Stough Canyon Nature Center

This place is low-key but has lovely views and quiet trails for hiking or trail running. The center has informative displays about local wildlife and geology. There’s a shaded bench near the top of the hill that’s great for watching the sunset. Less crowded than most trails nearby. Bring water—it can get hot

Cool little nature center at the beginning of several well maintained trails exploring Stough Canyon. Free parking and a short walk across a bridge bring you to the nature center. There are many informational displays where you can learn about the flora and fauna and the geological makeup of the area. The center is staffed with a California Parks person who can answer any questions and also has an activity / lecture room for class outings or events. Clean and well maintained and free. The trails are awesome and have great views of Burbank and the other side of the Hollywood Hills.

The interior of the visitor center is closed every Monday. I can not describe how beautiful this place is.

Wonderful nature resource with hiking trails Center has classes and unique exhibits Friendly and talented staff to offer guidance

The hiking trail is intense. The mountain is steep. The views are beautiful. Worth the hike. The ambiance here is amazing. The silence and scenery is therapeutic. The diverse flowers are eye catching. The mountain is quite cold when the sun begins to set. I enjoyed myself here.

If you are up for an adventure that is close by I highly recommend you hike this trail. Overall it’s an easy hike given you are waking on an access road to the radio towers at the top of the mountains. But you will climb a good bit in elevation. So be ready to sweat! Rewarding views at the top, and the best part is.. there are not many people on this trail. It was extremely relaxing and parking was super easy too. I feel like this place is a secret even though I know it’s not. It’s just an extremely relaxing and enjoyable hike.

The incline is pretty serious right from the start but the path to the view point isn’t too far. It’s a nice workout with great views! There’s a few trails you can take, none are too long.

Wow. One of the greatest views we have ever seen from the top of the mountains ⛰️. You can see Los Angeles, Burbank, North Hollywood and couple other cities. Plenty of free parking, restrooms and its only half a mile from the parking area. 😁 we ran into Vanessa Born from Bring It On Fight To The Finish, High School Musical 2, A Haunted House 2 and much more. Not a bad hike for kids and dogs.

This hike is NO joke (especially the initial starting portion which is a bit of a climb) but it's a beautiful and well-maintained trail (all dirt). The trailhead has a nice restroom and a decent parking lot. The views of Burbank are unmatched at the top and there are some picnic tables to sit at to enjoy a snack or meal. I would definitely recommend this hike to others and I don't think you need a whole bunch of hiking experience to do this one. It's more of a decent walk on dirt with incline at a very points.

What a great place for a hike. I have been trying to do more outdoor activities on the weekends now that the weather is warming up. I tried to go to the Griffith, but there were soooo many people on the weekends. I looked on Yelp and found this place. The first thing that drew me to here was the restrooms! LOL, I know that's weird, but I always need to use the restroom before a hike, so this place sold me. There is a small lot out in the front. I was here around mid-afternoon on Saturday and there were plenty of spot available. (There is also street parking right outside if the lot is full). Restrooms as other Yelpers mentioned was super clean and well maintained. There is also a visitor center, which I wished I visited because there were tons of routes and I think I could have found a better route then what I hiked. LOL. I will definitely visit next time. As for the hike itself, I would say it's more than beginner, around the intermediate category. I got a pretty good workout. I went to a couple of viewing points and say a good view of LA. I saw the Giving Tree, but didn't have shoes to hike to it. I am definitely going to get better shoes and a map next time I go. Definitely come here to avoid the Griffith crowds. As I was leaving around 430, I saw the lot full again, it seems like some hikers were coming in for an early evening hike.

