Best Hiking Trails Near Los Angeles 2026

Los Angeles is an exceptional hiking city. The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area runs through the western half of the city providing hundreds of kilometres of chaparral and coastal canyon trails, Griffith Park in the city's core offers 87 kilometres of trails culminating at the famous Griffith Observatory, and the San Gabriel Mountains immediately north of the San Fernando Valley provide Sierra-style alpine terrain accessible within 90 minutes of downtown LA. Here are the best hiking options in and around Los Angeles for 2026.

Griffith Park: Mount Hollywood and Trails Network

Griffith Park, the largest municipal park with urban wilderness area in the United States, sits in the Santa Monica Mountains directly above the Hollywood sign and provides the most iconic urban hiking in America. The trail network includes the Griffith Observatory approach trails from the Vermont Canyon parking area (4km return to the Observatory), the Mount Hollywood summit trail from the Observatory (3km circuit to the highest point in the park at 536m with views of downtown LA, the Pacific, and on clear days Catalina Island), and the Hogback Trail connecting to the iconic Hollywood sign viewpoints. The park is busiest on weekend mornings; midweek morning hikes before 9am provide the clearest views and the least crowded trails.

Santa Monica Mountains: Backbone Trail

The Backbone Trail, 97 kilometres in total across the width of the Santa Monica Mountains from Will Rogers State Historic Park in Pacific Palisades to Point Mugu State Park in Ventura County, is the signature long-distance trail of the Los Angeles area. Day sections of the Backbone Trail between Malibu Creek State Park and Topanga State Park provide spectacular chaparral ridge walking with views of the Pacific Ocean to the south and the San Fernando Valley to the north. The Malibu Creek State Park section (accessible from Mulholland Drive or Las Virgenes Road) passes the M*A*S*H filming location, Century Lake, and the volcanic rock formations of the gorge, making it the most scenically varied section for a half-day hike. Spring (February-April) when the chaparral wildflowers bloom is the finest season for Santa Monica Mountains hiking.

San Gabriel Mountains: Mount Wilson and Chantry Flat

The San Gabriel Mountains in the Angeles National Forest above Pasadena and Arcadia, accessible from the Foothill Freeway (I-210), provide the most dramatic mountain hiking within the Greater Los Angeles area. Mount Wilson (1,742m), accessible via the Mount Wilson Trail from Sierra Madre or the Chantry Flat trail system, is the most historically significant summit in the San Gabriels, housing the Mount Wilson Observatory and providing views from the Pacific to the Mojave desert. The Chantry Flat trailhead accesses the Sturtevant Falls trail (3.5km return) and the longer Sturtevant Camp circuit through the shaded mountain canyon of Big Santa Anita Creek, one of the most popular waterfall hikes from Los Angeles. Winter snowfall occasionally dusts the higher San Gabriels, creating a remarkable view of snow-capped peaks from the LA basin.

Practical Guide to Hiking Near Los Angeles

Most LA hiking destinations require a car or rideshare (Griffith Park is the exception, accessible by bus from Hollywood). The Adventure Pass ($5 daily, $30 annual) is required for parking at Angeles National Forest trailheads. The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area maintains the nps.gov/samo trail map. Summer hiking in LA should be done before 9am due to heat; winter and spring provide the finest conditions with clear views after rain storms clear the coastal marine layer.

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