Distance (round-trip)
1.6 mi
Time
1 hrs
Elevation Gain
20 ft
Season
Spring
Summer
Fall
Winter
Weather
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1.6 mi
1 hrs
20 ft
Spring
Summer
Fall
Winter
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A very short but kind of hidden open tract of land in Echo Park / Silver Lake. Historic Red Line properties and ruins and easy access from those neighborhoods make this a great quick walk or part of a longer urban staircase hike in the area. Maybe if you’re lucky, you’ll see a ghost train?
Doing The Big Parade earlier this year kindled a newfound interest in the hidden staircases and old streets of Echo Park and Silver Lake, and after discovering a blog dedicated to a very small but historic tract of unused land in the neighborhood and seeing the trail written up as a potential haunted hike in LA Weekly, I wanted to go check it out for myself.
This is not really a hike in the traditional sense – or even in the sense of most other write-ups on this site – but it’s a pretty cool and little known public space that could be worth checking out as part of a quick morning walk or as an add-on to other short trails or staircase walks in the area. The path begins on a very nondescript street corner – where Allesandro Way makes a sharp left hand turn at the intersection of Lake View Avenue. There is a small sidewalk that continues along the canyon running parallel to the Glendale Freeway.
In just under a tenth of a mile, the sidewalk approaches the end of Corralitas Drive, where a small open space reveals the first visible stretch of the old rail line, leading into a wooded canyon.
Continue along this dirt road for another tenth of a mile, when it once again becomes an undeveloped, overgrown green space. Here, I actually did start to see some remnants of the trolley lines along the way – as well as some decent views of Mount Washington across the L.A. River.
At about the 0.7 mile mark, you’ll come to a steep hill covered with strange cement obelisks, and you’ll see Fletcher Drive cutting through the canyon between the hill you’re on and another hill. If you’re like me, you’ve often wondered what the heck this area was when you’re driving through it – and now you know. It’s the City of Los Angeles Historic Landmark # 770 – the Pacific Electric Red Car Viaduct Footings.
These cement structures are all that’s left of a 100-foot tall trestle bridge that spanned between the two hills. Today, the space is used mostly by the occasional artist – and it seemed there were a few gardens tucked into the space, too.
When you’re finished, either return the way you came or try exploring some of the surrounding neighborhood instead – and try to imagine how different the city would be if the Red Car was still operating.
Spotty. This route doesn't follow a trail in the traditional sense, but rather an old uninhabited track of the Red Line car to Glendale.
Park at the sharp corner of Allesandro Way and Lake View Avenue just west of the Glendale Freeway. No permits required. Transit accessible via Metro bus 603.
9 Comments
Ooh, thanks for the update Tony. This area is in the midst of a mildly contentious land ownership issue right now -- the city was trying to buy it as a park but something fell through and now the owner is looking to develop it again, so that might be the reason you saw some no trespassing signs. I'll see if I hear anything further!
Correction to my previous post: I of course meant Fletcher and Riverside, not Glendale.....
I hiked this short trail for the first time today. The side stair-streets up and down were especially fun. The trail is closed off about 2/3 of the way to the steps at Fletcher and Glendale, by fencing that reads "Private Property." Is that permanent?
great post, I'll have to check this trail trail out some time soon!
I'm with you - "Others have written about seeing old rails and tracks here, but I wasn’t able to see anything when I went." Dead right. I was there partly because of the LA Weekly write up, which says, "Bordered on both sides by the skeletons of abandoned cars and machinery, the public trail near the old rail is as creepy as it is cool. Relics of the big red cars are still visible." What were they smoking? Still a good, little known corner of LA though.
[...] image via Modern Hiker; inset via Corralitas Red Car [...]
Diane,
There weren't any there when I went, but you never know.
I always wondered what the cement blocks where behind the Arco station at Fletcher and Riverside. Is it safe to walk it? Are there any homeless camps?
With recent wildfire damage and ongoing waves of COVID-19 infections and restrictions, National Forest, National Park, and other public land closures, restrictions, or social distancing guidelines may be in-effect.
If infection rates are on the rise, please do your best to remain local for your hikes. If you do travel, please be mindful of small gateway communities and avoid as much interaction as you can. Also remember to be extra prepared with supplies so you don't have to stop somewhere outside your local community for gas, food, or anything else.
Please be sure to contact the local land management agency BEFORE you head out, as these conditions are likely to change without enough notice for us to fully stay on top of them. Thanks, and stay safe!
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