Stough Canyon Nature Center is a nice little getaway spot located just 15 minutes away from Hollywood Burbank Airport. It is also happened to be an entrance of the Stough Canyon Loop (2.4-mile loop trail). [Hours]: Sunday from 12 PM to 5 PM, Tuesday to Saturday from 9 AM to 5 PM, and closes on Monday. [Parking]: There's a small designated parking lot and there were empty of spot when I got here on Sunday. [Activities]: The center offers docent led hikes such as Moonlight Hikes and Wild Creatures Walk. Other activities include Woodcarving Workshop, Story Owl Hour, and other recreational classes. [What's inside]: You will get to see western hognose snake, a touch table of tortoise shell/rabbit fur/t-rex tooth replica/deer fur, and information displays. I did not have any cellular reception, but luckily the center offers free Wi-Fi. The staff was friendly and I had a friendly & quick chat too. A great stop to check out for 15 - 30 minutes. P.S. - Restroom is available just outside of the center. P.P.S. - There's a short & hidden trail called Shane Colin Proffitt Trail and it's a nice 5-minute walk. The entrance is located right next to the center (just off the parking lot) and the trail loops back to the driveway entrance of the Stough Canyon Nature Center.

Beautiful, clean and with lots of parking available. Come during the week if you can. The trails are less crowded and you can enjoy it all to yourself.

These trails are very well maintained and you can go as far or short as your little legs can go. If you're trying to do a loop with Wildwood or other canyons, you may have to do some road mileage to get back. The facilities are well maintained and it'd be nice if every trailhead in this Verdugo Trail System also had nice facilities.

Been hiking here twice now, both times with my husband and our doggies. The first time we went up close to the top - not doing the full loop as I think its a 6+ mile loop. We went back down but took a narrower path that was a bit scary. This time we went back down the wider path - this was a nice 3 mile hike. I like this place because - one, there's a restroom there, two, if you can get there around 10am, it's not super crowded, three - the views are amazing, and lastly - it is dog friendly - dog bowl at the restroom area. There is a parking lot but we usually just find parking on the street right before.

Trails outside Burbank. Pros: plenty of available and free parking. Restrooms available as well. Trails are very wide and pet friendly. Overlook is decent over Glendale and surrounding areas. There are not too many people hiking this. It looks like MTB would be decent as well for these trails. Cons: The scenery is kind of boring. The climb is a little bit bland and pretty much remains consistent the whole time. Not a bad thing but the LA hills here are very monotonous.

This COVID-19 pandemic is making us stay close to home and finding all these wonderful hidden gems. We took a short hike less than two miles round trip right before sundown. The views are spectacular in such a short hike. We always love to explore ruins and the Boy Scout house is cool place to check out. The parking lot is open from sunrise to sunset and not 500pm like some might say.

I really hated nature in my morbidly obese days. I've lost quite a bit of weight and have discovered that nature is really not bad, and you can get some pretty awesome exercise in while enjoying it. Stough was my very first hike and I didn't realize how hard it really was until I hit other trails elsewhere. This trail is pretty steep and gets hard because it gets so steep in some places. I've hiked to the benches and I've gone in the other direction and hiked to the curvy chair that's not too far from the towers. No matter where you go at Stough, you're going to get a kick ass workout. Extra points because it's local to me. Parking can get hard here on weekends and on weekdays after 4 because work gets out. So try to plan accordingly if you want to park in the parking lot.

The trail is temporary closed, I've been there today, due to work, repairs. I want to let everyone know so they won't be in my situation, go there to hike and can't do that. Check their site, they do have an announcement re. that. They don't know when it'll reopen. I didn't check before going, didn't know, but you should. I'll do that before going! The Nature Center and restrooms are open.

Great hikes for beginners and moderate-types alike. Plenty of parking and road-side parking in case the lot is full.

Really lovely Nature Centre. Lots of taxidermy if you dislike that, but it does make it so kids can get up close to these animals. There are a few live animals in terrarium tanks; a snake, a tarantula and two turtles. They have a beautiful display of the common birds, plants and other things found in the hills nearby. There are events which sound like fun for kids and guided walks!

What a gem of a nature center in Burbank. Driving up to the parking lot, the roads are well maintained and the layout is orderly. Restrooms are clean, and they have toilets and sinks. The start of the running/hiking trail head is easily located as well. The only negative is that cell reception is very spotty and difficult to access, even at the parking lot. parking - free lot

I have been hiking this trail a few times, and today I made it to the tower. I was feeling very accomplished especially hiking up from Stough Cyn to the Vital Link and going down and out at Wildwood Cyn. Brutal, I made many rest stops as I felt my knees are giving up. I took nice photos & videos. Not sure when or if I will do this again. Glad I did though.

