Temescal Canyon Park — Attraction in Los Angeles

POISON OAK OVERGROWTH WARNING ON THE TRAIL This park is beautiful full of streams and waterfalls right now but also there are passages full of poison oak overgrown, one in particular that you cannot avoid. Be very cautious. Also it might be a good idea to have hiking poles since crossing the streams isn’t as easy as some bridges are down and streams wider than usual. I tried calling the park services today and the mailbox is full. They need to cut the overgrowth of poison oak that’s crossing the trail at 6 feet high and branches make it impossible to pass without being swiped by them. Otherwise it was a wonderful Earth Day adventure.

Hiking - "I don't like either the word or the thing. People ought to saunter in the mountains - not hike! Do you know the origin of that word 'saunter?' It's a beautiful word. Away back in the Middle Ages people used to go on pilgrimages to the Holy Land, and when people in the villages through which they passed asked where they were going, they would reply, 'A la sainte terre,' 'To the Holy Land.' And so they became known as sainte-terre-ers or saunterers. Now these mountains are our Holy Land, and we ought to saunter through them reverently, not 'hike' through them."

John Muir

TATKSANG

Tatksang monastery, the tiger’s nest.

Two thousand feet to the valley floor.

After many days alone in the mountains,

the body hesitates at the sight of a single roof.

Having listened to the wind, sufficient to itself,

like a single clear breath from the body of the mountain,

we hear the sutra’s diamond hard presence

at the centre of experience so clearly now,

spoken from the felt rhythm of a ten-day walk.

And having crossed the pass in cold rain,

we wait, about to ripen into our own going.

Like a drop of clear water hanging from the cliff edge,

its own transparent world growing from within,

until it fills with just enough to flow on

out of the mountains as we do,

so silent now, only the sound, as we go

of that pure water falling

toward home.

...

TATKSANG From RIVER FLOW: New and Selected Poems © David Whyte and Many Rivers Press ...

This waterfall may have been the best gift I had on a birthday walk, through the central mountains of Japan, following the old Nakasendo Trail. I arrived at Osaka Falls ahead of my fellow pilgrims and had a good half hour alone, breathing in the natural aroma of the Autumn leaves, the scent of falling water and the sharp edge of the surrounding pines. The poem Takstang was written many years ago in Bhutan, in a similar vein of wonder and awe at the way water runs everywhere through the mountains, but also through every geography of our inner and outer lives, always moving from one form to another, from one life to another, and always with infinite patience, wanting to find its own way home. DW …

Otaki Falls. Nakasendo Trail. Photo © David Whyte Japan....

Roadside park straddling Temescal Canyon Road with free parking, picnic tables, playgrounds, public restrooms and walking paths! Temescal Canyon Park is located in the upscale Pacific Palisades District of Los Angeles. As such, it’s part of the transitional landscape in the lower foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains, where the busy urban environment gives way to the natural land! I’ve used this park for convenient stops along the way when hiking or riding the hills. While I wouldn’t go out of my way to come here, Temescal Park is ok for stopping off for a picnic, playground use, rest stops and restroom stops. Security fences line both sides of the park, where steep cliffs and hillsides continue up to private property. Street parking at either end lessens the distance to other parks. The south end from Pacific Coast Highway, is just a block from Will Rodgers Beach. The north end of the park is near the Temescal Gateway Park Trailhead, just beyond Sunset Blvd. Temescal Canyon Road parking at that end is also shared with Palisades Charter High School and the Stadium By The Sea attendees. Street parking is at our own risk, so hikers and beach goers may prefer to pay to park at designated lots, when heading out for any length of time. There’s the trade-offs with having a public park that’s so accessible in such a nice area. This little strip of tranquility can be interrupted by traffic noise and hooligans and may be interspersed with vagrants. I’d suggest looking for available parking by an optimal spot within view of our vehicles! Restrooms are ok, tho I had to search for a clean one before using. The individual units added more privacy with separate...

So I know on any given sunday you can find half of los angeles at Runyon, decked out and walking their purse pups, but if you want to opt for a slightly more difficult but much more rewarding hike, come here.

My good friend took me here for a sunset hike and it was gorgeous! I love that the trail is a loop, so you don't have to turn around to get back down. The summit is also gorgeous, with a panorama of LA, and a killer view of the coastline. I feel like the other canyon hikes don't get you as close to the water and malibu. Half of your field of vision here is just glistening pacific ocean, and it's breathtaking. The walk up itself is more challenging than I thought, which is awesome if you want a true workout. I got a bit sweaty, and it felt great. You walk through a good trail (dirt) until you get nearer to the summit, where it thins out to give you your view. It's well maintained and popular enough that you feel safe, without being a tourist zone. When you get to the bridge, you're about half way up. In total, the loop is between 4-4.5 miles. Great workout. We did it at a good pace, up and back in less than 2 hours. Take it all in, and bring water.

Highly recommend this trail if you're in the westside. It's in the Pacific Palisades, and is really stunning.

Tip: it's $8 parking in the park, but if you go to the street immediately leading into the park, it's free, and you just walk the few...