Union Station to Barnsdall Park via Elysian Park and Public Stairways

Approximately 11.5 miles. NOT FOR BEGINNERS. Think of this as a mountain hike, not a stroll in the park. The first mile and the last mile are flat. During the nine miles in between we will be ascending or descending often steep terrain.

PUT YOUSELF ON THE WAITING LIST and, if you have not hiked with me before, describe (in a sentence or two) your recent hiking/running/biking activity to give me confidence you can maintain a steady 2-mile-an-hour pace and complete the hike. (Why? Because people on prior hikes have been unable to keep up the group. There are many twists and turns on this hike. It is easy to get lost.) I will start changing RSVPs on the waiting list to "yes" by the middle of next week.

We start at Union Station just east of Downtown Los Angeles, walk a little over a mile through Chinatown to Elysian Park, traverse the park from east to west via the Portola Trail and make our way through the hilly sections of Elysian Heights, Silver Lake and the Franklin Hills via more than a dozen public staircases, with a stop for beer and bratwurst (or burgers) at the Red Lion Tavern, a German beer garden between Elysian Heights and Silver Lake. Assuming Lee doesn't get lost, we will rendezvous there with a group of hikers he is leading up and down stairways in Echo Park and Silver Lake.

Highlights include hiking some rarely used (and some busy) sections of the Portola Trail with spectacular views of the metropolitan area and the San Gabriel Mountains while walking through grass and trees 200 feet above the roar of traffic on Interstate 5; hilly neighborhoods most Angelenos never see, including one accessible only by footpaths (no road access); a half-mile stretch of railbed for the defunct Red Car trolley line that criss-crossed Los Angeles 80 years ago hidden along the eastern edge of Silver Lake; and some of the longest and hardest to find public staircases in the city. Union Station, one of the last great train stations built in the U.S., and Barnsdall Park, site of Frank Lloyd Wright's Hollyhock House, at the start and conclusion of the hike also are noteworthy if you are not familiar with them.

The hike ends at Barndall Park in East Hollywood, two blocks from the Redline Metro Station at Vermont and Sunset. I plan to park at Barnsdall Park, where there is plenty of free public parking, and take the Metro Redline to Union Station for the start of the hike. One-way Metro fare is $1.50.

Meet at the top of Barnsdall Park between 8:00 and 8:10 am. Look for us at the top of the hill on the wide outdoor stairway facing Griffith Park. We will start walking to the Redline Metro Station no later than 8:15 am. We will not wait for late arrivals, but you can look for us at the Vermont/Sunset station (our train departs for Union Station at 8:39 a.m.) or catch up as we walk east on Broadway from Union Station toward Elysian Park.

If you meet the group at Union Station, look for us just outside the front entrance on Alameda Street (near Traxx Restaurant) between 9:00 and 9:10 am.

Bring water and a hat or sunscreen. We will be exposed to the sun most of the day. There will be restroom stops every couple of hours. Plan on finishing the hike betwee 4 and 5 pm, depending on how much we imbibe at the Red Lion.

My mobile number is 323-354-0168, but don't expect to reach me while I am in transit on the Metro between 8:30 and 8:55 am.

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.