why i love runyon canyon

When one thinks about the benefits of living in Hollywood, access to the great outdoors isn’t usually a chart topper. But it is. One of my favorite things about living where we live (don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that this is my ideal place to live), is the fact that we have so many great hiking trails nearby. One in particular is within walking distance from our apartment – Runyon Canyon. It isn’t as heavy in wilderness as say, Griffith Park or some of the Palisades/Malibu hiking trails, but it gets the job done and like I said before – IT’S WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE.

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This weekend Julian and I took a leisurely stroll up the easier side of the trail and I was reminded of a few of my favorite things about Runyon.

1. The dogs. This is a popular hike for people with dogs, because Runyon Canyon is a notorious “leash-free” zone. Oogling the cute dogs and petting the friendly-looking ones is half the fun for me when we come up.

2. You will always see someone you know. Without fail, I see someone I know at Runyon every single time I go there. This time, we saw two couples we know – Alex and Dawn and Joe and Christie (and their energetic pup, LV). I worked with Alex and Joe at SocialVibe and hadn’t seen them in months. It was awesome, even if we were kind of sweaty.

3. Free stuff. You can get all kinds of free stuff at Runyon and I’m not just talking about fliers. Take for example the free yoga classes in the grassy, shaded part of the hills. I’ve never done it before, and from what I’ve heard it is pretty much what you’d expect from free yoga, but hey – IT’S FREE, and compared to the $16 a class rates in LA, that is amazing. Yesterday, O.N.E. reps were handing out free coconut water. Mmm – I’ll take it!

4. The view from the top. When we started our hike, it was cloudy and cold. By the time we reached the top, we had passed the fog line and it was bright, sunny, breezy and gorgeous. The view of LA from the top is hardly the best you can get in LA, but it is still nice to look down on all the madness (and smog) from a peaceful, quiet vantage point.

5. The way you feel afterward. As painful as it can be to climb those stairs in the blazing sun, there is no denying it is absolutely worth it once you’re on your way down and feeling the breeze coming up the hill. The hard part is over and you can really enjoy numbers 1-4. Plus, you’ve got that awesome “just-worked-out” glow/energy going on, one of my favorite things in life.

The way Runyon is laid out is perfect too, there are two trails, one that is a bit more hardcore than the other. Either way, you get about 5 minutes of warm up walking, 10 to 15 minutes of grueling climbing (depending on how slow you go), and 10-15 minutes of downhill walking (which is more of a workout than you’d think). There are also a ton of celebrities that walk their dogs up in Runyon – if you’re into that sort of thing. And sometimes, there is art.

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If there is one thing I am sure about, it’s that I don’t get outside and work out enough. Next time I hear myself coming up with excuses why I shouldn’t take the time to walk up to Runyon and bust a move up the hill, I’m gonna read this post.