trails - franklin canyon

just southwest of the mulholland and coldwater canyon intersection is franklin canyon, a beautiful park hidden in the middle of los angeles. the park has a duck pond, a few trails and park spaces you can rent for private parties. there's a lot of tree coverage before you hit the trails and plenty to explore without making a climb. we wandered around the park for a bit before we got to hastain trail.

the trek:

- from the parking lot, walk down the main road until you reach the pond
- walk around the pond, keeping it on your left
- after you circle the pond, get back on the main road and follow the signs to beverly drive
- turn left onto lake drive
- hastain trail entrance on your left
- once you reach the peak, head back the way you came
- about 1/4 mile back down, you'll see an unmarked trail sign straight ahead of you
- take the trail to head back down and you'll end in a park
- stay to the right as you walk through the park and you'll end up back on lake drive

duck pond

view of west LA from hastain trail peak

total distance: 5.5 miles

travel time: 2h00m
gain: 680 ft

difficulty: moderate

franklin canyon - hastain trail

the tips:

- park in the main lot, to the left of the entrance sign
- wear a hat, as the trail offers no shade
- the trail gets steep in some areas, so bring plenty of water
- the trail is mostly gravel and sand with steep areas so wear proper shoes to avoid slipping