LA Discovery Walk

Urban Hike from Vincent Lugo Park to Almansor Park in Los Angeles County

Urban Hike in LA County

{FEBRUARY 2024 NOTE: Due to the recent storm, please check the official website for updates and status on the roads, the park, and events.}

Wide-open spaces, hidden art, local cuisine, unique wildlife: Take a cultural walk through San Gabriel Valley on a 3-mile park-to-park discovery route. Park and start at Vincent Lugo Park to explore your first wide-open green space.

From the lot, walk across the giant grassy lawn to find a dirt trail crossing a dry streambed. This shaded path takes you to La Laguna, a sandy area with colorful, climbable creatures by artist Benjamin Dominguez, including a dragon, octopus, and whale.

The cultural landscape is also known as Monster Park and is on the California Register of Historic Places. Continue on and explore the Alhambra Wash Trail, taking it back to Ramona Street, where you’ll cross to the corner of New Avenue and Adams Avenue and follow the sidewalk west along the golf course. Soon you’ll reach an opening to Almansor Park, a massive recreational area whose baseball fields were once home to Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner. Take the well-maintained jogging track.

Or walk across the lawn and pass the Kiner statue to get to the park ponds. Relax by the fountain waterfall, jacarandas, and loads of unexpected wildlife. Canada geese, cormorants, storks, ducks, and turtles relish the oasis. If you’re lucky, you’ll catch a glimpse of a huge resident softshell turtle basking on a rock. When you’re ready, head back to the 1-mile walking path and complete the loop at the gate you originally entered, then follow the road back to Vincent Lugo Park.

BONUS EATS & BEERS: We love Banh Mi My Tho, a small Vietnamese deli that has been serving locals incredible sandwiches, coffee, and more for almost 30 years (try the #8 with an iced coffee and three egg rolls!). There's also Ogopogo Brewery, a friendly craft ale spot with a huge selection of cans and growlers, all named after mythical creatures. There is something for everyone, but two of our favorites are the Sharlie Hazy IPA and the Boeman Belgian White. Oh go, pogo! (That’s the beer talking.)

BONUS LUNAR NEW YEAR EVENT: Sunday, February 18 on Main Street: 2024 Alhambra Lunar New Year Festival

The park to park walk is dog-friendly!

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Man hiking up a trail at Montara Mountain, with a view of the Pacific and Grey Whale sand beach in the background

    From Beach to Summit

    No need to decide between a beach and a mountaintop—this hike includes both! Explore the stunning coastal scenery on this 6-mile out-and-back up Montara Mountain and into Rancho Corral de Tierra.

    View
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. Go, Tell It on the Mountain

    Want to be king of the mountain? Head to King Mountain, the 108-acre open space preserve just above Larkspur in Marin. Despite its lofty name, hiking King Mountain proves that simp

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Woman walking in the Venice Canals of Los Angeles County

    Canal Contemplations

    With its incense-scented boardwalk, bohemian shops, skateparks, and abundance of body builders, Venice is happily eccentric, and artistic. Exhibit A: Its network of European-style canals with charming bridges, offering a tranquil tour of the town’s history.

    View
  2. Sponsored

    Yes, Seattle!

    Ready to try something new this winter? Seattle’s ready for you! Beautiful by nature with its Puget Sound setting, surrounding mountains, and nearby national parks, winter in Seattle can be a magical and festive time. Ever been in a hot tub boat?...

    View
  3. 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
  4. What's Up, Winthrop!

    It’s not just its location close to Washington State’s spectacular and less visited national park (North Cascades) that makes Winthrop such a winsome mountain town. This lively enclave in the Methow Valley bristles with a whimsical blend of Wild West charms, contemporary culture, and a mosaic of outdoor adventures—from river to lake to waterfalls, and beyond.

    View