Trail Review: Fern Canyon Trail to Beacon Hill
Parking: free parking in the parking lot by the Merry-go-Round.
Distance: 3.0 miles out & back.
Difficulty: Moderate
Griffith Park is a Log Angeles staple. There are so many trails to traverse within its 4,210 acres. One of the treks that I had done a few years back and just revisited is the Fern Canyon Trail to Beacon Hill. It's a great trail to do if you're looking for some cardio and it has a pretty nice 360 degree view at the peak.
The journey begins at the parking lot by the Griffith Park Merry-go-round. It's a nice, big, and free lot to park in. On a weekend, it will still be hard to find parking. On a weekday, it was very easy to find a spot.
You'll want to head around the road barriers on Fire Road which are at the entrance to the parking lot. From there, in about 500 feet, you'll see a sign with a map for the Fern Canyon Trail at the start of a dirt path to the left. This is the path to take.
About 250 feet up, there is another intersection. This time, the sign is for the Lower Old Zoo Trail and is pointing to the right. You'll want to take the trail to the left to stay on the Fern Canyon trail.
The path starts to get steeper at this point and will definitely get your heart rate up. There is one more intersection in this first portion of the trail and it is only another 200 feet or so after the previous one. This time, the path to the right is the Upper Old Zoo Trail and you'll again want to head to the left to stay on Fern Canyon.
For the next mile, the path winds uphill at a pretty steady incline. It's a wide trail with plenty of room. The nice part of this section is the view of Glendale and the Angeles National Forest that pops in and out as you come around the curves.
After about a mile, the trail leads to a massive 5-way intersection called 5 Points. To get to Beacon Hill, you'll want to take the left most trail which is marked by a metal beam for securing horses.
The path flattens out for a short time, and during this respite, you'll also get a few glimpses of Downtown Los Angeles to the right. But the reprieve won't last too long. At the final stretch of the trail, just before reaching Beacon Hill, there is an extremely steep climb to get to the top. But one last push, and you'll reach the end!
Beacon Hill itself it's all that special. It's a wide open area with truly nothing but the view. No benches or picnic tables. Nothing. But the nearly 360 degree views as you make your way around the edges of the hill are very nice. You'll see Downtown LA, Glendale, Burbank, the Angeles National Forest, the Verdugo Mountains, and other areas of Griffith Park.
There were no other hikers at all at Beacon Hill or the path leading up to it. It was a nice, quiet area that I had all to myself. That might not be the case all the time, especially on weekends, but it was nice to have a little part of Griffith Park to myself (which is rare).
When you're done up on the hill, feel free to take a different path at 5 Points to continue exploring the area, or head back the way you came to the merry-go-round parking lot!
Bottom Line: A moderately difficult trail due to the steeper sections but otherwise, a fairly straightforward hike with some nice city views at the top.
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