Join the L.A. Times on a winter hike in Elysian Park

Hi — I’m Deborah Vankin, a wellness writer for the L.A. Times. I’m not sure about you, but 2025 has been a whopper of a year so far. Especially since the fires in January forced us indoors, robbing us of the opportunity to enjoy the great Los Angeles outdoors during the coolest time of the year.

Which is why it’s time for a hike. I often hit the trails when I need to reset. Though I usually hike solo, I find group hikes particularly invigorating — especially with people I don’t yet know. We’re literally meeting on common ground, a shared love of the outdoors.

We’d like to invite 30 L.A. Times subscribers to join us on a reader hike on Saturday, March 8 at 9 a.m. The inaugural event in our subscriber-exclusive hiking event series, this past June, explored the Lower Arroyo Seco Trail; the second one, led by my colleague Jaclyn Cosgrove in October, traversed the Gabrielino Trail along the Arroyo Seco. This time, we’ll be hiking the urban-adjacent trail Elysian Park West Loop.

The hike is an easy 2.4 mile loop, that’s flat much of the way, with a few brief but gentle inclines. It’s one of my favorite places to take out-of-towners because it feels like both a remote nature escape and a scenic tour of some of L.A.’s most dramatic city views. Sights include parts of the L.A. River, Dodger Stadium and the downtown L.A. skyline. The mix of scents and sounds — birdsongs commingled with freeway traffic and music, the smell of wild sage and wafting barbecue smoke — all feel uniquely L.A. to me.

We’ll meet at the trailhead on Elysian Park Drive, just off of Stadium Way. Park in the lot at Grace E. Simons Lodge and walk back down Elysian Park Drive until you get to Stadium Way. You’ll see the trailhead on your left. There are no bathrooms on this hike, but you can use one at the lodge after you park.

As I did last time, I’ll lead the group in a few gentle stretches to loosen us up before we walk. I’ll also share what I’ve learned about the geography and history of the area during our hike. The event should take about two hours walking at a leisurely pace.

Please bring sturdy, comfortable shoes, a hat, sunscreen and water. On-leash dogs are welcome, too. I know a few of my colleagues will bring theirs. (I’d bring my cats but they’re hiking wimps!)

This event is free to the first 30 subscribers who sign up. Attendees must be 18 years or older and must sign a waiver prior to the hike.

You can snag a spot here on eventbrite.com. See you out there!