Griffith Park Set

Griffith Park is being restored after the 2007 fire that destroyed a quarter of the park -- over 800 acres, the size of Central Park in New York City.

Ruben Martinez discusses an open park, open for all in the Los Angeles Times.

With five square miles of chapparal and landscaped parkland and picnic areas, Griffith Park is the largest municipal park with urban wilderness area in the United States. The park is in the eastern Santa Monica Mountain range. Over ten million people per year visit the park. Experts surmise that Gabrieleno/Tongva Native Americans lived and hunted in the Ferndell area of the park. The land was part of the Rancho Los Feliz, awarded in 1796 to Corp. Jose Vicente Feliz, one of the soldiers who accompanied the original 44 Pobladores who settled Los Angeles. The land passed through various hands until Col. Griffith J. Griffith, who made a personal fortune in gold, purchased it in 1884. He was unable to sell the land and donated it to the city in 1896 for a park. "It must be made a place of recreation and rest for the masses, a resort for the rank and file, for the plain people,” according to Griffith. “I consider it my obligation to make Los Angeles a happier, cleaner, and finer city. I wish to pay my debt of duty in this way to the community in which I have prospered."

The Park rises from 384 to 1,625 feet above sea level. With an arid climate, the vegetation ranges from coastal sage scrub, oak and walnut woodlands to riparian vegetation with trees in the park’s deep canyons. There are 53 miles of hiking trails, as well as bridle paths, soccer fields, tennis courts, four golf courses, a swimming pool, a merry-go-round, Travel Town transportation museum, the Autry Museum of Western Heritage, the Greek Theater, the Griffith Park Observatory, and the Los Angeles Zoo. Col. Griffith provided the funds for the theater and the observatory.

See a 360° panorama of Griffith Park from the Hollyridge Trail.

9 photos | 121 views

items are from between 17 Mar 2007 & 29 Aug 2007.