This is one of those reviews that almost pains me to write. Why? Simply because I don't want people to find out about this spot. I am VERY anti-social when it comes to hiking. Not only do I take it seriously in terms of exercise but it is also when I meditate and reflect so I don't like to hike with others and that includes not liking other people on the trails. I am not a Runyan Canyon "be seen" sort of gal. All of my secret hiking spots always get discovered after a few years and I am pushed away. Hopefully, that won't happen here as, Stough Canyon is MINE. Stough Canyon is located in the Verdugo Mountains and has a sort of nondescript entrance past a golf course. There is an actual small nature center building which I can't speak on because I haven't been inside (I have seen children attending birthday parties here so I think it can be rented out). The hike and trails themselves are probably my favorite in the Valley due to the mixture of the scenery/views and the energy in the mountain. Laurel Canyon on the Valley side has odd vibes and has become "stuffy" but you won't find that at Stough Canyon. Stough Canyon is best described as an intermediate hike. There is an immediate incline of 2000 feet and all the trails continue upwards past that. There really aren't that many flat portions. The trails are wide but very rocky: this is the type of hike NOT good for children/strollers/dogs because there are loose rocks everywhere. You will be transported into imagining what life was like when California was discovered. Make sure to wear proper supportive shoes or you will hurt your ankles and gets sediment into your shoes. Not to mention, there is little shade aside from the natural shading from trees and sides of the canyon. Therefore, this isn't as "easy" as some reviews state but perfect for hiking aficionados such as myself. Lovely views hit you instantly with a nice look during the first incline at downtown LA. Once you bypass this and hit the first fork; left takes you to the Old Youth Camp outlook which has a tree and picnic table and the most amazing views of the entire Valley. Are you a plane lover? You are right above the Burbank Airport and can just sit and watch planes take off or gaze at downtown LA. In fact, in the far distance (a bit difficult to see because of our lovely smog); you can even see the ocean! You can see the barges and boats! This is definitely the spot for all of you trendy folk who like taking photos in yoga poses with a great view in the background. Making a right at the fork is the more common path. You will get all up in the Verdugo Mountains like girls at a Bachlorette Party on Channing Tatum. This trail is rockier but also has a more lush scenery and with really neat rocks (you can collect and find awesome river rock/gems perfect for collecting or jewelry making). The wonderful thing about these trails are that there are so many options. Aside from the main trails, there are many offshoots which mountain bikers zoom past on. I have spent 2 hours at once at Stough taking a 12 mile hike and there are still more paths to explore! It is amazing and SO perfect without all the kids and unleashed dogs you find on other "hikes" (those are called "walks", people. You aren't hiking!). There are snakes, lizards, and coyotes so be careful with that especially those who hike at night for the views. The major downfall? Parking. The parking lot is very small so you usually have to park along the road leading up to the canyon so basically you are already hiking up before you even begin the hike! Annoying. I could rave about Stough Canyon all day. But I won't because it is my spot and I don't want it bombarded. Long story short though, this is an intermediate hike with great views and a very natural, rocky setting. Definitely the best in the East Valley. Now go away!

Took me a bit to update this but, I finally made it to the radio tower about a month ago. It was worth it and breathtaking up there. The tree of life was beautiful as well, what an amazing experience it was!

I love this hike! I attempt it three times, the first time I found out about it, I came but back out because i was afraid sun was setting and not being familiar w the hike I got scared lol! Second attempt went w my friend. We gave up after 1.5 miles because the sun was setting and it was getting late and we didn't know how much further until we make it to the chair. My third attempt, I went at 6:30am in the morning. I wanted to quit so bad because I had work at 10am n needed time to get down and get ready for work. But I decided to keep pushing. And I made it to the chair!!! To get to the chair, you follow the sign to the radio tower. I thought that I had a very long way to go because I thought the chair was at the radio tower!! But it's NOT!! Just Follow the sign, once you see the 2 mile marker you are only 5-10 mins from reaching the chair!! So worth it! Took me 1 hour 30 min less to get up and 35-40 min to get down . I ran half way down .

