Hike #1244
Griffith Park - Fern Dell Trailhead
September 23, 2015
Dorothy King, Hike Leader
Directions to Trailhead: From the north: Take 101 south to Sunset Blvd. Go left and then another left onto Western Avenue. Western Avenue will become Los Feliz. At the first traffic light, which is Fern Dell Dr., turn left and park immediately along the road. Look for picnic tables on your right, that is the meeting point.
From the south: Take 5 North. Exit Los Feliz and go west a few miles, to Fern Dell Drive, which is a traffic light. Make a right at Fern Dell Drive and park immediately along the road. Look for picnic tables on your right, that is the meeting point.
The Hike: Starts across the street at the large wooden sign “FERN DELL”. The narrow trail is arguably one of the most charming and lush in the area and will take you through stream areas with hanging plants and over little bridges. The meandering area is home to over 50 fern species.
The Fern Dell Trail ends at Fern Dell Dr. Cross the road at the Trails Cafe and enter the gate in the fence. Continue into the dell, near the tables and not far from the restroom. There are two trails on your left leading up to the Observatory, the Upper and the Lower. Take either one up and the other one down on the return trip. Both will meet just below the observatory at a multi point junction. Take the widest trail up the middle to end up at the Observatory.
At the Observatory, continue through the parking lot to the far end and the nicely landscaped Charlie Turner Trailhead. After the Berlin Forest, the trail descends to a bridge over a saddle. Continue on the fire road to the left. With views of Mt. Lee and the Hollywood sign, continue looping around to the top of Mt. Hollywood with a commanding view of San Fernando Valley, the Los Angeles Basin, and the San Gabriel Mountains. When you descend, take the branch toward the right to see Dante’s View, a terraced 2 acre garden planted by Dante Orgolini in the 1960’s. This south-facing garden has picnic benches and shade trees along its intertwining trail and makes an excellent place for lunch.
It is recommended that a stop at the Observatory be considered on the return after lunch. The Observatory opens at noon and admission is free. The main floor has been basically unchanged by the recent renovation. The west wing deals mainly with the sun and solar system. The east wing deals mainly with our Milky Way galaxy and beyond. There is a fee for the Planetarium show, but normal hike timing will make this impractical. What is new is the gallery and exhibits, that are located below in a major subterranean room under the front lawn. Stairs to the left of the Planetarium entrance and a long curved ramp, which features a time line of the Universe, gets you to the lower level. The lower level also has a snack bar and gift shop. Plan on spending no more than an hour in the Observatory.
Refreshments at the picnic table meeting point.
Google Earth photo - Griffith Park, Mt. Hollywood from Fern Dell
