on the infamous Bridge to Nowhere trail, making sure to Google its history before you arrive? Or do you escape to the nearby desert, keeping weather in mind as you marvel at the Mojave?

I am a perfectionist, so I have spent hours considering this topic before my guests arrive. Thankfully I've found a way to channel that energy into my reporting, including this piece about very specific types of visitors and the hikes they might enjoy.

When considering hikes for out-of-town guests, I like to ask myself, and usually my guests, the following:

What kind of footwear are they bringing for their visit? (L.A. soil is too sandy to hike in a Vans slip-on, full stop.)
What level of effort would we like to expend?
How much time do we want to spend on this excursion?
What's the weather up to? ☀️

Regardless of what you decide, please remind your guests to pack a hat and sunglasses, and make sure to check the weather forecast wherever you're headed, as August is bringing the heat.

With that in mind, here are my latest recommendations on fun hikes to tackle with visiting friends and family.

1. For ocean views: The Willow Creek Trail to Nicholas Flat Loop

Distance: 1.8 miles (with an option to extend)
Elevation gained: About 575 feet
Difficulty: Moderate
Dogs allowed? No
Accessible alternative: Marvin Braude Bike Trail

The Willow Creek Trail to Nicholas Flat Loop is a 1.8-mile jaunt through coastal sage scrub at Leo Carrillo State Park that quickly rewards hikers with breathtaking ocean views.

You start near the park's campground and take the Willow Creek Trail about 0.7 miles northeast before it jags to the west. There, you will find a sign for an ocean vista lookout point, which I recommend as long as body and spirit allow. It's steep but only about 235 feet and provides panoramic views of the mountains and coastline.

From here, you can either take the Nicholas Flat Trail back down to the parking lot or you can continue on another section of the trail that takes you north and eventually to a quaint preserve with a small pond.

If you don't mind a farther drive from L.A., an alternative option would be to take the Ray Miller Trail at Point Mugu State Park about two miles to a magnificent lookout point where you can see much of the nearby coastline.

2. For mountain views: The Tee Pee Trail

Distance: 5 miles
Elevation gained: About 1,000 feet
Difficulty: Moderate
Dogs allowed? Yes
Accessible alternative: Mt. Wilson Observatory paved loop (with optional, more challenging side quest to Echo Rock)

The Tee Pee Trail is a five-mile moderate hike mostly along a wide fire road that switchbacks up the hillside. At the top, you'll find a teepee and panoramic views of L.A. County and the San Gabriel Mountains. It's the perfect spot for a picnic or extended snack break.

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Remarkably, the trailhead is only a 25-minute drive from downtown L.A. You'll park near the Angeles Crest fire station. If you park across Highway 2, please take good care as you cross the street.

There isn't much shade on this trek, so consider taking it early in the day or later in the evening — perhaps for a nice group sunset hike. If you bring your dog, please make sure to check the ground temperature by placing the back of your hand against the earth for five seconds. If it's too hot for you, it's too hot for them!

3. For an enchanted forest walk: The West Fork National Scenic Bikeway

Distance: 14 miles
Elevation gained: About 1,000 feet
Difficulty: On the easier end of moderate
Dogs allowed? Yes
Accessible alternative: Surprise! It's this hike. The path remains mostly paved and moderately flat for at least 2.5 miles. Park here to avoid stairs.

The West Fork National Scenic Bikeway is a 14-mile out-and-back, mostly paved path that runs parallel to the river the trail is named after. After a good rain, waterfalls run down the hillsides next to the path. It's a great spot to practice birding and observe local wildlife, including deer, fox and rainbow trout.

This is one of my favorite places to take visitors, as it is a precious peaceful green space. You can walk any distance along the path and have a nice day in nature.

I generally turn around at Glenn Camp Campground because it's a nice spot to take a break and the final mile is quite steep, ending at Cogswell Dam.

3 things to do

1. Bike worry-free through Culver City
CicLAvia will host its 61st car-free, open-streets festival from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday on a 6.75-mile stretch of roadway from Culver City to Venice. The route includes segments of Washington and Venice boulevards and is open to cyclists, walkers, joggers and anyone else on a people-powered form of transportation. The event is free and will feature several activities along the route. Learn more at ciclavia.org.

2. Fly a kite in Long Beach
The Pacific Kite Club will host the 12th Long Beach Kite Festival from 1 to 7 p.m. Sunday at Granada Beach (5100 E. Ocean Blvd). The event started as a small Bangladeshi community gathering and is now a free public celebration showcasing the art form and craftsmanship of kites. Participants can grab free kites as long as supplies last. Register at eventbrite.com.

3. Sit with birds in Montecito Hills
The Audubon Center at Debs Park will host a community bird sit from 8:15 to 10 a.m. Sunday on the center's property (4700 Griffin Ave.). It is a stationary birding opportunity where visitors will stay in one place as they scan the area for birds. Binoculars and field guides will be provided. No dogs, please. Learn more at audubon.org.

The must-read

After the devastating and deadly January wildfires, it was impossible not to think about the future of L.A.'s varied landscapes. Thankfully we now have a guide of what to consider. In "Imagining a Future L.A.," my Times colleagues explore how we can create this: "a future that works for all of us," writes Alice Short, a (legendary) senior editor at The Times. The project outlines what the future of housing, development, water and our environment could look like. "The future gives us an opportunity to reimagine ourselves, to see how the region's disparate and far-flung communities transform themselves," Thomas Curwen, a former longtime staffer, writes. I found myself feeling surprisingly hopeful as I read through the project, especially as I learned about the future of firefighting and how we might more effectively extinguish blazes right as they start.

It's an understatement to say we've been through a lot in L.A. this year. The project offers us a robust and realistically optimistic perspective for what we can do to create better days for ourselves and our city.

Happy adventuring,

P.S.

I've been writing The Wild for a little over a year now and I'd love to hear from you. What do you want to learn more about? What types of trails would you like to see more of? What questions do you have about our local landscapes? If you're a Wild subscriber reading this in your inbox, simply reply to this email to send me feedback. If you've discovered this article on The Times' website, you can find my contact information here. Thank you so much for reading The Wild!

For more insider tips on Southern California's beaches, trails and parks, check out past editions of The Wild. And to view this newsletter in your browser, click here.