One of the best parts about being a dog owner is all the fun things you wind up doing with your dog that you would not normally do. Sure I am an avid fan of the out of doors but I would not be taking hikes in Los Angeles without Finn (To be honest without him I wouldn't know there really was anything considered a "hike" in L.A.). Anyways, last weekend I got to do one of those new things when I brought Finn out to Runyon Canyon Park.

Runyon Canyon is a massive, 134 acre, hiking trail and park located in the Hollywood hills between Hollywood boulevard and Mulholland Drive. Parking is a hassel and can add a mile to a hike if you go at a busy time. The off-leash area is packed with people from dawn until dusk and there are loads of dogs around. Personally I keep Finn on a leash when we are there simply because he is excitable and I worry that he'll go scampering off down a slope that is too steep for a chase, or he'll find some wildlife that I don't want to save him from. As you can see from the picture below (taken of the west trail from the eastern trail) the path is fine but there is a lot of area in the park that you do NOT want a pet going.
That being said, the park is gorgeous. The western side has a paved service road that is almost entirely off leash. The eastern path (above) is an unpaved trail that winds up the side of the hill and provides some great lookouts of L.A. The two do meet up for a total hike that is about 3-4 miles of off leash excitement. More trails at the top of the hill attach the off leash area to the Mullholland entrance (which does have some limited parking).

The park caters to dogs and dog owners and there are plenty of water stops at the base of the trails and a few along the way. You do have to bring your own bags though, the park does not provide any and is notorious for being a "toilet" thanks to the off leash nature and some irresponsible pet owners.

There are some picnic tables and a garden by the Fuller entrance where you can catch your breath after a long hike and along the trail benches and well positioned rocks provide a place to sit (albeit unshaded) to admire the scenery.




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