Griffith Park and the observatory

The observatory is free, which is why the lot is full

Griffith Park sits inland from the coast on the eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains, and it is one of the largest urban parks in the country. It holds hiking trails, a zoo, an outdoor theater and, up on the ridge, Griffith Observatory. Most visitors come for the observatory and never see the rest of it.

Entry to the observatory building is free. That is unusual for a landmark of its size, and it is the reason the parking situation is what it is. Inside there are exhibits on two floors, a planetarium show that is ticketed separately, and a public telescope open on clear evenings. Outside, the terraces are where people actually spend their time: the view runs from downtown across the basin to the ocean on a clear day, and the Hollywood sign sits on the ridge to the west.

The rest of the park is the underrated half. Trails climb from several trailheads on the south and east sides, and the network is large enough to walk for a couple of hours without repeating yourself. Almost nobody arriving for the observatory realizes they can walk up to it instead.

Park low, or come at an odd hour

The lots by the observatory fill early on weekends and stay full. Circling the road up for a space is the standard visitor mistake and it can cost an hour. The alternatives are simple: come on a weekday, come well before midday, or park lower in the park and take the shuttle that runs up the hill on weekends and evenings.

Late afternoon into evening is the best visit if you can accept the crowd, because you get the view in daylight, the city coming on at dusk, and the telescope after dark on a clear night. It is also the busiest window of the day. Early morning trades all of that for an empty terrace and an open parking space.

The observatory closes one day a week and its hours shift by season, so check before you drive up rather than after. The same caution applies to the trails. This is chaparral on sun-facing slopes with very little shade, and a summer afternoon walk here is harder than the distance suggests. Carry water and go early.

Budget real time for the drive if you are staying on the coast. Griffith Park is well inland, and the trip out from the beach towns in the late afternoon is long enough that people abandon it halfway. Going early or going late are both better than going at five.