Urban Hike: Land of Lakes and Rivers (Postponed to Feb. 15)

Stroll along the banks of the L.A. River, Silver Lake, Echo Park Lake and MacArthur Park Lake as we wend our way through a slice of urban Los Angeles that does not even remotely resemble Beverly Hills, Bel Air or Brentwood.

Not for beginners. This is a moderately difficult hike of 8 to 9 miles, with several steep climbs through the hills around Silver Lake and Echo Park.

We will depart promptly at 9:00 a.m., with or without you.

Converge on the Los Angeles River Center and Gardens between 8:30 and 9:00 a.m. It's worth arriving early to look around the grounds and to read the accounts of the L.A. River and the historic floods that resulted in the waterway being channelized into a flood control system by the U.S. Corps of Engineers.

There is ample free parking on the site, which also is accessible from the Lincoln Heights Gold Line Metro station a little less than half a mile away.

METRO Riders: Give yourself 10 to 15 minutes to walk from the Metro station to the River Center and Gardens. Exiting the station, walk 100 yards along the tracks toward the mountains, turn left onto Avenue 26, and continue along Avenue 26, under the freeway and across Figueroa Street, to the intersection of Avenue 26 and Jeffries Avenue two blocks west of Figueroa. Turn left into the parking lot and look for the entrance to the River Center and Gardens on the other side of the lot.

There are public restrooms at the River Center and Gardens and at public parks along our route.

We will return to our starting point between 2 and 3 p.m. with a lunch stop in Chinatown en route (via the Metro Red Line and Metro Gold Line) from MacArthur Park back to Cypress Park for those who drove. Those who arrived by Metro can depart by Metro either from MacArthur Park or from Chinatown.

Since I limit the number of participants, please do not RSVP "Yes" unless you mean it.

My mobile number is 323-354-0168.

Joining this hike is entirely voluntary and participants assume all associated risks. It is each hiker's responsibility to ensure that s/he is in sufficient fitness and health to participate, with appropriate provisions and equipment. The Los Angeles Hiking Meetup group and the hike organizer make no warranties about the safety or supervision of these activities.