Recreation in Los Angeles

The Los Angeles region boasts some of the finest and most spectacular natural recreation areas in the world.

The Pacific Ocean beaches—all open to the public—stretch for more than 100 km (60 mi) and are visited by tens of millions of people every year.

( The Santa Monica )
The Santa Monica, San Bernardino, and San Gabriel mountains have hundreds of miles of hiking trails and numerous campgrounds, recreational lakes, and ski resorts—all within 100 km (60 mi) of downtown Los Angeles.

The Angeles National Forest covers more than 2,640 sq km (1,020 sq mi) of the San Gabriel Mountains north of the city and contains Mount San Antonio (also known as Old Baldy), the tallest mountain (3,068 m/10,064 ft) in the region.

( The Mohave Desert )
The Mohave Desert, most of which is still wilderness, encircles the region to the north and east. Santa Catalina Island, lying 30 km (20 mi) off the coast, contains a popular resort town named Avalon.

( Griffith park )
Griffith Park, covering 1,700 hectares (4,100 acres), lies at the heart of Los Angeles. Besides many hiking and equestrian trails, it contains the Los Angeles Zoo and the Griffith Observatory.

The Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach features large-scale marine habitats. Exposition Park, south of downtown Los Angeles, was created in the late 19th century and contains a large botanical garden and several museums.

( Anaheim's Disneyland )
Anaheim's Disneyland, which opened in 1955, is probably the most famous amusement park in the world. Many other amusement parks now compete with Disneyland, such as Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park and Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia.


Major-league sports venues include Dodger Stadium (opened 1962), located north of downtown Los Angeles, home of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team; and Staples Center (1999), located downtown, home of the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, and Los Angeles Sparks basketball teams, as well as the Los Angeles Kings ice hockey team.

( The Los Angeles Coliseum )
The Los Angeles Coliseum, which hosted the 1932 and 1984 Summer Olympic Games, is the home stadium of the USC Trojans college football team. It is located in Exposition Park. The Rose Bowl in Pasadena is the home of USC’s rival football team, the UCLA Bruins. The Rose Bowl is also the home of the Los Angeles Galaxy major-league soccer team.