Los Angeles’ Griffith Park attracts over 10 million visitors every year. It’s packed with major city attractions, including the Hollywood Sign, Griffith Observatory, and the L.A. Zoo, as well as fifty miles of hiking trails that crisscross sweeping natural landscapes.
Despite its proximity to one of the country’s most vibrant cities, much of Griffith Park remains notably undeveloped, offering a vast wilderness to explore just 10 minutes outside of Downtown L.A..
History of Griffith Park
Today’s Griffith Park was originally inhabited by the Indigenous Tongva people, also known as the Gabrielino or Gabrielino-Tongva Tribe. After becoming part of Rancho Los Feliz during the Spanish era, Welsh immigrant Colonel Griffith J. Griffith purchased the land for an ostrich farm and real estate developments.
Griffith then donated over 3,000 acres to Los Angeles as a place of recreation, explicitly open to all people regardless of race and background. Griffith’s trust directly funded several park attractions that endure today… all this despite him spending two years in San Quentin State Prison for shooting and severely wounding his wife.
After Griffith died in 1919, the city continued to develop many of the features that he envisioned. This included the Greek Theatre, which opened in 1930, and Griffith Observatory, which opened in 1935.
The park also grew to 4,200 acres with additional land donations and city purchases, and landscape architect John C. Olmsted expanded the area’s hiking trails and infrastructure into the recreational space that we enjoy today.
Things to do in Griffith Park
Many of L.A.’s most iconic landmarks are found in Griffith Park, and the area is popular among both tourists and locals. Here’s a quick overview of the biggest ones.
- Griffith Observatory – This famous public observatory on Mt. Hollywood is free to the public, offering free telescope viewing, star parties, astronomy exhibits, and a historic planetarium. No matter what time of day you visit, the view of the L.A. skyline from Griffith Observatory is an absolute must.
- Hollywood Sign – The world-famous Hollywood Sign has perched high on Mount Lee for over a century, and you can catch great views of it from Mt. Hollywood Trail, Cahuenga Peak Trail, and Brush Canyon Trail.
- Los Angeles Zoo – The L.A. Zoo and Botanical Gardens house over 1,100 animals across 133 acres in Griffith Park.
- Greek Theatre – This historic outdoor amphitheater is nestled in a Griffith Park canyon, hosting big-name concerts between the spring and fall.
- Bronson Caves – Check out these historic manmade caves via an easy hike from Canyon Drive. You may recognize them from movie and TV cameos, including the Batcave in the 1960s Batman TV show.
- Travel Town Museum – This free, open-air railway museum has dozens of real train engines and cars dating from the 1880s to the 930s.
- Hiking and recreation – With over 50 miles of trails, outdoor enthusiasts enjoy numerous opportunities for hiking and horseback riding. From the scenic Mount Hollywood Trail to the challenging trek to Cahuenga Peak, there’s a nice range of trail options to choose from. Just keep in mind that bicycles are only allowed on specific paved roads.