The short trail through Ferndell in Griffith Park is an out-of-the-ordinary walking path for Los Angeles, bordering a stream that nourishes tropical plants under the shade of sycamores. Even when other parts of Griffith Park dry out and turn brown, Ferndell stays lush and green, thanks to the recycled water it receives from Griffith Observatory.
The relaxing quarter-mile long trail glides through what is called Ferndell Nature Museum (it doesn’t look much like a museum), located along Fern Dell Drive in Griffith Park’s Western Canyon, a block from the park entrance. At the top of the Ferndell Trail, you can walk a short distance further to The Trails Cafe and relax with a coffee or tea at a quiet park retreat.
Without much extra effort, the hike can be extended up the bottom of Western Canyon to get more Griffith Park views, taking the outing from 0.5 miles round trip with 65 feet of elevation change to 1.75 miles round trip with 260 feet of elevation change (or venture further yet and hike up to the Griffith Observatory).
