Franklin Canyon Park, Mountains Recreation & Conservation Authority — Attraction in Los Angeles

One of the most beautiful parks in Southern California! Because the park is situated around a reservoir ecosystem, oversized trees and vegetation have grown in these otherwise desert hills. With its central location, it’s perhaps the best place to connect with nature for short walks, hikes, rides and workouts, without leaving the city! Kids may enjoy the Heavenly Pond via the Turtle Pond trail, located off Franklyn Canyon Drive, at the south west side of the reservoir. Also the Ranger Station with the nature center, to the north east side of the reservoir, has exhibits, restrooms and a classroom for learning more about the nature of their visit! Many park goers prefer to walk on the paved roads surrounding the reservoir, while others may go for the waterside dirt pathways. For more experienced hikers, there’s several trails to tread, including the Upper Franklin Drive Trail, west of the reservoir, the Blinderman Trail on the east side and the Franklin Canyon Hastain Trail, down along Lake drive, at the south end of the park. The trail loops up to awesome city and ocean views, and meets down at the south end of the park where Lake Drive ends. There’s also a parking lot, restrooms and more picnic tables down there. Unfortunately, the fenced off lower reservoir isn’t open to the public, tho as a watershed, is also a beautiful backdrop of trees and greenery scenery for park goers to the ‘Ranch there. The takeaways worth mentioning, are with the narrow road access and blind corners at either end, as drivers must be cautious when meeting oncoming traffic, especially while passing around parked vehicles or pedestrians. Also, there’s an almost caravan like procession of vehicles passing thru during rush hour(s) that can be unsettling for the quiet nature walks! A minor displeasure for some may also be with the dusty dirt parking lots and the tendency of some drivers to speed thru. For that reason, I’d recommend closing the windows and / or park accordingly, if so...

The park is booby-trapped with ways to steal your money and appears to be designed for issuing traffic violations wherever possible. After reading these reviews, I thought I could avoid a ticket by stopping at stop signs fully and driving very slowly (to the point where I had several cars tailgating me). But they still dinged me on the parking lot with an $70 ticket, saying that I parked "outside a designated area", even though there were other cars parked right next to me in the same area and there were no signs delineating where the area started and stopped!!! If you think you can avoid a ticket, you are probably wrong, so if you want to visit, know that it will probably cost you at least $70 to do so. It seems to be a racket for bureaucrats to steal your money.

I haven't gotten anything in the mail yet, and hope that I don't. But now I have to worry about whether the camera considered my stops "complete stops" when I was 5 feet away from the line rather than 1, or whether I hit 16 mph at one point and have to stress out over potentially owing hundreds of dollars for simply going to enjoy myself in nature. What if my bumper is ahead of the line by 1 foot? How about 1 inch? 1 millimeter? If my car was registered with an address in the rich part of town, would I still have to pay? One has to wonder about the answer to that question because this ticketing policy really discourages visitors -- could they be trying to get the park "to themselves"? Whether it's stupidity or corruption, it's sad that our tax money is going to something like this, rather than solving the real problems that...

I recently visited Franklin Canyon Park with mixed feelings, and my overall experience was not as enjoyable as I had hoped. While the wildlife present in the park was certainly a highlight, there were a few aspects that left me feeling underwhelmed.

Let's start with the positives. The park's abundance of wildlife is undoubtedly captivating. The opportunity to observe various creatures in their natural habitat was a unique and fascinating experience. From chirping birds to curious squirrels, the wildlife definitely adds a touch of enchantment to the surroundings.

However, beyond the wildlife, I struggled to find much appeal in Franklin Canyon Park. The overall ambiance felt lackluster, and I found myself yearning for more engaging activities or scenic views. The park seemed to lack the picturesque landscapes or breathtaking vistas that I had anticipated.

Furthermore, there were instances where I encountered some peculiar and unexpected elements in the park. While some may find this intriguing, I personally found it somewhat off-putting. Whether it was odd sculptures, unusual structures, or unconventional art installations scattered throughout the area, I couldn't fully grasp their purpose or how they contributed to the park's overall atmosphere.

Overall, Franklin Canyon Park left me with mixed feelings. While the wildlife presence was undeniably captivating, the park lacked the scenic beauty and engaging features that I had hoped for. Additionally, the presence of some peculiar elements added an unconventional touch that may appeal to certain individuals, but it didn't resonate with my personal...