Who the heck says no one walks in LA! Yes of course we need a cars to get most places like those dreaded commutes to work but there are so many great places to take a stroll in this city.
And especially with our great weather we encourage you to get outside to take some long walks. For one thing fitness walks are good for our bodies and one of the most relaxing ways to get in some exercise. They are also good for our spirit simply because the mere act of walking helps with relieving stress.
In any case, LA is a great place for long walks because there are plenty of interesting areas that makes walking around not only healthy but also pleasant and even fun.
In this article we are sharing some of favorite places to take walks in Los Angeles. Have fun!
1 – Exposition Garden
Description:
If you’re looking for a beautiful peaceful walk its hard to beat Exposition Park near USC. This spot has all the perfect surroundings, where you can find interesting scenery as well as quiet pockets where you can take a break on the grass for reading or listening to your favorite podcast (like the LA Hacker podcast lol) without being disturbed.
If you want to go for a fast paced fitness walk or a more slow paced stroll for relaxation Exposition Park can accommodate either. They have both grass and sidewalk areas and you can stroll around the classic Rose Garden, or even choose one of the awesome museums onsite to walk in, including Natural History, Science Center or California African American Museum.
These museums are huge so plenty of space to get your steps in and hard to beat that scenery!
Location:700 Exposition Park Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90037
Pic Credit: @chris_zamorav
2 – Venice Beach
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Morning or evening Venice Beach is without a doubt one of the most interesting places to stroll around for fun. Expect to be entertained by talented skating dancers, painters, musicians, and even magicians. You never quite know what you’re going to see in Venice Beach and that’s part of the fun.
Take your walk on wheels you can bring your own roller skates and you will fit right in with all the skating enthusiasts in the area.
While you walk or roll around make sure you stop for a refreshment or a snack, as there are plenty of eateries around Venice Beach both on the boardwalk and the surrounding blocks nearby.
And if you find your sunglasses need an upgrade during you walk you can surely find your self a new pair at one of the many vendors along the boardwalk.
Venice is definelty one of the most interesting and unique places you can take a walk in LA. And lets not forget you have the Ocean just steps away as your view.
Location: Venice Beach Ca
PIC Credit: @bixelco
3 – The Hollywood Bowl
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Ok ready to take one of the most unique walks available in our city? Get your steps in at the glamorous and iconic Hollywood Bowl. Yes this famous concert venue is actually a city park available and open to the public, when there is no concert going on. So take those steps up and down at this famous venue and feel like a true super star! Make sure you don’t get on the stage though, that’s not for public access and could result in some trouble.
You can get in tough workout tackling the 160+ stairs or take it a little easier with a rejuvenating walk around all the rows, soaking up the history. After your work out is complete, you can take a break by sitting on the benches or chairs and enjoy that one of a kind view inside the Hollywood Bowl.
There are visitors stations you can explore while you are there, and learn about the history of the Hollywood Bowl. Or you can take sometime to appreciate the famous surroundings while drinking your morning coffee and walk, or even pack an early lunch for afterwards. There is nothing quite like a picnic with just you and a few friends inside an empty Hollywood Bowl.
Location:2301 N Highland Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90068
PIC Credit: @saturdaystairs
4 – Lake Balboa Park
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This is a great place to visit when you want to take a nice long nature walk. This welcoming 1.3 mile path which surrounds the lake, is perfect for you and your friend to take a stroll and catch up on some conversation.
The pretty lake and the serene surroundings makes it very inviting for many workouts especially walking and meditating. Also, you don’t have to leave your little one at home, the paved path surrounding the lake makes it very easy for baby strollers.
For a more challenging work out you can use the bike paths that connect to the area and bike some of the way. The park also features children play area, pedal boats and other fun stuff.
Lake Balboa Park is 80 acres including the water recreation facility with boat rentals and fishing and one of (if not the) most popular recreation park in the San Fernando Valley. It also has barbecue pits, children’s play area, picnic tables, and covered picnic pavilions and if you catch it at the right time of year you can see beautiful Flowering cherry trees in bloom.
Location: 6300 Balboa Blvd., Van Nuys, CA 91406
PIC Credit: @queenofthegrammed
5 – Griffith Park
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Magnificent Griffith Park made it to our list of course, for plenty of reasons. First off its by far the largest park in Los Angeles, its the second largest in California and one of the largest in the entire United States.
The 4,310 acre park is so big and has so many trails you can go every week and still take a different walking trail every time you go.
But with so many to choose from we do have some suggestions for you to try. We recommend the Berlin Forest path, this pretty grove of pine trees offers shade along the path for a very pleasant and relaxing walk. But there are many others of course including Amir’s Garden, Ferndell trail, Old Zoo, and the trail near the Los Feliz Park entrance that leads to the Merry Go Round.
More trails? Park your car not to far from the Observatory and enjoy a short hike. Then have a fun time walking while visiting the Observatory and taking in the gorgeous views. Other suggestions include Travel Town Museum, LA Zoo and Botanical Gardens, or take your fitness walk at the Steamers Railroad Museum.
And really those are just a few! There are so many trails, paths and adventures to explore in Griffith Park we suggest you get started!
Location: 4730 Crystal Springs Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90027
PIC Credit: @thehealingwoods
Do you agree with our list or did we miss an obvious one? Let us know by commenting below!