Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area
Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area is an amazing alternative to Griffith Park, located right in the middle of Los Angeles. It’s a state recreation area managed by Los Angeles County. This means it’s dog friendly as long as your pup is on a leash.
Location
4100 S La Cienega Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90008
Parking is free during weekdays and $6 on weekends and holidays only
Details
When I mention this park to most people, they have no idea what I’m talking about. Many have driven by the entrance and the ugly oil fields that dot this area, but few have explored this hidden oasis.
On a clear sunny day, there’s few places I’d rather be in Los Angeles for an unobstructed Downtown to Century City view than Kenneth Hahn.
The best part about this park, apart from the views, is it’s dog friendly. There are plenty of wide open grassy lawns to relax on and several easy trails that surround the park. There’s two options for accessing Kenneth Hahn. One is the main entrance located off LaCienega. The other is to park off La Brea Avenue and Don Lorenzo Drive. Once you cross La Brea, you’ll find a variety of hiking trails. Most of the trails snake up to the top of the hillside and into the main park.
This alternative is our favorite. You don’t even have to go up to the top as trails here wind and bend along side La Brea. You hear the traffic buzz but it’s hard to believe you’re in the middle of the city as you’re immersed in native plants walking along smooth dirt paths. Even on weekends, this part of the park is fairly quiet. You’ll pass trail runners and a bike or two, but otherwise you can enjoy the scenery mostly to yourself.
Once at the top of the park, there are more hiking trails, huge lawns, and the usual playgrounds and BBQ areas. There is also a large pond that is stocked with trout which attract many ducks, swans, and other water fowl. Baxter finds this fascinating and good thing we keep him on a leash or he’d chase away all the birds! It can be crowded on holiday weekends but for the most part, people stay near the picnic areas and the hiking trails are left for the trail runners. It’s definitely not even close to as crowded as Griffith Park and we’ve yet to run into other dogs who are off leash (which seems an all too frequent problem at Griffith Park).
Kenneth Hahn is definitely a great place to visit if you’re just starting out hiking with your dog or want a change from a typical walk. There’s plenty of water fountains and shady areas to rest. The trails are well maintained. And it’s right in the middle of the city. Instead of driving an hour or two to hit Malibu or the Foothills, you can go for a quick hike near your own backyard.
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Baxter’s Rating
- Alyse