Secret Walks #11: The Observatory Loop, 1.9 miles. 

A welcome break between rainstorms gave Barbara and me the chance to hike into Los Feliz's Vermont Canyon up to the south facing slope of Mount Hollywood and one of L.A.'s most famous landmarks. Though the steep, storm-fractured dirt trail twisted high into the hills, it was an easy walk, framed by lush greenery, downed trees, and a beautiful southern view of the city. And you can't beat the payoff at the top. In 1912, Griffith J. Griffith (of Griffith Park fame) decided he wanted his own version of the Mount Wilson telescope, so he donated $100,000 to construct The Griffith Park Observatory. A century plus five years later, this Art Deco beauty has welcomed millions of tourists, scientists, and star-gazers, and appeared in over thirty films from Gene Autry's 1935 The Phantom Empire to James Dean's 1955 Rebel Without a Cause to 2016's Best Picture nominee La La Land. Barbara and I arrived too early to go inside (free admission!) so we circled the outside deck to take in more views of the city and the trails below. On the hike back we passed another Hollywood star—Mount Hollywood Drive's "tunnel to Toon Town" from Who Framed Roger Rabbit? A great escape.