Fryman Fireroad Trail
Trail Description
ELEVATION GAIN 500 feet(ish)
PARKING Plenty. Neighborhood street parking.
SPF 19. Decent shade for a fire road.
CHANCE OF INJURY Whatever injury you’ve recently had walking down a sidewalk, you’ll get here.
WEIRD SMELLS Sage and Icy Hot
TIME 30 mins to 3 hours
FEATURES Rich people’s back yards, poison oak, creek.
ANIMALS Dogs and teenagers
CELEBRITY SIGHTINGS One guy was so old and wrinkly, he could have been anyone back in the day.
DOG SHIT More than average… unless there are A LOT of coyotes in the area.
ANYTHING ELSE? The Rainforest part of the trail is great for yoga, or Tai Chi, or just being a hippie.
ELEVATION GAIN 500 feet(ish)
PARKING Plenty. Neighborhood street parking.
SPF 19. Decent shade for a fire road.
CHANCE OF INJURY Whatever injury you’ve recently had walking down a sidewalk, you’ll get here.
WEIRD SMELLS Sage and Icy Hot
TIME 30 mins to 3 hours
FEATURES Rich people’s back yards, poison oak, creek.
ANIMALS Dogs and teenagers
CELEBRITY SIGHTINGS One guy was so old and wrinkly, he could have been anyone back in the day.
DOG SHIT More than average… unless there are A LOT of coyotes in the area.
ANYTHING ELSE? The Rainforest part of the trail is great for yoga, or Tai Chi, or just being a hippie.
Directions
DRIVING DIRECTIONS:
You are driving along the 101, looking for Laurel Canyon Blvd. It’s east of the 405, before the 134 begins – or ends – however you want to look at it. Take Laurel Canyon south. Pass Ventura Blvd and all the desperate wanna-be starlets will begin to melt away.
The third stop light will be Fryman Road. Turn right – DON’T PARK THERE! Keep Going! Whew, that was close. Right on the corner there is parking for Wilacre Park. That’s what most people mean when they say, “I saw that actor from E.R. on Fryman this morning.”
But we’re not going there today. Continue driving on Fryman for about a mile through a pretty nice neighborhood until you stop at the trail entrance. Lots of parking right on the street means that although the neighborhood might be nice, they’re not rich enough to have bribed the city for no parking signs.
HIKING DIRECTIONS:
You can look at this trail two ways.
1- A short, wide, flattish place to walk the dogs and chat with friends while drinking your Starbucks. Since it’s relatively empty, you can bitch about people and name drop without worrying that their latest husband is creeping along behind you.
2- A secret entrance to Mulholland Drive and the amazing Rainforest Trail rope swing.
The first route is self-explanatory. Let’s look at the second.
You walk the paved and overgrown fire road until it un-paves. There, you dip right - into the brush along the creek. It’s a real trail, but kind of a creek bed scramble. You’ll only get wet if you’re an idiot or a dog.
That emerges onto the main Betty B Dearing Trail. You can go left which can take you up to Mulholland Drive. Why? The view? Of the San Fernando Valley?
The left turn can also take you to another small trail that loops down to the fire road. It’ll scratch you up a bit. It’s not very well traveled. But, if you want to pretend you’re a mule or a donkey – that’s a great trail.
The right turn at the top of the creek will take you to the rope swing. It’s about 4 miles round trip, but if you don’t make the swing, it’s still a great hike. Shade, moderate grade, not crowded.
THE STORY:
Intended to be the World’s Longest Putt Putt Golf Hole, and argument broke out about pin placement, and work stopped when the financial backers from Bullshitistan were found to be frauds.
DRIVING DIRECTIONS:
You are driving along the 101, looking for Laurel Canyon Blvd. It’s east of the 405, before the 134 begins – or ends – however you want to look at it. Take Laurel Canyon south. Pass Ventura Blvd and all the desperate wanna-be starlets will begin to melt away.
The third stop light will be Fryman Road. Turn right – DON’T PARK THERE! Keep Going! Whew, that was close. Right on the corner there is parking for Wilacre Park. That’s what most people mean when they say, “I saw that actor from E.R. on Fryman this morning.”
But we’re not going there today. Continue driving on Fryman for about a mile through a pretty nice neighborhood until you stop at the trail entrance. Lots of parking right on the street means that although the neighborhood might be nice, they’re not rich enough to have bribed the city for no parking signs.
HIKING DIRECTIONS:
You can look at this trail two ways.
1- A short, wide, flattish place to walk the dogs and chat with friends while drinking your Starbucks. Since it’s relatively empty, you can bitch about people and name drop without worrying that their latest husband is creeping along behind you.
2- A secret entrance to Mulholland Drive and the amazing Rainforest Trail rope swing.
The first route is self-explanatory. Let’s look at the second.
You walk the paved and overgrown fire road until it un-paves. There, you dip right - into the brush along the creek. It’s a real trail, but kind of a creek bed scramble. You’ll only get wet if you’re an idiot or a dog.
That emerges onto the main Betty B Dearing Trail. You can go left which can take you up to Mulholland Drive. Why? The view? Of the San Fernando Valley?
The left turn can also take you to another small trail that loops down to the fire road. It’ll scratch you up a bit. It’s not very well traveled. But, if you want to pretend you’re a mule or a donkey – that’s a great trail.
The right turn at the top of the creek will take you to the rope swing. It’s about 4 miles round trip, but if you don’t make the swing, it’s still a great hike. Shade, moderate grade, not crowded.
THE STORY:
Intended to be the World’s Longest Putt Putt Golf Hole, and argument broke out about pin placement, and work stopped when the financial backers from Bullshitistan were found to be frauds.