Branch Out for Redwoods

Explore the redwood grove at Los Angeles County Arboretum in Arcadia

Redwoods at Los Angeles Arboretum in Arcadia

Pines, birches, oaks, and … redwoods! Branch out to Arcadia’s Los Angeles County Arboretum for a simple 2.5-mile loop featuring surprise specimens (redwoods!) and local classics alike.

After parking, be on the lookout for resident peacocks. Over 200 of these majestic birds call the Arboretum home (they’re also the symbol of Arcadia). Admission here is $15 per person, and masks are required throughout the grounds. Heading east, pass through a variety of gardens and a tropical greenhouse, until you reach the main paved path. Directly across from you is the serpent trail, where you’ll slither through the Australian gardens. When you reach the main loop road, take a left and go through the African gardens. Succa for yucca? At the T-shaped intersection, take a brief detour through Aloe Trail. 

Continue west along the paved road (the giant Bauer Lawn and Fountains are on your left—
invariably populated by peacocks and peahens surveying the grass) until you hit another T-intersection. Directly in front of you is the Prehistoric Garden, a shaded trail with cycads, ferns, and other big-leaf varieties that give off major Jurassic Park vibes. Also Jurassic? The Redwood grove of dawn and coastal varieties: a true rarity in Southern California. Soak in the grandiose on a shinrin-yoku walk (the Japanese art of forest bathing; the arboretum actually holds monthly classes) or sit on a bench under a redwood looking out at Baldwin Lake. When you’ve had your fill of big wonders, walk north on the path along the lake, meandering by a turtle pond and arboreal varieties.

After the (work-in-progress) Korean garden, you’ll reach the popular waterfall. Head to the summit via the stairs to get incredible panoramic views of the garden framed by the hulking San Gabriels at Tallac Knoll. Keep on the dirt trail northeast and descend under indigenous favorite coast live oaks back at Baldwin Lake, named for “Lucky” Baldwin, the founder and first mayor of Arcadia, who at one time lived at the grounds.

Redwoods at Los Angeles Arboretum in Arcadia

You can explore around his Queen Anne Cottage home, used often in films of varying expositions (read up on park history at all the interpretive signs along the trails), and look for resident Canada geese, snowy egrets, ducks, and turtles. Make your way back to the park entrance at your leisure.

To get to the Los Angeles County Arboretum, take the I-210 to the Baldwin Ave. exit and head south. The park entrance and lot will be at the first light on your right; you can’t miss it! No dogs allowed. Pro tip: Even though there are maps posted throughout the grounds, download the park map on your smartphone so you don’t miss any arboreal attractions!

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Picnic and a Pedal

    West Marin has all the right stuff for an afternoon getaway: bike paths, babbling brooks, canopy forests, and secluded picnic spots. Combine a picnic and a pedal at Samuel P. Taylor State Park by biking the easygoing Cross Marin Trail.

    View
  2. Hike the Oursan Trail alongside Briones Reservoir in the East Bay

    Opt for Oursan

    Hike the trail less traveled in the East Bay's Briones Regional Park. The Oursan Trail is pure serenity on a wide hiking path skirting the northern shores of Briones Reservoir.

    View
  3. Most Peaceful Hike of All

    Is this the most peaceful one-hour hike in the Bay Area? It's got our vote! Lake Lagunitas is the smallest lake in a series of five found on the north side of Mount Tam, so it’s got that tiny but mighty charm. Do a 1.5-mile loop around the lake's shore-hugging trail.

    View
  4. Sebastopol Food & Wine Roll

    One apple farm, three charming towns, multiple wineries, and infinite natural beauty. Savor a perfect autumn day in Sonoma County by biking the West County Regional Trail from Sebastopol to Forestville via Graton. It’s a 17-mile (round-trip) adventure. 

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Wine Down, Dine Out in Lake Chelan

    The fertile soil around Washington State's Lake Chelan is ripe for more than just the amazing apples. Vineyards here yield high quality grapes, and some of the country’s best less-discovered wineries. Locals know it, and you will too when you start choosing from the more than 30 wineries in the region.

    View
  2. Lace Up for Lacy

    Lacy Park in San Marino is a hidden gem that may very well be the most pristine green space in greater Los Angeles, and a concealed pair of nearby stairways makes it all the more appealing.

    View
  3. Hiker amid trees at Oak Glen Preserve in Yucaipa Southern California

    Apple of Your Eye

    That fall feeling is definitely in the air and on display at the Oak Glen Preserve. Apple orchards and colorful leaves are a bonus, as are the apple cider donuts and slushies you can enjoy post-hike.

    View
  4. Hike San Diego Volcan Mountain Wilderness

    Planet of the Oaks

    Let us count the number of oak tree species in the Volcan Mountain Wilderness Preserve near Julian: coast, scrub, canyon, black, and Engelmann. Five! The preserve’s Five Oaks Trail is a 3.2-mile hike that boasts all five.

    View