Runyon Canyon

Runyon Canyon is LA's most popular urban hike — a 160-acre park in the Hollywood Hills that provides a moderately challenging trail with views of the Hollywood Sign, downtown, the Griffith Observatory, and on clear days the Pacific Ocean and Catalina Island. The canyon is where LA's fitness culture meets its entertainment industry — the trails are populated by aspiring actors, personal trainers, yoga practitioners, and the Instagram influencers who use the summit views as a backdrop for content creation.

The main trail loop takes about an hour and climbs approximately 300 metres from the Fuller Avenue entrance to the summit overlook. The trail is unpaved and steep in sections, but the reward — a 360-degree view from the ridgeline that encompasses the entire LA basin — is the most democratic viewpoint in the city (free, no car required, accessible by foot from Hollywood Boulevard). The off-leash dog policy makes Runyon a destination for the dog-walking crowd, and the canine-to-human ratio on the trail approaches 1:1 on weekend mornings.

The park's Hollywood Hills location means the trail passes the back fences of celebrity homes, and the real-estate voyeurism that accompanies the exercise is an unofficial feature of the experience. The sunset hike — climbing as the light turns golden and descending as the city lights appear — is the most popular timing, and the trails can be crowded on weekend evenings. Early morning hikes avoid the crowds and the heat, and the morning light on the Hollywood Hills is the best natural illumination the city offers.