Los Angeles Parks - Discover Nature in the City

We love Los Angeles parks and discovering nature in the city. There are lots of parks here. How many? Thousands. However, there are a lot of tiny patches of grass that are mistakenly called "parks" so you can be sure that the ones we share here are only the best of the best and worth the trip.

Nature was a huge concern for me when I first moved here. How would I find nature here? I was worried like many outsiders are that LA is all smog and roads and cement. How wrong I was! Mountains and beaches and ocean and waterfalls and forests and sunshine and snow and desert all a drive away? You really can't get any more nature than that. The natural beauty waiting to be discovered around LA and in Los Angeles parks will surprise you. Like everything, you just gotta know where to go...

Pan Pacific Park
A large park nestled between the Hancock Park neighborhood and the Grove/Farmer's Market or Fairfax district. Lots of barbeques, birthdays and picnics! Great paved walkways and a whole lot of grass to run around on. They added Renee's Place in 2008, a great playground for toddlers that includes a run through water fountain.

There is always room to find a spot to relax here and hey, you are never more than 100 yards from a man pushing an ice cream novelties cart. More...

Rancho Park/Cheviot Hills Park
A large and beautiful westside park right next to the Rancho Park Golf Course. This park has lots of green open spaces and beautiful trees but the place where it really excels is in bringing the community together with all the unusual classes and programs they offer.

In addition to the usual sports offerings that parks have, they offer yoga, dance, watercolor painting, a co-op preschool and they even have an archery range! More...

Culver City Park
Also known as Veterans Memorial Park, this medium sized neighborhood park in Culver City is pretty and relaxing.

This Los Angeles park has open spaces with grass, ball fields and tennis courts. But what we really like about it is the small but comfortable kids area with nice play structures, sand and soft foam flooring. More...

Los Angeles Trees
In the mood for some gratuitous nature and beauty? So are we. We aren't botanists, we can't tell you the scientific names of all the trees in Los Angeles. But we can still appreciate them.

This page is simply to show trees and nature in LA, to quell all the naysayers that think LA is just a metropolitan concrete jungle. Hurray for trees! More...

Los Angeles Beaches Guide
Don't forget our miles and miles of beaches! Every beach has a distinct personality and they all have something to offer as far as finding nature in the city. Some have great tidepools for catching hermit crabs and others great for rock hunting and others still are great for swimming.

Even in winter, it is endless space for relaxation, walking or a picnic on the sand and the best part is that you'll have the place nearly to yourself. More...