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Stoneview Nature Center
Nestled in the Baldwin Hills are two family-friendly parks connected by a hiking trail. On the east-facing side of the hills is Stoneview Nature Center. This lovely gem off the beaten path is an easily manageable park that opened in April 2017. Hiking and a workout in the Baldwin Hills is a unique experience in a natural setting.
There is a quarter-mile dirt path surrounding the perimeter of the Nature Center. Walk four times around this flat and well-maintained path and you complete a mile. The parks are peaceful, uncrowded, and the Stoneview Nature Center is particularly ideal for families with children challenged by sensory issues. There is a stone maze that children enjoy. The Center also offers cooking and exercise classes daily.
Dogs on leashes are welcome at the Stoneview Nature Center. The fruit trees are plentiful and during harvesting, visitors can pick fruit to take home. My family enjoys watching the progress of the plants growing in the aquaponic garden. Who knew that edible plants besides seaweed can grow without soil and with fish swimming around their roots!
Bring a Picnic to Stoneview Nature Center
There are several places to sit down, rest, and enjoy the peace with several picnic tables covered by pergolas that provide shade. I love the chimes hanging above the tables. They are made out of kitchen gadgets and they sound beautiful. Visitors can check out a bee hotel and a quail enclosure.
Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook
The Nature Center and Scenic Overlook were recently connected by a lovely and challenging trail. The Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook is located on the north face of the Baldwin Hills. What attracts so many visitors to this park are the stunning views and the fitness stairs. On a clear day, the entire Los Angeles basin is visible from the Pacific Ocean to the often snow-capped San Bernadino Mountains that frame the Downtown skyline. The Hollywood Sign is also visible from the overlook.
Workout Steps
The park is always filled with hundreds of fitness enthusiasts from dawn to dusk determined to climb all 282 incredibly steep and uneven steps to the top. The reward is the stunning views and challenging workout.
Recently Miss Bee and I were driving on Jefferson Blvd. I glanced in my rearview and saw the most incredible sunset I have ever seen in Los Angeles. Our commute home happened to be approaching the Scenic Overlook and I made an impulsive detour. The view at the top is unobstructed. Our reward was a breathtaking view of the sunset over the Pacific. There are no words to describe the magnificence of a sky on fire.
The winding road to reach the Overlook is not for the faint of heart or for anyone with a fear of heights. If you can make the drive, the Park has well-maintained and easily navigated hiking trails. A paved trail leads to a platform surrounded by a guardrail. The spectacular view of downtown and the mountains is worth the effort.
Once you reach the top there is a pay-to-park lot. Visitors pay $2 per hour or $6 for the day. A short walk from the parking lot is the park’s Visitor’s Center. Exhibits provide visitors with the history of the Hills. The Baldwin Hills were once over-drilled until their rebirth as a beautiful and popular park.
Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area
In addition to the Stoneview Nature Center and Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook parks, there is a third park close by – Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area, also located in the Baldwin Hills. All three parks can be reached by riding The Link. The Link is a bus that transports visitors between the parks for just $.25 a ride. Seniors and the disabled ride for free. The Link also picks up riders at the nearby La Cienega light rail station. Local visitors can leave their car at home and enjoy a day in nature within the big city.
Fitness, Nature, and Family
Both parks are a must-see when we have guests from out-of-town. The view gives visitors a unique perspective of the natural beauty of Los Angeles. This lookout that boasts a view encompassing snow-capped mountains and the Pacific Ocean. Angelenos and visitors alike love this trio of parks – Stoneview Nature Center, Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook, and Kenneth Hahn Recreation area. These parks must-see gems for hiking and a workout in the Baldwin Hills.
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