Secret Stairs #35: Temple Hill, 2 miles, 108 steps.

Temples! A haunted mansion! Hundred year-old streets and structures! A short yet very steep climb into a historically "wow" neighborhood west of Beachwood Canyon and north of Franklin Avenue in Hollywood. There, drawn by the occult reputation of Los Angeles in 1911, the Theosophical Society created Krotona, a colony of temples, veggie cafeterias, a metaphysical library, cottages, and homes in Moorish-Egyptian architecture. In 1920 the Theosophists bailed for Ojai when Hollywood became "Hollywood" and the film industry settled in these hills, but many of Krotona buildings still stand, surrounded by gorgeous homes and bungalows, and framed by a sweeping view of Hollywood. Pictured: the Vedanta Society temple, the 1912 sign outside the Krotona apartments, Barbara Stanwyck's estate—now known as Hollymont Castle (and haunted), and the double-sided staircase that ended our hike. A neighborhood filled with hidden treasures.