Best Nature Parks In Los Angeles Near Me

4worldlovers:
Located at the western gateway to Downtown Los Angeles, 10.5-acre Vista Hermosa Park is an urban natural park developed by the MRCA that boldly returns the serenity and diversity of nature the Los Angeles urban core. Operated in collaboration with the Los Angeles Unified School District and the City of Los Angeles, Vista Hermosa Natural Park is a popular destination for residents of this densely populated neighborhood.

4worldlovers:
Vehicle Entrance Fee, Senior Citizen or Disabled (Vehicle owner/driver must be 65+ or disabled person with placard) weekends and holidays only

The Link – Baldwin Hills Parklands Shuttle Bus transports park visitors from the Metro Expo La Cienega Station to Kenneth Hahn State Recreational Area and the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook. The Parklands Shuttle operates 8 am – 6:00 pm Saturdays, Sundays & Holidays. Rides are 25 cents one way. The shuttle is free for Seniors and children under 5. The shuttle has 3 routes with stops located at: La Cienega/Jefferson Metro bus stop adjacent to the Expo Station; Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook; and Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area. Shuttles run on a 20-minute route, are airconditioned and ADA accessible.

4worldlovers: Ballona Discovery Park is a museum without walls where visitors can learn the natural and cultural history of Ballona Wetlands. From the always-buzzing native plant demonstration gardens, including pollinator and medicinal garden, to the serene walk along the riparian corridor where coots and other birds can be spotted hidden in the waters below, there is plenty to explore. Children and parents can stroll through the interpretive Watershed Walk, following the movement of water through every habitat from the mountains to the ocean. Ballona Discovery Park is a gateway to the wetlands and helps connect visitors to the wonders of nature around them.

Known as a secret gem to nearby residents for over nine years since the Park opened in 2011, the Park recently became

Come learn how you too can make a difference in your home, work and school garden areas after taking an inspiring tour of the native plant gardens in Ballona Discovery Park.

“The three monuments are dedicated to our ancestors and future human life on earth in hopes that the healing process from the past will continue.” - Robert Dorame

Monument Artist and Most Likely Descendant of the people of Guashna

4worldlovers: Rio de Los Angeles State Park and nearby Los Angeles State Historic Park serve the local communities and provide a unique State Park experience. Rio de Los Angeles (LA River) State Park is surrounded by industrial and residential areas, yet restoration of the park’s natural river wetlands allows a serene opportunity to all visitors who enjoy hiking trails, being surrounded by native plants and viewing returning wildlife. The park also encompasses sports fields, a children’s playground and a recreation building. A site once used mainly to repair and maintain railroad cars now offers visitors the chance to restore and replenish their inner needs. Rio de Los Angeles State Park is currently managed in partnership with the City of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation.

In the 1960’s, a 247-acre freight switching facility called Taylor Yard began to slow down it’s operations during a time when Los Angeles was growing and expanding rapidly. By 1985 it was closed and only used for maintenance and storage. These parcels of land remained undeveloped along the channelized Los Angeles River. Portions of the river near this park are still soft bottomed, or partially un-cemented, allowing for an opportunity to reestablish natural processes within the emerging Los Angeles River Greenway. It is one of the last remaining undeveloped portions of land along the river to be used by communities as a park.

The history of the park reaches back to when Los Angeles was emerging as an industrial superpower. In 1923, due to congestion at the River Station (currently Los Angeles State Historic Park), the service and maintenance functions for the Southern Pacific Railroad company were moved to Taylor Yard. Taylor Yard had been named after J. Hartley Taylor who was a grain merchant and owned a milling company in the area. Throughout the 1920’s and 1930’s the property was a rail yard and an industrial site used primarily as a freight-switching facility, storage space and maintenance and repair facility for rail cars and locomotive engines. Several utility shops were on the property, which provided electrical, plumbing and mechanical support services. Shortly after World War I, the Southern Pacific Railroad outgrew its Midway Yard facility and moved to what is now Rio de Los Angeles State Park. Operations at the railroad complex slowed in the 1960’s when rail facilities opened elsewhere.

The park is located at 1900 San Fernando Road in Los Angeles. The I-5, SR 2 and the 110 Pasadena Freeway are within 2 miles of the park. Buses service the area from downtown Los Angeles, the San Fernando Valley and the San Gabriel Valley. A bus stop is located at the intersection of San Fernando Rd. and Fletcher Ave. forming the hub of a number of routes connecting downtown Los Angeles, Glendale, Sylmar and El Monte. The Metro Gold Line also provides light rail service, and the nearest station is located at Avenue 26 about 1.3 miles south of the park and at French Avenue, just off of Figueroa Street (French Station) approximately 1.3 miles southeast.