A different point of view
The relatively small mountain between Culver City and Baldwin Hills offers a spectacular 360-degree view of the city and an opportunity for a great workout or leisurely stroll, depending on your intent and ambition.
The California State Park attracts many exercise-focused individuals and groups sporting Lycra outfits, more than a few eschewing earbuds to share their workout soundtrack with the masses. The draw is the stacked concrete steps ascending 719 feet with different-height risers. Stair goers often hug and rightfully congratulate one another at the top. Alternatively, a 2.5-mile trail offers a winding route to the summit, or you can simply drive to the upper parking lot.
Info
Address 6300 Hetzler Road, Culver City, CA 90232, +1 310.558.5547, www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=22790, info@parks.ca.gov | Getting there Paid on-site lots and metered street parking | Hours Daily 8am–sunset| Tip Take a stroll through the Village Green National Historic Landmark (bordered by Rodeo Road, Coliseum Street, Hauser Boulevard, and S Sycamore Avenue), a charming, parklike modernist condominium complex built in 1942 with tree-lined pathways between the units.
If the climb doesn’t take your breath away, the view, unlike any other in the city, will. To the northeast, Downtown Los Angeles’s skyline rises like a cluster of princess-cut emeralds. Moving your eyes past Griffith Observatory and the Hollywood sign, you spot the big blue Pacific Design Center building sitting in the middle of the vista, and to the left the towering buildings on Sunset Boulevard, then Westwood farther west, and Malibu in the distance. To the southwest, LAX busily traffics a steady stream of jets coming and going. The Inglewood oil fields to the south look like a picture from the 1920s, with pumps like oversized Dippy Birds eternally bowing and rising.
The 58-acre park has been reclaimed from oil drilling, and the restoration of native plants, prickly pear cactus, and sunflower bush fosters a healthy home for towhees, bushtits, butterflies, and more. Open on Saturdays, a nature center at the crest of the hill features hands-on exhibits and a theater screening wildlife-related short documentaries. Bathrooms and water are available but no food for purchase, though there is a picnic table for those who bring their own.
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