I've lived near the L.A. River in Studio City for more than half of my life, but as Barbara and I say, you can't really know a neighborhood until you've investigated it on foot. Today we explored a new-to-us hidden treasure on the river from Charles Fleming's hike in the June 10, 2017, L.A. Times. The L.A. River flows (barely trickles during droughts) for 51-miles—from the SF Valley through DTLA to its mouth in Long Beach. Pueblo Los Angeles was founded on its banks, and it was the primary source of water for the entire county before the construction of the L.A. Aqueduct in 1913. After the great flood of 1938, the Army Corp of Engineers encased the riverbed and banks in concrete. Since 1986, the county and several river and conservancy groups have embarked on a series of revitalization efforts to restore its natural habitat for wildlife and public recreation, and based on the river hikes we've taken in the past, they're doing a great job of it! Today we hiked the result of another one of those efforts: the Richard Lillard Outdoor Classroom between Fulton Ave. and Coldwater Canyon Blvd. Opened to the public in 2003, this shady walking park was named for author and urban ecologist Richard Lillard—one of the founders of Friends of the L.A. River, and one of our first great conservationists. The paths on both sides are indeed classrooms, with interpretive signs along the way and a 30-seat outdoor amphitheater. A tale of two trails, the rustic south path ends at Coldwater (see our shadows waving in the pic from the bridge over the river.) We headed west on the pristine north trail that includes concrete access points, a steelhead trout mosaic and a sign explaining steelhead history, and additional signs about wildlife ("Oak Tree Hotel.") Colorful riparian landscaping along the path was planted by non-profit Village Gardeners who also keep the stretch clean and inviting. Barbara and I had the trail to ourselves at 8; by 8:30 dog walkers and joggers began to populate both sides of the river. After we finished our loop, Fleming steered us on a path of discovery through a small neighborhood north of Moorpark, where a pedestrian bridge led us back over the river to return to the car. The Richard Lillard Outdoor Classroom, and other stretches extending east from Coldwater are well done, pretty alternatives to the more challenging Fryman and Franklin canyon hikes nearby. Hats off to everyone who pulled this slice of Studio City serenity together!