Hero's Welcome

Hike Route C Runyon Canyon Park

If you're looking for solitude at Runyon Canyon Park, you're in the wrong place. With a central location, knock-out views of Los Angeles, off-leash hiking areas for dogs, and trails to tone the thighs, the park is popular. But if you're more into a workout and less into the crowds, there's a trail for that. Known as Route C or the Hero's Trail, the grueling path up the park's westernmost ridge isn't for the faint of heart and sees fewer hikers as a result. The trail also has some of the best views the park has to offer: below you'll see the streets of Hollywood, downtown's smattering of high-rises, and (on a clear day) the Pacific and Santa Monica Bay. Go at sunset to see the city's grey buildings doused with pink. Because the ascent is steep, heading down can be hard on the knees, so we suggest making a loop and descending via the park's easternmost path (sometimes called Route B), or taking the central fire road (Route A). All in, this loop hike is about 3 miles (round-trip). You'll be joining the throngs on these trails, but this is Runyon, after all: see and be seen.

Park on N. Vista St. or on N. Fuller Ave. If using the Fuller entrance, after passing the fenced-in green area (often used for yoga), take a left on the dirt path between a palm tree and a water fountain. You'll soon pass gates on your left-hand side; this is the N. Vista St. entrance. Continuing uphill, take a hard left on the unsigned uphill dirt path that appears immediately after a gate marking an off-leash area. This is Route C or the Hero's Trail. Continuing on this path, you'll hike under power lines, pass a large mansion, and take circuitous stairs to the northernmost area of the park near Mulholland Dr. On the descent, you have the choice to take the main fire road (Route A) or take the park's eastern trail (Route B). Dog-friendly!

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Serene Las Gallinas

    A serene stroll alongside marshland, passing ponds and grasses frilled in seasonal wildflowers, with Mount Tam a beacon in the background … how nice. As part of the esteemed Bay Trail, San Rafael’s Las Gallinas Valley Birding Loop and Wildlife Ponds comprises about 3.5 miles of wide-open trail.

    View
  2. Paint Brushy

    This time of year you’ll have good reason to head for the hills—the electric-green rolling hills of Brushy Peak Regional Preserve in Livermore. This 4.5-mile loop hike is like stepping into a plein air painting.

    View
  3. Sponsored

    2025 POST Wildflower Walks

    Get flower empowered! POST’s complimentary 2025 Wildflower Walks guide blooms with the best places to see a variety of florals across the Peninsula and South Bay this spring.

    View
  4. All right, Almaden!

    Take a trip through time on this 5-mile loop in Almaden Quicksilver County Park. Explore the ruins of an old cinnabar mine and enjoy the first hints of wildflower season.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Sponsored

    Weekend in Reno Tahoe

    Weekend plans? Reno Tahoe! Just a few hours by car or a short flight away, Reno Tahoe springs to the moment with great ways to combine adventure and relaxation in its beautiful mountains-meets-desert setting.

    View
  2. Hiker walking along the North Bluff Trail on Santa Cruz Island, Channel Islands National Park

    Purely Wild

    Channel Islands National Park lives up to its nickname as “North America’s Galapagos.” This less-traveled national park is an undeveloped and isolated series of five dramatic and distinct islands reached by boat. Hike the largest of the islands, Santa Cruz.

    View
  3. Woman hiking the South Kaibab Trail in the Grand Canyon

    Truly Grand Day Hike

    One of the best spring day hikes in the Grand Canyon? See layer upon layer of the park’s grandeur—including the river—on this 3-mile (one-way) journey to Skeleton Point via the South Kaibab Trail.

    View
  4. A woman stands amid an array of yellow and purple flowers at Descanso Gardens in Los Angeles

    Petal Paradise

    Tulips, lilacs, and daffodils—flower power is in full bloom at Descanso Gardens in La Cañada Flintridge. Sprawling across 150 acres surrounded by mountains, the gardens are putting on their best show right now.

    View