(Ross May / Los Angeles Times)
You can brag that you know the park and earn your Griffith Park badge when you’ve completed these activities and seen these sights. (OK, there’s no actual badge, just a brag-worthy badge of honor in your newfound knowledge of the park.)
1. Take a hike to a high point. Complete the tough uphill trudge to the Hollywood sign or the shorter route to Mt. Hollywood for defining views of the city and the L.A. landmark. You’ll get hooked on exploring the 50 or so miles of trails in the park. Bonus points: Go at night when L.A. looks sparkly.
2. See a mountain lion. P-22 is hands-down the most popular creature in the park. Fortunately, your chances of seeing him are slim to none. You can see live cougars at the L.A. Zoo or get a close-up look at a glassy-eyed stuffed one at the Park Center and Visitor Center on Crystal Springs Drive. You’ll be amazed at how big the paws are.
3. Spend time in the saddle. A horseback ride in the park connects you to the old cowboy days when this was the only way to get around L.A. Don’t have a horse? Sunset Ranch Hollywood on the west side of the park is happy to rent you one with a guide ($50 to $95 per person). You can hoof your way to Mt. Hollywood, day or evening, to marvel at the sun setting over the Hollywood sign. On the east side, LA Horse Rentals in Glendale also provides guided rides ($40 to $80 per person).
4. Find the mini-gardens. Over the years, a few park lovers have created little gardens within the park. They flourish still. Dante’s View is a lush oasis on the way to Mt. Hollywood, with benches and piped-in water. Amir’s Garden, also lovingly landscaped, takes you to the northeast corner near the Mineral Wells Picnic Area.
5. Bond with Shakespeare. This is a summer-only activity (except for this summer), which has a permanent stage near the merry-go-round. Independent Shakespeare Co. is hosting a “living room edition” of the Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival through Sept. 27.
6. Dine in a lion’s den. Before the current zoo opened in the 1960s, Griffith Park had a cramped zoo with small cages and enclosures. The old zoo was never destroyed and instead was turned into a picnic area. You can take a 2½-mile walk around the ruins (now a favorite graffiti spot) and picnic in a former animal den.
7. Become a regular. Commit to visiting Griffith Park once a week for a year. You won’t see it all, but you’ll start to appreciate the views of the city and, if you’re lucky, the ocean, as well as the San Fernando Valley and the San Gabriel Mountains. Bonus points: Look for former L.A. City Councilman and park lover Tom LaBonge, who’s been hiking the Mt. Hollywood Trail for decades.
8. Tour a jeweled universe. Inside Griffith Observatory (currently closed) is one of the most innovative representations of the birth of the universe. “Cosmic Connection” chronicles a 13.7-million-year timeline of how the universe formed in more than 2,000 pieces of jewelry. Sounds kooky, but it works beautifully.
9. Savor the city from the roof of the observatory. If there is a quintessential vista of L.A., the place to see it is from the observatory’s roof. Forget those downtown high-rises with pricey elevator rides. You can visit for free the copper-topped rotunda that has turned bright green since the observatory opened 85 years ago. Go at sunset and wait for the remarkable grid of L.A. to light up. Bonus points: Share the moment with someone you love.
10. Picnic in the park. True park lovers fire up the grills and sling their hammocks between trees; this isn’t a grab-and-go sandwich affair. Families come to spend the day, celebrate birthdays and anniversaries, and have fun. Best picnic sites are in the Crystal Springs area and sites along the walkway leading to the old zoo. Bonus points: Get away from the crowds and eat your lunch at quiet Cedar Grove in the center of the park.
11. Thank the colonel. The park wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for the quirky, controversial, stubborn, gun-toting colonel (no, he never had an official rank) Griffith J. Griffith. Here’s how the L.A. Times described the likeness that stands at the park entrance at Los Feliz Boulevard and Crystal Springs Drive: “There, in all his portly, button-straining splendor, stands Griffith in the form of a 14-foot bronze statue.” Hardly anyone stops for selfies beside the man who believed in creating a park for the “plain people.”
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