One of my all time favorite hiking spots, wide fire road and beautiful view by the table vista, I never get tired of hiking here as every day feels like a brand new day, I just saw the posting on Facebook that they just reopened after the repairs done Make sure you lock up and take valuable with you as I and some others have had incidences where cars were broken into, now they have signs for it Here is the announcement for reopening from Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/821536967898358/posts/2272221152829925?sfns=mo

A liiiiiittle steep, but definitely doable. Stough Canyon's hiking area is open until 10pm and the Nature Center is open until 5pm everyday. There is a parking lot right at the head of the trail. If you're driving past a golf course, keep going-- you're on the right path. Because the Nature Center closes at 5pm, so do the restrooms! My friend and I got there around 6pm to get to "The View". It's 0.6 miles there, so 1.2 miles round trip-- just follow the signs to "The View". There are two benches there and a panoramic view of Los Angeles. There are other paths, but we were only interested with the view point. Stopped to take photos a few times.. we were in an out in less than an hour.

Nature Center itself is a compact yet very informative place... they have some Hands-On Interactive items as well as a few local "creatures" ... I'll let somebody else's review ruin the surprise. I will say that one of them is a cat that I will assume lives on premises. You can get a free map at this location to use on area hikes. There was also a sign out front that said that they sell Clif Bars and water. I had my own so I didn't inquire if they're still did that. I did see an outdated full moon hike schedule from, the already passed, 2017. So, I'm not sure what that says about the availability of their food and beverage sales. The parking lot on a Sunday afternoon at about 2:30 had plenty of spots left. The day was gorgeous and the high was going to be in the mid-to-upper 70s. With enough water and snacks to complete the 3.1 mile, one way, hike to the radio tower, the only thing that could have held my party back would have been the lack of being properly seasoned. We'd only done a couple of hikes in recent weeks and they weren't very long at all. Maybe two miles along Palos Verde with its very gradual slopes could hardly be called a hike. So we would be a bit tested here. The first mile had the steepest inclines. After that it was just pretty much a gradual uphill with maybe one or two noticeable pitch changes. I did see a mile markers at 1 mile, 2 miles and at 2-1/2 miles. With my hiking partner experiencing a bit of discomfort we slowed our pace down while taking lots of photos. I would bet that I took over a hundred during the entire hike. Unfortunately, this meant that the first mile was hiked in about 1 hour. I wasn't really concerned with the park closing time until I got to the summit. I had been reverse engineering what would be our total elapsed time from the get-go. I even took into account sitting on those cool looking chairs on the way up... yep even with that math, I figured we could get back to the car before sunset. Which is when the park closes. I didn't hang around long enough to see if they actually locked up gates for the parking lot at that time. That would have been my only fear. Maybe someone else could shed some insight on that or perhaps I'll make a phone call and update my review with that information. The walk down made it simple to maintain a 3 mile an hour pace and I only went over my predicted hike time by about 10 minutes... But, I also didn't factor sitting on the bench at the saddle for 10 minutes on the way down. In the car, I had a cooler with a damp bandana on ice. I usually bring washcloths that I've wet prior to the trip, put into Ziploc bags, and put in the cooler on ice. If you do this, you will probably thank me later. Nothing feels so good as that ice cold towel wiping off your face when you're done with a hike or bike ride. I also usually bring a plastic tub or tote that you would associate with having in your sink at home for dishwashing. Instead of recycling a gallon jug from milk or water, bring it along filled with tap water period at the end of your hike you can pour it into that tub and soak / wash your feet. Of course bring a hand towel for drying purposes. Another must have for my hikes is a change of clothes. I have my most comfortable running shoes and a pair of socks for the drive to and from the hike. There's nothing quite as good feeling as getting out of your boots at the end of a day hike... Well, unless you count putting on a clean shirt, which is also a must. On the day that I did this hike, the sun was a prominent feature. So if you need sunblock be sure to bring enough along with you. I am guessing that I don't need to tell the locals to bring water with them but, for you out of towners/staters... In all (for two people), hiking in April with a 78 degrees Fahrenheit high temp for the day, I brought four 16 oz bottles of Aquafina and we still had some left when we got to the car. Do keep in mind that if you're someone that hydrates often or sweats excessively on hikes, do like I do with my cycling, I begin my hydration hours before the activity. Packing at least 50% of your water in a frozen form would be advised during the hotter months. I generally drink one last bottle at the car before setting off on the hike. Then I keep a frozen bottle in the easy access side compartment of my Mountainsmith fanny pack. Keeping one more Frozen bottle with the rest of the water I carry, inside the pack. I only regret on this hike was that I didn't take the time to go through my storage unit a couple days beforehand to grab my CamelBaks. Noting that I like to freeze the bladders prior to the hiking experience.

