ParkFREE
Griffith Park
📍 Los Angeles · Hollywood & Mid-City
Large City of Los Angeles park with hiking trails, picnic areas, and open space in the eastern Santa Monica Mountains. Hours daily 5:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Details Official site ↗📍 LA · HUB
🌳 Outdoors this fall in Los Angeles
Parks, gardens, trails and waterfronts, plus outdoor events.
ParkFREE
Vasquez Rocks Natural Area
📍 Agua Dulce · Santa Clarita & Northern LA
945-acre LA County natural area in Agua Dulce with distinctive rock formations, hiking and equestrian trails (including Pacific Crest Trail segment), picnic tables, and interpretive programs.
Details Official site ↗GardenFREE
Exposition Park Rose Garden
📍 Exposition Park / South Los Angeles · East & South LA
City of Los Angeles Recreation and Parks rose garden at Exposition Park. Open daily 8:30 a.m. to dusk except the January–mid-March maintenance closure.
Details Official site ↗BeachFREE
Santa Monica State Beach
📍 Santa Monica · Westside
About three miles of public beach covering 245 acres of sand, managed by the City of Santa Monica with California State Parks. Listed hours sunrise to sunset (city page shows 6:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.).
Details Official site ↗GardenFREE
Arboretum and Botanical Garden at Cal State Fullerton
📍 Fullerton · Orange County North
Campus arboretum and botanical garden with living collections and conservation focus. Free entry with suggested donation; open Monday–Sunday 9 a.m.–4 p.m.
Details Official site ↗ParkFREE
Santa Clarita Central Park
📍 Santa Clarita · Santa Clarita & Northern LA
Large municipal park listed by the City of Santa Clarita Parks Division at Bouquet Canyon Road, with sports fields, dog park (Central Bark), and recent buildout amenities described by the city.
Details Official site ↗GardenFREE
Arlington Garden in Pasadena
📍 Pasadena · Pasadena & San Gabriel Valley
Three-acre water-wise community garden on Caltrans-owned land leased to the City of Pasadena. Free public garden open dawn to dusk daily.
Details Official site ↗BeachFREE
Huntington Beach City Beach & Municipal Pier
📍 Huntington Beach · Orange County Coast & Central
About 3.5 miles of city shoreline known as Surf City, including the municipal pier. Free public beach access with posted beach and pier rules.
Details Official site ↗ParkFREE
Lake Balboa / Anthony C. Beilenson Park
📍 Lake Balboa · San Fernando Valley
City of Los Angeles park featuring a lake, 1.3-mile footpath, picnic areas, bike path, and play areas in the Sepulveda Basin. Open sunrise to sunset.
Details Official site ↗GardenFREE
UCLA Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden
📍 Westwood · Westside
Campus botanical garden open free to the public daily. November through January hours are weekdays 8 a.m.–4 p.m. and weekends 9 a.m.–4 p.m.
Details Official site ↗BeachFREE
Rosie's Dog Beach
📍 Long Beach · Long Beach & Southeast LA
4.1-acre off-leash dog recreation area on the Long Beach shoreline south of Ocean Blvd between Granada and Roycroft. Dogs must be leashed outside the dog zone.
Details Official site ↗ParkFREE
Gloria Molina Grand Park
📍 Downtown Los Angeles · Downtown & Central LA
Twelve-acre civic park in Downtown Los Angeles stretching from The Music Center to City Hall. Offers green space and year-round free public programming.
Details Official site ↗ParkPaid
Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area
📍 Baldwin Hills · East & South LA
County-operated state recreation area with coastal sage scrub, picnic sites, fishing lake, lotus pond, playgrounds, and several miles of trails in Baldwin Hills.
Details Official site ↗BeachPaid
Salt Creek Beach Park
📍 Dana Point · Orange County South
OC Parks beach park popular for surfing, swimming, body surfing, sunbathing, and tidepool exploration (tidepool life protected). Concession building operates in spring and summer.
Details Official site ↗ParkPaid
William R. Mason Regional Park
📍 Irvine · Orange County Coast & Central
339-acre OC Parks regional park with a 9-acre lake, picnic areas, trails, playgrounds, and a wilderness hiking area. Trail bridge project noted through November 2026 in the wilderness area.
Details Official site ↗ParkPaid
Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park
📍 Laguna Niguel · Orange County South
About 4,500 acres of wilderness open space with oaks, streams, and more than 30 miles of official trails. Designated wildlife sanctuary under OC Parks.
Details Official site ↗ParkPaid
Irvine Regional Park
📍 Orange · Orange County North
495-acre OC Parks regional park with oak/sycamore groves, lake, playgrounds, bike/walking trails, picnic areas, and equestrian trail. Orange County Zoo is located inside the park.
Details Official site ↗