Hikes in the Verdugo Mountains

Diminished by drought and tarnished by wildfire, Crystal Lake is not the glistening destination it once was. Crystal Lake is the only naturally occurring lake in the San Gabriel Mountains, cradled by granite summits north of the San Gabriel River Valley above the city of Azusa at 5,500 feet. It is a 1 1/3-mile round trip paved hike to Crystal Lake with 150 feet of elevation gain. ...Read more.

If someone wrote a book about hiking Smith Mountain, it would be called A Tale of Two Trails. It was the most gradual of times, it was the steepest of climbs... This classic hike in the San Gabriel Mountains begins with three miles of single track that easily gain a thousand feet to Smith Saddle. What follows is an 800-foot scramble to the summit in less than half a mile. ...Read more.

Coldbrook Campground is a small 20-site campground on Coldbrook Creek, which feeds into the North Fork of San Gabriel River. From Azusa, it is an 18-mile, roughly half hour drive up Route 39 to the campground in Angeles National Forest in San Gabriel Mountains National Monument. At Coldbrook Campground, all sites are first-come first-serve for $12 per night (price as of 2018). ...Read more.

The old zoo in Griffith Park is one of the strangest ruins in Los Angeles (putting it in the running for strangest ruins worldwide). When the Los Angeles Zoo opened at its current location in the 1960s, the former zoo, a few miles away was not torn down or destroyed. Instead, the zoo was abandoned and converted into a picnic area. Explore one of LA's best off-the-beaten-path attractions on a half mile hike (or more) through the picnic area past old animal cages and exhibits. ...Read more.

Bee Rock is a unique hive-shaped outcropping towering over the east side of Griffith Park. From the top of the rock, you have a commanding view over the park and the city beyond. The observation area atop Bee Rock is surrounded by a tall chain-link fence, protecting visitors from the steep drop-offs on all sides, while meshing up the panoramic views. ...Read more.