This is my favorite hiking trail - not too intimidating for first-time hikers but challenging enough for seasoned ones. It is easy to get to, just a 5-min drive up Walnut from the Burbank Mall. Parking is always easy and there are restrooms at the parking area. The first few meters going up (about 15 to 20mins) still gets my heart rate up even after coming here for three years. After that it's easy breezy! The first time we did this trail it took us four hours as we took so many breaks but now I get to visit once a week and the whole going up and down takes 1.25 hours. We have seen several deers on the trail and a couple of snakes and sometimes a whole flock of black crows. People normally just hike but you see bikers every now and then. Love this place and it's never crowded!

I forced myself up the canyon for the Halloween Haunted Maze. The parking and entrance was by the Starlight Bowl. I found parking. I saw the food trucks. There were police on duty... And my cellphone had no reception. The moon wasn't shining and other lights were sporadic. It was packed: couples on dates, single people, teen/college groups, families, city workers/volunteers. Ten-minutes from parking lot to entrance was scare enough for me. I can say it was a well planned event. And people that did the maze enjoyed it. I couldn't handle being there alone... So I went to the grocery store. Lolz.

Great hike! Constant uphill with nice and steady incline. Definitely come early or later in the day because there is no shade at all. So be careful if you decide to do it during a hot day!! **warning** as you go higher, you will run into fire ants(a lot!) . Be extra careful if you're bringing pets. Also once you notice fire ants, try not to stand in one place too long since that will allow the ants to crawl on to you!! You don't want to get bit once you're that high up because it will make it that much harder to get back. Other than no shade and lots of fire ants, this hike is a great work out!!

I love this hiking area. It is generally not as packed as places like Fryman or Runyon, which is great! The Nature Center is cute and has public restrooms as well. The hike is SUPER inclined, so it is decently tricky. Mountain bikes are allowed on the trail, but they generally have great etiquette and will ding their bike bells when they're coming and sometimes I've had bikers yell out a number for how many more bikes are coming! I've taken my dog hiking here too and she's a trooper. The view is worth it. You will definitely feel accomplished once you reach any of those points.

Nice hikes, no very crowded and well kept. Very recommend in cool seasons. There are not trees to look for shade in the summer though. Great views southeast of The Valley.

Love this place! Fun for the kids. Great for the whole family. We visited the visitor center and then made the hike up with our 2 boys ages 4 and 7. We made it to the bench which I guess was half a mile or so. It's a little steep but not too much that an amateur hiker like me can't handle.

