Beacon Hill is the easternmost peak of the Santa Monica Mountains, and a terrific, not-too-difficult hike in Griffith Park that offers up some of the most spectacular views in the region. As is the case for most destinations in Griffith Park, there are several different ways to hike here. This particular route is one of the most direct — a simple out-and-back via the Cadman Trail.
One of the things I love most about Griffith Park is its range of hiking – you can take a leisurely, stroller-friendly walk along a fire road to the Hollywood Sign or do an intense firebreak trail run up nearly-vertical sections of ridge – sometimes both on the same trail.
For as long as I’ve lived here, I’m still finding new and fun routes in the park. It’s a great option for those times when you can’t really do a full-day trek in the San Gabriels but you still want to feel like you’ve earned your breakfast. Beacon Hill is a prominent peak on the park’s southeastern edge – on clear days it’s an absolutely killer photo-spot and on other days it’s still a very pleasant, moderately easy hike.
Park your car at the end of Griffith Park Boulevard where it splits into Shannon Road and Cadman Drive. You don’t need a permit and there is plenty of street parking – but always make sure you read the signs just to make sure there isn’t street cleaning.
Ignore the dirt road at this intersection and instead head toward the paved portion of Cadman Drive. You’ll pass some nice houses carved into the hillside before you hit the end of the pavement at the 0.2 mile mark.
When you reach the end of Cadman Drive, the road ends at a chain link fence and becomes the Cadman Trail. Walk through here and you’re on a shaded fire road that travels alongside a small gulch. At around the 0.3 mile mark, stay to the right where a use-trail ascends a neighboring canyon and meets up with Vista Del Valle Drive (a nice loop option if you’re interested!)
From this point, the trail is mostly out of the shade but unless you’re doing this route at high noon in the dead of summer, you’ll probably be all right. There is an incline here but it’s very gradual. By the 0.92 mile mark you’ll be at 870 feet – and you’ll start to have some really incredible views.
At the 1.3 mile mark, the Coolidge Trail hits a junction on a ridgeline firebreak known as 5-Points. To the west, a series of trails splits and heads toward Vista Del Valle Drive. To the north, the Fern Canyon Trail continues, eventually meeting up with the Old Zoo trail. For this trip, head to the east along the Upper Beacon Trail as it passes through some old eucalyptus trees.
Tags: beacon hill, dog-friendly, easy, glendale, Griffith Park, Hiking, Hollywood, los feliz, mineral wells trail, transit accessible
