Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
207
rattlesnake, fo x, hawk, and quail. The hills ar e also home to almost 1,000 dr
ought-
resistant plant species, including live oak and coastal sage.
Hiking is best after spring rains, when the hills ar e green, flowers are in bloom, and
the air is clear. Summers can be very hot; hikers should always carr y fresh water. Beware
of poison oak, a hear ty shrub that's common on the West Coast. Usually found among
oak trees, poison oak has leav es in gr oups of thr ee, with waxy sur faces and pr ominent
veins. I f y ou come into contact with this itch-pr
oducing plant, y ou'll end up with a
California souvenir that you'll soon regret.
Santa Ynez Canyon,
in Pacific Palisades, is a long and difficult climb that rises steadily
for about 3 miles. A t the top, hikers ar e rewarded with fantastic vie ws over the Pacific.
At the top is
Trippet R anch,
a public facility pr oviding water, r estrooms, and picnic
tables. From Santa Monica, take Pacific Coast Highway (Calif. 1) north. Turn right onto
Sunset Boulevard and then left onto P alisades Drive. Then continue for 2
1
/
2
miles, turn
left onto Verenda de la Montura, and park at the cul-de-sac at the end of the steet, where
you can find the trail head.
Temescal Canyon,
in Pacific Palisades, is far easier than the S anta Ynez trail and far
more popular, especially among locals. This is one of the quickest routes into the wilder-
ness. Hikes here are anywhere from 1 to 5 miles. From Santa Monica, take Pacific Coast
Highway (Calif. 1) nor th; turn right onto Temescal Canyon Road, and follow it to the
end. Sign in with the gatekeeper, who can also answer your questions.
Will Rogers State Historic Park
, Pacific Palisades, is also a terrific place for hiking.
An intermediate-level hike from the park's entrance ends at I nspiration Point, a plateau
from which y ou can see a good por tion of L.A. 's Westside. See “L.A. P arks, Gardens,
Views & Zoos” earlier in this chapter, for complete information.
For more information on hiking in the L.A. r egion, log on to
www.latrails.com
.
HORSEBACK RIDING
Griffith Park Horse Rental,
480 Riv erside D r. (in the Los
Angeles Equestrian Center), Burbank (
&
818/840-8401
), rents horses by the hour for
guided rides thr ough Griffith Park's hills; no experience is necessar y. Horse rental costs
$25 for 1 hour, cash only. The stables are open daily fr om 8am to 5pm ('til 6pm in the
summer), and you must be at least 6 y ears old to ride. I f you have a rider 5 or y ounger,
you can either opt for the pony rides in G riffith Park (p. 187), or arrange for a priv ate
1-hour lesson by calling
&
818/569-3666.
Another popular horseback-riding outfit is
Sunset R anch,
located at 3400 B each-
wood D r. off of F ranklin Avenue, just under the holl
7
ywood sign. H orse r entals ar e
Moments
Sunset Margarita Horse Rides
This is so cool. Every night except Saturday, the Sunset Ranch Hollywood Stables
company hosts
The Dinner Ride.
They saddle you up on a big ol' horse, and then
y'all take a scenic 1
1
/
2
-hour ride through Griffith Park—with the city lights shining
far below—to the Viva Fresh Mexican restaurant in Burbank. After dinner and a
tasty margarita, you ride back to the ranch in the dark. Consider yourself warned,
however: Many a sore derriere has wished it hadn't been subjected to 180 minutes
in the saddle. The ranch is located at the very end of Beachwood Drive off Franklin
Avenue, just under the
HOLLYWOOD
sign. For more information, call
&
323/469-5450
or log on to www.sunsetranchhollywood.com.