This hike is awesome! You will build up a sweat! I would say this is family friendly up till The View. Keep in mind from the start, it is pretty inclined so however your family or yourself handles that. You decide. The view is awesome though! If you make it to the top after the incline. You'll get put at a fork in the road. Continue left for the view or right for the saddle. The saddle is a lot of fun. About 1 mile if you do the saddle. Once you get there you get out to another fork which if you turn left it brings your towards a vista with a picnic table. If you turn right at the fork it brings you to the radio tower! This hike is pretty chill. It's 3.1 miles to get there and another 3.1 to get back so it is tedious and long, could be very hot but views and the hike make it worth it! There's some chairs at the top and what not. The views are amazing. You can see Burbank, North Hollywood, Sunland, Glendale & DTLA! Oh ALSO, not a lot of people do this trail... We did the radio tower hike and passed probably 10-15 people! Nice and secluded! There's some activities to do once you park as well! There's a plant walk and a building to learn more about nature and wildlife! The building also has bathrooms and water fountains!

This is the trailhead to one of my neighborhood trails. I've been here a few times - for both morning hikes and an evening hike. Don't go during midday. There's no shade and no breeze, so it's hot AF on this trail. I love how it's never crowded. It's also a good biking trail so stay alert for those occasional mountain bikes zooming down. There's usually parking at the nature center or just right outside the gate if you're there past sundown. Chairs at the top make for an awesome reward when you're at the peak and want to enjoy the view. Then make your way down and mosey on over to the Nature Center for some zen time.

Steep. 2.5mi to the chair. Rocky. Shady. Sunny. Desolate. Clean. Views. Dusty. Dog-friendly. Cyclist-friendly. Charred. Picturesque. High.

Great trails, pretty steep. Excellent views and the signs were well kept. I a definitely coming back again! We spent about 2 hours in all but it looks like there are many more trails so I am going to explore those next time. Be sure to pack a snack either to take with you or when you get back to your car. You will be Hangry if you don't. So glad I planned ahead!

Moderately challenging hike with a bit of an incline in the beginning, but gradually becomes slightly less steep as the trail continues. We hiked to The View, The Saddle and then to Glendale, which was 4.29 miles and took us exactly two hours to complete with a few short water breaks in between. Make sure to bring plenty of water and sunblock for reapplication!

I have trekked this trail 3 times now. I am not a hiking expert, so this is just my impression. The furthest that I got was just past the 2.5 mile marker. The goal of most people appear to be getting to the radio tower which is 3.6 miles up. Hoping to get there within my next 5 hikes. I don't want to rush things :) The first half mile is the hardest. It appears to be the steepest when you are climbing up, the elevation is approx 2600 feet for that first half mile. The following half mile markers only go up 200-300 feet in elevation. The overlooks are gorgeous, spanning many miles of views of Trees, the mountain and some of downtown Los Angeles. There are benches to rest approx every quarter to half mile. I am on a first name basis with each one :) It's really fun and challenging for newbies like myself. There are a few other trails off the main path that look steeper and harder and I have seen some people climb those. There re also a healthy amount of bikers... huffing and puffing straight uphill and then flying down the hill. Try not to get run over by a speeding bike! I am very cautious watching out for them, I don't know how quickly they can stop when they're moving at the speeds they use coming downhill. I worry one of them will skid and fly off the mountain. This is a great way to get fresh air and a free workout with awesome views. GO FOR IT!!!

The Nature Center is a cute little center that looks kind of like a visitors center its surrounded by big beautiful trees that cute little blue jays live in, they have a few live snakes inside, one of which is an award winner and a giant tortoise shell on display and they have a back room where you can celebrate birthday parties in. and at the front desk you can trade in your i.d. for a walking stick to use on your hike. This place is great for hiking. Great place to get a work out and clear your mind. The trail is easy but there's a bit of a steep incline so you definitely find yourself huffing and puffing on parts of the trail. You come across a few people in your walk but it's not overcrowded like some other hiking spots and less people means it's CLEANER!!! There's a small parking lot at the entrance but you can also park along the main road not too far from the entrance. Nice place for all levels of hiking beginner or expert, walker, runner or biker young and old,- It's got a trail for everyone!

