Nature in Los Angeles

Angeles-Nationalforst

Los Angeles

Aquarium of the Pacific

Los Angeles

California State Route 2

Los Angeles

California State Route 2 is a state highway stretching across Southern California that ranks among the most scenic drives in the Greater Los Angeles area. A particularly popular section runs through the San Gabriel Mountains — known as the Angeles Crest Highway — winding through dense forest, alongside canyons, and across high plateaus with sweeping views to the horizon. Designated as an official route in 1934, SR-2 connects urban areas such as La Cañada Flintridge with remote mountain regions and recreation areas. For motorcyclists, drivers, cyclists, and hikers alike, it is one of the most popular escapes from the urban bustle of the LA metropolis.

Forest Lawn Memorial Park

Los Angeles

Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, Los Angeles, is far more than an ordinary cemetery. Since its founding in 1906, it has evolved into a place where art, architecture and nature combine in a unique way. Life-size replicas of famous artworks — including Michelangelo's David — and elaborate recreations of historic churches dot the sweeping grounds. The park serves as the final resting place of numerous Hollywood icons, among them Clark Gable, Walt Disney and Jean Harlow. Today Forest Lawn is a popular destination that invites visitors to reflect and discover artistic masterpieces in a serene setting.

Forest Lawn Memorial Park

Los Angeles

Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills is one of the world's most famous cemeteries and the final resting place of an extraordinary roll call of film legends, musicians, and artists. Founded in 1906, it was conceived as a park-like sanctuary — manicured lawns, sculpture groupings, and faithful reproductions of celebrated European artworks. Among those buried here are Bette Davis, Liberace, and many other icons of the entertainment world. Located on Forest Lawn Drive in the San Fernando Valley, the site transcends its function as a burial ground and is experienced by many as an open-air museum: a quiet green island amid the sprawling metropolis of Los Angeles.

Griffith Park

Los Angeles

Covering roughly 17 square kilometers, Griffith Park is one of the largest urban parks in North America and the green lung of Los Angeles. Donated to the city in 1896, it spans the eastern slopes of the Santa Monica Mountains, offering hundreds of miles of trails – including the iconic hike to Griffith Observatory, which rewards visitors with sweeping views across the L.A. skyline and on clear days to the Channel Islands. The park also holds the LA Zoo, the Greek Theatre, tennis courts, pony rides, and historic buildings from the city's early days. It is a rare blend of wilderness, culture, and family recreation in the heart of a global metropolis.

Hollywood Bowl

Los Angeles

The Hollywood Bowl is one of the most famous outdoor music venues in the world and, since its opening on 11 July 1922, the cultural centrepiece of the Los Angeles summer. Nestled in the Hollywood Hills, the natural amphitheatre modelled on ancient Greek theatres holds more than 18,000 visitors — from picnic blankets on the upper lawn benches to seats in the front rows. The summer season of the Los Angeles Philharmonic traditionally takes place here, alongside appearances by pop, rock, and jazz legends. The characteristic shell-shaped bandshell, rebuilt and enlarged several times, is itself an architectural icon. Listening to music under the open sky as dusk falls over the hills explains instantly why the Hollywood Bowl is an institution.

Los Angeles Zoo

Los Angeles

The Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens is located in Griffith Park, one of the largest urban parks in the United States, and opened in 1966 across a 54-hectare site. It is home to around 2,200 animals from approximately 270 species, combining zoological exhibitions with a botanical garden. The zoo is particularly well known for its endangered species breeding programmes – including the California condor, whose extinction in the wild was averted in part through captive breeding here. Owned by the City of Los Angeles, it is one of the most visited zoos on the American West Coast.

Oakwood Recreation Center

Los Angeles