Distance: 4 miles RT
Elevation Gain: 300 ft.
Summary: The Silverlake neighborhood east of Echo Park varies from quite modest, small homes, weed strewn empty lots, small stores along Sunset Blvd. to large mansions overlooking the lake itself. If all goes well, we will traverse 13 separate stairways containing a total of 1,357 stairs -- some of them going up, some going down. We start and end at the "Music Box Stairs" made famous by the 1932 oscar-winning Laurel and Hardy movie depicting them trying to deliver a piano up the stairs. Pianos will not be provided on this hike, so if you are so motivated, bring along your own.
Directions to Trailhead: We meet at the bottom of the Music Box stairs located near 921/923 Vendome Street. Exit the Hollywood (101) freeway at Silver Lake Blvd. and head north. Our goal is to reach West Sunset Blvd. but Silver Lake crosses under Sunset so you either have to take a left before the Sunset bridge onto Parkman Ave, or else a right on Ellett Place. Either one will get you up to Sunset, where you will turn left to go north west.
Look for North Vendome Street on your left just after you cross North Reno St., turn left and park on the street. The Music Box Steps are on the west side of Vendome, and there is an identifying sign on a post at the foot of the stairs, and a plaque on one of the steps.
The Hike: The hike can only be described in tabular form. Each stairway is numbered (i.e. S1, S2...) the direction is given next, the number of stairs and a cum number of stairs is next and then GPS coordinates given for the stariway threshold. The final entry lists directions for the hiker after traversing the stair way.
|
Stair (WP) |
UP/ DWN |
# Stairs/ Cum. |
WP* (N-sec) |
WP* (S-sec) |
Notes (directions after completing stairway) |
|
S1 |
up |
133/ 133 |
11.5 |
28 |
Music Box Stairs Vendome to Descanso. Turn left, follow Descanso around to 3365 |
|
S2 |
down |
137/ 270 |
6.3 |
35.4 |
Descanso to Larrisa. Continue straight ahead to Sunset -
cross, turn left, go north-west on Sunset |
|
S3 |
up |
90/ 360 |
10.9 |
30.4 |
Sunset to |
|
S4 |
up |
83/ 443 |
16.7 |
27.6 |
|
|
S5 |
down |
84/ 527 |
43 |
2.4 |
Continues Landa. Take Landa to end, turn right on
Redesdale. Continue to multiple intersection (see map). Carefully search out
Westerley Terrace (sign obscured in bushes) the middle street in a group of
3. Continue on Westerley to S6 on right opposite |
|
S6 |
up |
78/ 605 |
28.5 |
6.6 |
Westerley to Redesdale.
Jog to right and go up S7 |
|
S7 |
up |
110/ 715 |
28.8 |
8.6 |
Redesdale to Rotary. Jog to right and go up S8 |
|
S8 |
up |
100/ 815 |
30.2 |
9.6 |
Rotary to Webster. Turn left on Webster, and follow it
around to Dillon. Turn left on Dillon and follow it to Effie. Turn right on
Effie and look for small street - |
|
S9 |
down |
90/ 905 |
24.5 |
19.9 |
|
|
S4 |
down |
83/ 988 |
17.7 |
25.7 |
|
|
S3 |
down |
91/ 1079 |
11.5 |
28 |
|
|
S10 |
up |
100/ 1179 |
14.6 |
33.4 |
Sunset to Larrisa. Cross Larrisa and look to right for
S11. Michaeltorena Stairs. |
|
S11 |
up |
96/ 1275 |
12 |
35.1 |
Larrisa to corner of |
|
S1 |
down |
133/ 1408 |
59.7 |
33.2 |
Descanso to Vendome. Music Box Stairs. Return to cars, and
refreshments at |
*Way point coordinates given as decimal seconds, based on:
N34 05 XX.X
W118 16 XX.X
Number of Stairs climbed = 790
Number of Stairs descended = 618
End of hike gathering for those who survive will be at the Echo Park park picnic tables. Turn right on West Sunset Blvd. and go to Glendale Blvd, turn left and after a short block, turn left again onto Park Ave. and park.
Going home (from Echo Park park) access to the 101 freeway south is via Glendale Blvd. (turn left off of Park Ave.), and for those going north, turn right and continue down Echo Park Blvd. (the east boundary of the park) to the on-ramp beyond the intersection with Bellevue Ave.
Google Earth Photo - Silverlake Stairs
GPS Data:
RT = 3.1 miles
Elevation gain = 300 ft.