Last weekend, we spent some time in Stough Canyon Nature Center's actual nature center. Starting from there, we went on a really great hike. The hike we took was steep and fairly rigorous, but the views we encountered were worth the work! From the top, you can see out over the city of Burbank all the way to Los Angeles - it's breathtaking! There were a number of other hikes we could have taken but we only had time for the one - I guess we're just going to have to go back ;-)

I discovered this place thanks to yelpers and it may have the best views in this part of Los Angeles. The trails are wide and easy. I have often looked at those Burbank mountains (Verdugo mountains) but never knew they were so great for hiking until recently. They have their own parking lot (free) and a nature center with nice, actual restrooms attached. Dogs are definitely allowed all over the park but they must be on-leash. This is especially important because this is one trail where mountain bikers come down fast and furious. My dog is a herding breed, so this is a call for her to chase, which is actually pretty dangerous for both the bikers and my pup. Because of this, she's on a harness if we hike here. However, it feels very safe, it's very open and like I said before, amazing scenery. Also, there are a lot of side trails and these are full of the random giant chair, or concrete picnic table, or remains of an old house, so it's a good area to explore if you start early. I haven't checked out the nature center (yet) but they seem cool, the only thing I wish they had were more garbage cans because I spend my return hike picking up everyone's plastic and dropping them in the only can on the lot. Also, go early in the morning not mid-day unless it's late fall, early spring or winter: it can get very hot here.

Better than most community nature centers in the Southland. Attractive with a fancy building, it houses live snakes and many local examples of plants, eggs, nests, animal skulls, pelts, etc. It didn't take long to find true wildlife as a family of wild quail skittered around the building. A unique feature, the nature center loans walking sticks. Most people didn't come for the nature center, but for the trails that reach the ridgeline. Located left the of the nature center, the trailhead is obvious. Head up the dirt road until the trail splits to form a loop. We went left around a water tank along the Old Youth Camp Trail (What is an "old youth"? Benjamin Button?). This single-track path had benches, a fireplace from a former building, and eventually led to the highest vista with views of San Fernando Valley and downtown LA. Although lower than other points in the range, the setting was not disrupted by communication towers like at the higher peaks. We then went along the ridge on Chandler Fire Road, a dirt road, and returned back down on Strough Canyon Mountain Way, another dirt road. There was good signage at trail junctions. The hike was 2.6 total miles with a 750 feet elevation gain.

Great steep hike in the heart of the Burbank mountains. You would never know it existed if you didn't look for it though. It boasts some beautiful views which include Burbank, Glendale, SFV, and Dtla. If you go in the evening you can get some amazing sunset pics that shine off of the building in downtown. There are also many trails to pick from which connect at certain spots.

Stough Canyon Nature Center is amazing! I discovered it by accident when I was looking for the Castaways (turned up the wrong street, thank goodness). This past weekend my mom, brother and I decided to brave up the mountain and so glad we did. It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon, warm with a slight breeze here and there. The mountain is rather steep so I realized just how out of shape I really am (and it's bad). The first five minutes I was huffing and puffing but the burn from both the hike and sun felt great. It only took us about 15 minutes to get to the first scenic viewpoint and with my mom's Garmin watch it was able to tell us the distance, I think it was less than half a mile. We ended up hiking for the next 2 hours and got in over 3miles, we sat down to admire the view a few times. It was absolutely beautiful and breath taking (the hike and views). I'm in love with this place and can't wait to hike back up and have it kick my butt. Enjoy! *Parking isn't too bad, I was able to find a spot at 2pm on a Sunday afternoon. - I saw quite a few people bike it O__O WOW!!!! That is all I can say, I was slightly dying just walking up it, I couldn't imagine biking the sucker. KUDOS to you mountain bikers and your killer legs. -I also saw a few kids on this hike. A little girl who must have been 6 or 7 years old put me to shame. She was just walking and chatting along as if she was on the sidewalk instead of a the mountian side. If she could do it, anyone can :]

