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Located on the west end of the San Gabriel Mountains, Placerita Canyon Natural Area (also know as Placerita Canyon State Park) is an interesting park that has something for everyone. There are easy canyon trails and tougher backcountry tracks, along with a nature center and an Ecology Trail that offers an easy loop for those interested in local plants. ...Read more.

Next to Will Rogers State Historic Park is a shady canyon with a shady past. The ruins of Murphy Ranch, a compound built by Nazi sympathizers in the 1930s have been left behind to decay in Rustic Canyon. For adventuresome hikers, a trail enters Rustic Canyon from the east side of Will Rogers SHP. Beyond the end of the trail is a long unmaintained path up an overgrown canyon to the ruins. ...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.

In the mountains above Santa Barbara, a plot of privately owned land surrounded by the Los Padres National Forest. On that land stand the remains of a palatial estate that burned down seventy years ago, the so-called Knapp's Castle. To the ruins and back is a 0.8-mile round trip hike with 50 feet of elevation change. The majestic views from this unique spot far exceed the effort. ...Read more.

Long ago, back in the 90s - that is the 1890s, the resort built on Echo Mountain was one of the largest tourist draws in California. Thaddeus Lowe's resort, known as the White City, was perched at an elevation of 3,200 feet, overlooking the city of Pasadena and a grand stretch of Southern California. The resort was long ago destroyed by wildfires, leaving fascinating ruins for present day visitors to explore. ...Read more.

For the first half of the 20th century, the desert land now known as Joshua Tree National Park was scattered with miners on the hunt for gold and silver. When ore was mined, it was sent to a mill to be crushed and have the precious metal extracted. The ore from Desert Queen Mine and other mining operations passed through Wall Street Mill, which is located in Queen Valley near the Wonderland of Rocks. ...Read more.

The Ashford Mill ruins are visible to those driving up route 178 to Badwater Basin and Furnace Creek in Death Valley National Park. The ruins rest on the valley floor at an elevation of 121 feet below sea level. They serve as a picturesque example of the rigors of life in this harsh desert. In 1914, Ashford Mill was built to process gold from the Ashford Mine, located in the mountains to the east. ...Read more.

In the 1930s, Nazi sympathizers built a refuge in the Pacific Palisades. Herr Schmidt, Winona and Norman Stephens, and their followers occupied a self-contained stronghold in what is now Rustic Canyon between Sullivan Ridge and Will Rodgers State Park. Murphy Ranch was designed to serve as a hold out for fans of the Third Reich waiting for America to fall to the Nazis. ...Read more.

Fish Canyon Falls is beautiful three-tiered waterfall that drops over eighty feet in a canyon in the front range of the San Gabriel Mountains near Azusa. Early spring is the perfect time to visit the dynamic waterfall, when the water flows well and the canyon is green. A rock quarry occupies the bottom of Fish Canyon and for many years Fish Canyon Falls Trail could only be reached by shuttle on special access days. ...Read more.

Solstice Canyon offers an easy no-fuss walk alongside a flowing creek in a wide canyon. The big attraction on this 2.6-mile round trip hike is a small waterfall next to interesting ruins. Solstice Canyon is a great venue for a picnic and a stroll. The wide trail is so level it can be walked in flip-flops, making this one of the most family-friendly hikes in the Santa Monica Mountains. ...Read more.