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Fern Canyon Trail
4.7 ★★★★★ 128 Google reviews · Running trail in Los Angeles, California · Posted hours
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Not reported
- Distance
- Not reported
- Shape
- Not reported
- Shade
- Not reported
- Access
- Posted hours
Confirmed from Fern Canyon Trail's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
Hiking area through redwood trees with scenic views and opportunities for photography.
What runners say about Fern Canyon Trail
“wide trail & I went midday during the middle of the week and it wasn't crowded, mostly people walking their dogs really beautiful scenery & views”
“Its a very easy hike and you have a lot of opportunities to take photos along the way!”
PSA: Anyone mentioning redwoods or Jurassic Park Lost World in the reviews are mistaking this trail for one of an identical name in northern California. This hike is cool but it’s not that location. OG review: Terrific hike. Not a ton of shade so come prepared with hats, sunscreen, and water.
Beautiful hike! Worth checking out! A scene from Jurassic Park Lost World was filmed here!
From California Gold is where I heard about Ferndale. Greg took me here during our most recent rains, it was simply beautiful. I loved all of our Griffith Park experience that day. I had an especially wonderful, very short hike in Ferndell!!
READER BEWARE. The reviews for this trail are a mix for the actual location in Griffith Park in Los Angeles or for Fern Canyon in the Redwoods National Park (some 12 hours north). You can tell the difference based on the fauna! If you see images of ferns and skinny uniform trees, it’s the Redwoods.
Trail conditions & character
“wide trail & I went midday during the middle of the week and it wasn't crowded, mostly people walking their dogs really beautiful scenery & views”
“I would say it's about an easy/medium difficulty, the first ~15 mins are pretty steep but then it gets a lot flatter for the rest of the trail.”
“Note that the parking fills up quickly, and it's a really lovely walk with lovely scenery along the way for photo opportunities.”
Plan your run at Fern Canyon Trail
The practical stuff
- AccessPosted hours — posted hours below; park gates sometimes close earlier than the listing says
- DistanceNot reported. Trail systems often quote total path mileage rather than a single loop, so measure the route you actually want before you drive out.
- ShadeNot reported. Assume some of it is exposed and carry water in summer.
- At the trailheadparking — reported by runners
Hours
| Monday | 6 am–10 pm |
| Tuesday | 6 am–10 pm |
| Wednesday | 6 am–10 pm |
| Thursday | 6 am–10 pm |
| Friday | 6 am–10 pm |
| Saturday | 6 am–10 pm |
| Sunday | 6 am–10 pm |
Running trails near Los Angeles
Other trails within easy driving distance — useful when this one is flooded, gated, or just not the run you had in mind today.
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