Join the L.A. Times on a winter hike in Elysian Park

Hi — I’m Deborah Vankin, a wellness writer for the L.A. Times. I’m not definite astir you, but 2025 has been a whopper of a twelvemonth truthful far. Especially since the fires successful January forced america indoors, robbing america of the accidental to bask the large Los Angeles outdoors during the coolest clip of the year.

Which is wherefore it’s clip for a hike. I often deed the trails erstwhile I request to reset. Though I usually hike solo, I find radical hikes peculiarly invigorating — particularly with radical I don’t yet know. We’re virtually gathering connected communal ground, a shared emotion of the outdoors.

We’d similar to invitation 30 L.A. Times subscribers to articulation america connected a scholar hike connected Saturday, March 8 astatine 9 a.m. The inaugural lawsuit successful our subscriber-exclusive hiking lawsuit series, this past June, explored the Lower Arroyo Seco Trail; the 2nd one, led by my workfellow Jaclyn Cosgrove successful October, traversed the Gabrielino Trail on the Arroyo Seco. This time, we’ll beryllium hiking the urban-adjacent trail Elysian Park West Loop.

The hike is an casual 2.4 mile loop, that’s level overmuch of the way, with a fewer little but gentle inclines. It’s 1 of my favourite places to instrumentality out-of-towners due to the fact that it feels similar some a distant quality flight and a scenic circuit of immoderate of L.A.’s astir melodramatic metropolis views. Sights see parts of the L.A. River, Dodger Stadium and the downtown L.A. skyline. The premix of scents and sounds — birdsongs commingled with freeway postulation and music, the odor of chaotic sage and wafting barbecue fume — each consciousness uniquely L.A. to me.

We’ll conscionable astatine the trailhead connected Elysian Park Drive, conscionable disconnected of Stadium Way. Park successful the batch astatine Grace E. Simons Lodge and locomotion backmost down Elysian Park Drive until you get to Stadium Way. You’ll spot the trailhead connected your left. There are nary bathrooms connected this hike, but you tin usage 1 astatine the lodge aft you park.

As I did past time, I’ll pb the radical successful a fewer gentle stretches to loosen america up earlier we walk. I’ll besides stock what I’ve learned astir the geography and past of the country during our hike. The lawsuit should instrumentality astir 2 hours walking astatine a leisurely pace.

Please bring sturdy, comfy shoes, a hat, sunscreen and water. On-leash dogs are welcome, too. I cognize a fewer of my colleagues volition bring theirs. (I’d bring my cats but they’re hiking wimps!)

This lawsuit is escaped to the archetypal 30 subscribers who motion up. Attendees indispensable beryllium 18 years oregon older and indispensable motion a waiver anterior to the hike.

You tin snag a spot here connected eventbrite.com. See you retired there!