| The seeds of one of the world's great city parks | | | | park - hot, dry summers mixing with mild, wet |
| were sown with the arrival of Colonel Griffith Jenkins | | | | winters in a coastal location - is the rarest in the |
| Griffith from Wales in 1865 to make a fortune in | | | | world. Only four other areas in the world enjoy the |
| California gold mines. In 1882 Griffith came to Los | | | | same climate, the fewest acres of any ecosystem. |
| Angeles and purchased 4,071 acres of an original | | | | Santa Monica Mountains NRA is a paradise for canine |
| Spanish land grant, Rancho Los Felix. | | | | hikers but not an unfettered one. Dogs are not |
| In 1896 he gave more than 3,000 acres of California | | | | allowed on state park trails so you will need to limit |
| oaks, wild sage and manzanita to the city as a | | | | your explorations to national and city park lands. |
| Christmas present - "a place of relaxation and rest | | | | An easy introduction to the park near the Visitor |
| for the masses." Today Griffith Park, west of I-5 | | | | Center is at Rancho Sierra Vista (Satwiwa) where a |
| between Los Feliz Boulevard and Ventura Freeway, is | | | | loop trail slips 1.5 miles through grasslands and |
| the largest urban wilderness area in America, including | | | | chaparral- covered hillsides. The loop begins and ends |
| 53 miles of trails, fire roads and bridle paths. Many of | | | | at the Satwiwa Native American Indian Culture |
| the trails feature views of the famous Hollywood | | | | Center. |
| sign - the 6-mile Mt. Hollywood Trail climbs to the top. | | | | Athletic dogs will want to test the many canyon trails |
| Dog-friendly touches include a dog park adjacent to | | | | at Zuma Canyon, Solstice Canyon, Franklin Canyon |
| Ferraro Soccer Field and rides for dogs on the Los | | | | and more. Expect extended ocean views and scenic |
| Angeles Live Steamers miniature train. | | | | looks where the land has been folded into peaks and |
| For even more first-class canine hiking travel 10 | | | | canyons by shifts along the San Andreas Fault. |
| minutes west to the Santa Monica Mountains National | | | | Some of the sportiest canine hiking in the Santa |
| Recreation Area. Santa Monica Mountain NRA is an | | | | Monica Mountains is at Circle K Ranch where trails |
| amalgamation of 150,000 private, city, county, state | | | | ascend to Sandstone Peak, the highest point in the |
| and federal acres knitted into a single entity in 1978. | | | | park at 3,111 feet. One route, the Backbone Trail, will |
| The park stretches 46 miles from east to west, | | | | one day stretch 65 miles across the entire national |
| co-existing next to the most densely populated urban | | | | recreation area. Dog owners may want to skip the |
| area in the United States - one in every 17 | | | | downhill hiking on the Grotto Trail. After going two |
| Americans live within an hour's drive of the Santa | | | | miles, dogs are not allowed on the final 1/8 mile to |
| Monica Mountains. The Mediterranean climate in the | | | | The Grotto. |