Watch out for traffic, then take a left on Riverside Drive - you should immediately get onto the sidewalk and in a hundred feet you’ll see the entrance to the L.A. River Bike Path. I ride the river several times a week and routinely see ducks, cranes and blue herons. Highland Park Bike Route: HARBOR PARK TRAIL MAP. Park your car near the Bette Davis Picnic Area on the outskirts of Griffith Park, and after crossing the river on Riverside Drive, take the bike path east along the LA River. Picnic near Crystal Springs Drive in Griffith Park. You may either go left towards the Travel Town Railroad Museum or right towards Wilson and Harding Golf Course. Speaking of, you’ll get some pretty great views of the iconic building from across the canyon. Zoo, the Autry Museum of the American West and their respective parking lots, after which the road is now called Crystal Springs Drive. This section of the ride is detailed in the OVER THE HILL route described in this guide. As you approach the road that leads to the Observatory, you’ll undoubtedly notice an increase in traffic and there may even be traffic attendants directing vehicles. A NOTE OF CAUTION: Road conditions vary on the routes described. From Griffith Park to Elysian Park. As you continue to climb you’ll see visitors walking the trails to the summit of Mount Hollywood, one of the highest points in Griffith Park. At the top of your climb, about halfway through the ride you will come to a "Y." … The LA River Bike Path paves the way to this Oz! then riding either the bike friendly Zoo Drive/Crystal Springs Drive or the Los Angeles River Bike Path may be a great option. Biking the Los Angeles River at Griffith Park. The other bad news is a possible closure of the LA River bike path through Griffith Park, Silver Lake and Atwater Village until next spring. public-notice-la-river-bike-path-closure-detour-for-bridge-improvements. Cheer up, though, it’s not all bad. This guide will move from the northern end of Zoo Drive that meets Forest lawn Drive at the Travel Town Railroad and we will move south to the Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round. have seen herons, egrets, red-hawk eagles, ducks, kingfishers, shore-birds, and STRAIGHT on bike friendly ZOO DRIVE  But it is on a bicycle that the entire park really opens up for exploration. This loop, in conjunction with the Los Angeles River Bike Path, traverses higher ground that overlooks the river. On routes that include Mount Hollywood Drive potholes, gravel and rough road are frequent. This maintenance road is open only to infrequent shuttles (during the summer, on the weekends) and official vehicles. 2 … The portion of path affected by the closure runs from Los Feliz Boulevard to Colorado Street. It's a great ride, relatively flat and a mostly well maintained path. Griffith Park 4730 Crystal Springs Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90027. Continue on and soon Three-Mile Trail will connect to the road. At this point it is easy to connect to either of the PERIMETER rides describes below. L. A. County- River Harbor Route: L.A./RIVER HARBOR MAP. The path is clean and well lit. ... Los Angeles, CA 90012 United States (213) 202-2700. Don’t go through the tunnel. One of the best views of Hollywood Icon On the mountains can be seen. The road gradually climbs past The Trails Cafe, the Fern Dell natural springs, a collection of bbq grills and many of the popular hiking trails that lead to Griffith Observatory. It’s about 3.6 miles from Riverside Drive to Los Feliz Boulevard, where you can exit the bike path if you wish and head back towards Griffith Park. Built in 1926 by the Spillman Engineering Company and brought to Griffith Park in 1937, the Merry-Go-Round boasts 68 horses, everyone a jumper. Near the 134 Freeway, a fourth bike-ped bridge is planned to connect Glendale to Griffith Park. This descent is a well deserved reward and my favorite portion of this ride. Griffith Park is one of the most beloved public spaces in Los Angeles. LA River’s Atwater Village-Griffith Park bridge taking shape . Griffith Park. Choose from five fully-supported cycling routes, ranging from 2 to 100 miles, and explore the LA River from Griffith Park to Long Beach. Silver Lake viewed from Mount Hollywood | Photo courtesy of Kansas Sebastian, Flickr. The LA River route's pool table surface makes it a favorite for distance speed blading. Check the schedule during the busy summer season. Soon you’ll pass the Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad - a museum and miniature railroad (the Ghost Train in October is very popular!) »» I am a rollerblader, not a bicyclist and surface is critical to bladers. You can also park on the side of the road, if permissible. The two roads join within the park, where they form a 9-mile scenic loop. There are several wonderful places to stop and take in huge views of Burbank and North Hollywood. Vista Del Valle Drive hugs the sides of Mount Hollywood and the ride swoops back south. If you want to ride further, keep going on Crystal Springs Drive all the way to Los Feliz Boulevard where you can get on the L.A. River Bike Path and loop back towards Travel Town via Riverside Drive and then Zoo Drive. Griffith Park is one of the most beloved public spaces in Los Angeles. Ride past the parking lots and trailheads and you’ll start to see sharp corners and a steady rise in the steepness of the road. 8 Amazing Bike Rides In Los Angeles. runs well faster than downhill runs. All rights reserved. Families with very young riders can easily do this ride. Urbanize is reporting that tomorrow the city of Glendale is expected to approve nearly $19 million for the project. The uphill dirt path eventually leads to Mount Hollywood’s peak and the downhill trail to the left leads to Amir’s Garden, a hidden garden of local lore. blog. It’s fun! It will descend to the left just before you get to a "Y" in the paved road. However, speed limits are low and there is plenty of space for bicycles. park with a co-ed port-a-potty on Giffith Park Drive Couldn't this path have been placed on the Eastside of the river? Location: Griffith Park, 4730 Crystal Springs Drive, Los Angeles Hours: 5:00 a.m.