Runyon Canyon Park

You might not expect to go hiking in Hollywood. But there's a lot more to the most famous part of LA than movie stars.

Hollywood is home to a big beautiful park called Runyon Canyon Park, which is on the eastern side of the Santa Monica Mountains. Before anyone owned the park, many believe Indians went there to camp and hunt wild animals. Then in 1867 the US army gave the park to a man to thank him for his hard work. After that many rich people owned and lived in the park until 1984, when the government bought the park and gave it to the city. That means that now everyone can use the park, including you.

There are a lot of great hiking trails in Runyon Canyon Park, which has three different entrances. If you are looking for a steep climb, use the Mulholland entrance. It has a few different trails to the top of Indian Rock, which is the highest point in the park. Indian Rock is about 400 metres high and has a great view of the city. If you prefer to work on your yoga, use the Fuller Avenue entrance. Yoga teachers have been giving free lessons there every day since 2002. 

And if you know someone with a dog, ask them if you can borrow their pet. Runyon Canyon Park is a great place to walk a dog. There are even places where you can walk your dog without a leash. Just watch out for wild animals. The park is full of snakes, lizards, deer and coyote. But don't worry! Most of them will probably be a lot more scared of you than you are of them.