BEWARE THERE ARE COYOTES HERE!!!! If you don't want your small dog bring eaten like Jessica Simpsons dog...you should carry them!!! I saw a pack of coyotes (around 5 or 6) starting at the golf course. I had two chihuahuas with me and it scared me!! While hiking a nice man warned me the coyotes come to the trails closer to the night fall. He even told me he's heard coyotes eating small dogs when they were by the foot of their owners, while on a leash. Anyways, the hike is past the golf course straight ahead. It's medium difficultly. At first there's a bit of an incline but it gets easier. Not leisurely and not too difficult. I really enjoyed this hike. We hiked for about an hour. It's clean, you get a nice view of the city and there's a bathroom. I will defiantly be back here again :)

This place is great for a hike! You take the fire road up to a split in the loop trail (which I think is ~2.8 mi roundtrip) -- I'd recommend heading up toward the left first, that way youre taking the fire road down on the backside and it's not so steep. Views from the top include both DTLA and the Burbank Airport. There's also a burnt out cabin at the top that is pretty much just a chimney sticking out of a foundation. We didnt see much nature besides crows and a couple of lizards, but there were flowers blooming along the trail. Free parking at the nature center yay. Hope I can come back another time and explore the area a little further.

What?! Why haven't I written about this place yet?! I come here often, because it's such a gem! The views are exquisite! Be on the lookout for deer, rabbits, lizards, and birds too! They have a variety of paths that are easy to navigate. All the trails I've been on are just right, not too steep, not insanely difficult, but challenging enough for an excellent workout. If you make your way here before 8am, you can park right outside of the parking lot, no problem. Also after 9am it does get busier, but it's never horribly crowded. Plus some of the main paths are wide so even with more people, you're not going to feel like you're going to go over the side of the mountain trying to make room for others. Come prepared for exercise, fun and beauty here!

This place is so peaceful and beautiful! The view is amazing. You can see downtown LA and the Burbank airport from there

Came here for a Easter thing for my niece and nephew - it wasn't bad I just wish there were more kids or more people helping rather than watching, like the painting area was clear and no one was around, also bananas turn brown they looked terrible on the fruit sticks LOL i would come back here to hike I guess

My favorite "lazy" hiking trail. It's a good distance with a steady incline but doesn't leave you constantly out of breath. The trail is wide enough to go with a big group and you feel safe if you go by yourself or with a smaller group. The view up there is pretty awesome. You get a view of the 2 fwy towards Sunland and you get a decent view of downtown and Glendale. If you go before sunrise you get a really pretty view and you might even be above clouds depending on the day.

One of the best places to hike. Often a lot of people so you feel safe. Lovely vistas. I've seen deer on the trails as well as the golf course. Beware of coyotes though. I encountered a pack of coyotes -- six large lean aggressive-- at the end of my hike.

Really wide trail and well maintained. Perfect for mountain biking. Hikers need to watch out for bikers passing by. It has pretty moderate hiking trails and good for group hiking. I went full moon hike hosted by Office people. It was pretty short distance so we hiked further up and it was awesome. Saw some coyotes so I wouldn't come alone or bring small pets.

We did a sunset hike on this trail, but we only reached the first bench since it was already getting dark. It was breathtakingly beautiful around 6:50pm when the sun was going down. The hike itself is not too bad! I hike twice a week and I went up this trail (with a steady incline) taking 1 short break. It took us less than an hour but I would say it's a nice workout. Not too difficult, yet not too easy.

4 people & 3 dogs made for a fun Sunday evening hike! We started a little after 5pm without any expectations. The other two peeps are waaaaay more advanced hikers than me & Pete, but we all made it to the top! Woohoo! We got back to the bottom around 8:30pm :X I believe it was approximately 6.5 miles total! Next time I'll remember to stretch before I start hiking. Pros + Relatively easy hike with a steady incline (no stairs) + Dog friendly. Poop bags available at the trailhead + Easy parking lot + Nice views throughout the whole hike Cons - No trashcans to deposit your used poop bags. I often times caught whiff of the treasures inside the bag blehhh.

Beautiful view. Nice hike, you can feel your legs the following day, well, I did. I was with my mom (visiting), we had a good time walking up the hills. She enjoyed it as much as I did, the view was superbe. It was special this time because the fire was there in December/January and burned part of the vegetation. We could think we were on the moon with a bit of imagination.