–10:30 p.m. Trails close at sunset. The riding is mostly level or at a easily manageable downhill grade at this point and you can focus on avoiding potholes and gravel patches. You may turn LEFT and ride the Los Angeles River Bike Path for several miles of easy going bike and pedestrian only pavement that hugs the L.A. River. the river instead of the freeway, it is a pretty nice ride. The LA River Bicycle Path consists of two main parts and other shorter sections that currently do not connect with each other along the river yet. Climb the hill and sweat and enjoy the smell of wild sage. It is vast, beautiful and in many places undeniably wild. The Los Angeles River Trail (Greenway/Bike Path) An important non-motorized route through the nation's second-largest urban region, the LA River Trail's bike path connects the region's largest open space—Griffith Park—to many communities, including Atwater Village, Los Feliz, Silver Lake, Glassell Park, Cypress Park, Elysian Valley, Lincoln Heights, and Downtown LA. »» I've ridden the LA River path and am very disappointed in it, particularly its location. It is vast, beautiful and in many places undeniably wild. The bike path along the Los Angeles River begins in Griffith park at Riverside Drive in Burbank, and there is an on-and-off opening near the Autry National Center. ... A bit closer to L.A., a 7.2-mile stretch of the L.A. River Bike Path running between Griffith Park and Elysian Park is great for riding. Half of this ride is steadily climbing the closed-to-traffic Mt. and a half-mile after that you’ll come to a three-way stop at Riverside Drive. Three-Mile Trail quickly accesses Mount Hollywood and Dante’s View if you care to take a side jaunt without your bike.The next wide dirt path you’ll see on your left is used frequently by hikers and equestrians (though officially closed to cyclists). The Griffith Observatory is a facility in Los Angeles, California, sitting on the south-facing slope of Mount Hollywood in Los Angeles' Griffith Park. Los Angeles River Trail spans 23.9 mi. The Los Angeles City Council has approved the program (Council File 14-0222), and it will again be located in a 2.5 mile-long zone in the Elysian Valley area of the LA River’s Glendale Narrows portion.The Army Corps of Engineers has also approved the program in the Sepulveda Basin. According to Curbed LA, the LA River Bike Path will be closed for construction come late April. You can really have a variation of routes once you sit down and map your cycling trip. T he LA River Recreation Zones are open for the 2015 summer season from May 25 (Memorial Day) to October 1.. (perhaps not) There is already a parallel route through Griffith Park that is much more enjoyable and far less auto traffic and exhaust fumes. connected by wide open stretches. Some parts are better maintained than others. The helipad is one of the best views in all of L.A. - that is why you can often see a commercial or film shoot on the helipad. Public Notice: LA River Bike Path Closure/Detour for Bridge Improvements. The path follows the Glendale Narrows, one of the most beautiful stretches of the L.A. River, where hundreds of ducks, geese, egret, swallows and crane float, flap and fly above the tall oak, palm overgrowth and river rocks. It’s free and really cool. The exhaust fumes coming off the freeway are horrible. A project to build a pedestrian and bike path along a 12-mile portion of the Los Angeles River will be designed by a team led by Gruen Associates. For the sake of this guide we will be describing the ride from south to north, starting in Los Feliz. Keep twisting downhill towards Travel Town and Forest Lawn Memorial Park (a big, beautiful cemetery) until you see a water tank that reads ‘Travel Town’. From the northernmost entrance on Atlantic Boulevard to the Imperial Highway Bridge, the trail follows along the west side of the river, passing alongside neighborhoods like Maywood, Bell, and South Gate. 19. You may complete the loop by riding to Los Feliz Boulevard and riding uphill/west to the Fern Dell Drive Entrance of Griffith Park, where this route began. Either way there is plenty of steady climbing rewarded with long stretches of downhill or gentle coasting. The hiking trails are better than the best you could reasonably hope for in the heart of such a massive metropolis, crisscrossing the park to create seemingly limitless possibilities for adventures. It is home to the world-famous Griffith Observatory (one of L.A.’s best free-to-the-public attractions), 70+ miles of hiking trails, several mountain peaks, three golf courses, at least one mountain lion and the Greek Theatre. Most of the routes described are on roads with bike lanes or are closed to traffic, but there are many other roads that could potentially be explored. A bridge across the LA River that will link Griffith Park and Glendale? DIRECTIONS TO THE START The route can be approached from either direction. The steady up river wind surprisingly results in uphill You can park The Ballona Creek Bike Path is short, but there's tons to see along the way. Parking: There is parking in and around Griffith Park. 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