Griffith Park
Griffith Park | |
---|---|
Type | Urban park |
Location | Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California |
Coordinates | 34°8′N 118°18′W / 34.133°N 118.300°W |
Area | 4,310 acres (1,740 ha) |
Created | 1896 |
Operated by | Los Angeles Department of Recreation & Parks |
Visitors | 10 million |
Status | Open all year |
Parking | See below |
Website | www |
Designated | January 27, 2009 |
Reference no. | 942 |
Griffith Park is a large
It has been compared to
History
Griffith donation
After successfully investing in mining, Griffith J. Griffith purchased Rancho Los Feliz (near the Los Angeles River) in 1882 and started an ostrich farm there. Although ostrich feathers were commonly used in making women's hats in the late 19th century, Griffith's purpose was primarily to lure residents of Los Angeles to his nearby property developments, which supposedly were haunted by the ghost of Antonio Feliz (a previous owner of the property). After the property rush peaked, Griffith donated 3,015 acres (1,220 ha) to the city of Los Angeles on December 16, 1896.[7][8]
Griffith was tried and convicted of shooting and severely wounding his wife in a 1903 incident.
Griffith Park Aerodrome
In 1912, Griffith designated 100 acres (40 ha) of the park, at its northeast corner along the Los Angeles River, to be used to "do something to further aviation". The Griffith Park Aerodrome was the result. Aviation pioneers such as
Expansion
Griffith set up a trust fund for the improvements he envisioned, and after his death in 1919 the city began to build what Griffith had wanted. The amphitheater, called the Greek Theatre, was completed in 1930, and Griffith Observatory was finished in 1935. Subsequent to Griffith's original gift, further donations of land, city purchases, and the reversion of land from private to public have expanded the park to its present size.
In December, 1944 the Sherman Company donated 444 acres (180 ha) of Hollywoodland open space to Griffith Park. This large, passive, eco-sensitive property borders the
World War II
After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the Civilian Conservation Corps camp contained within Griffith Park was converted to a holding center for Japanese Americans arrested as "enemy aliens" before they were transferred to more permanent internment camps.[15] The Griffith Park Detention Camp opened almost immediately after the Pearl Harbor attack, taking in 35 Japanese immigrants suspected of fifth column activity because they lived and worked near military installations. These men, mostly fishermen from nearby Terminal Island, were transferred to an Immigration and Naturalization Service detention station after a brief stay, but Issei internees arrested in the days and weeks following the outbreak of the war arrived soon after to take their place. Up to 550 Japanese Americans were confined in Griffith Park from 1941 to 1942, all subsequently transferred to Fort Lincoln, Fort Missoula and other DOJ camps.[16]
On July 14, 1942, the detention camp became a POW Processing Center for German, Italian and Japanese prisoners-of-war, operating until August 3, 1943, when the prisoners were transferred elsewhere. The camp was changed to the Army Western Corps Photographic Center and Camouflage Experimental Laboratory until the end of the war.[16]
Protest
On 17 March 1968, in Los Angeles, to protest entrapment and harassment by the Los Angeles Police Department, two drag queens known as "The Princess" and "The Duchess" held a St. Patrick's Day party at Griffith Park, a popular cruising spot and a frequent target of police activity. More than 200 gay men socialized through the day.[17]
Fires
Hired as part of a welfare project, 3,780 men were in the park clearing brush on October 3, 1933, when
On May 12, 1961, a wildfire on the south side of the park burned 814 acres (329 ha). It also destroyed eight homes and damaged nine more, chiefly in the Beachwood Canyon area.[19]
Another fire occurred c. 1971 in the
On May 8, 2007, a major wildfire burned more than 817 acres (331 ha), destroying the bird sanctuary, Dante's View, and Captain's Roost, and forcing the evacuation of hundreds of people. The fire came right up to one of the largest playgrounds in Los Angeles, Shane's Inspiration, and the Los Angeles Zoo, and threatened the Griffith Observatory, but left such areas intact. Several local organizations, including SaveGriffithPark.org, have been working since then with local officials to restore the park in a way that would benefit all.[22] It was the third fire of the year.[23] The city announced a $50 million plan to stabilize the burned slopes. The trees along Canyon Drive were allowed to grow back naturally, having been re-seeded by bird droppings.[22]
Addition of Cahuenga Peak
One hundred acres (40 ha) around Cahuenga Peak were purchased with funds from a broad spectrum of donors, in addition to $1.7 million from the city,[24] and added to the park in July 2010[25] bringing the park's total acreage to 4,310 acres (1,740 ha).
Attractions
- Autry Museum of the American West
- Bronson Canyon
- Greek Theatre (Los Angeles)
- Griffith Observatory
- La Kretz Bridge
- Griffith Park & Southern Railroad
- Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round[26][27]
- Griffith Park Zoo - closed in 1966 and now used as a hiking and picnicking area
- Heritage tree: a pine tree in memory of Beatle George Harrison was planted in 2004 near the observatory. It died after a beetle infestation, and as of 2014, plans have been made to replace it.[28][29]
- The site of the Hollywood and Highland Center. Another, less remote area from which the sign can be viewed is Lake Hollywood Park on Canyon Lake Drive.[32]
- Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum
- Los Angeles Zoo
- Travel Town Museum
A statue of a standing bear, created in 1976 by
Other activities
Much of the park comprises wild, rugged natural areas with hiking and equestrian trails, and this terrain separates the park into many areas or "pockets" of activities. Within the various areas are concessions, golf courses, picnic grounds, train rides, and tennis courts. In 2014, two baseball fields were proposed on the east side of Griffith Park that would remove 44 trees and replace four acres (1.6 ha) of picnic area, the largest picnic area in the park that is often used for large family gatherings, cultural fairs and festivals, reunions, and other special occasions. The plan may be altered to spare a sycamore that has been designated by the city as a "heritage tree", a living artifact of Los Angeles history.[35]
After its closure in 1966, the grounds of the Griffith Park Zoo were transformed into a recreation area. Some of the former animal enclosures were left in place, and picnic tables were installed.
The annual Bell-Jeff Invitational cross country race has been held in the park on the last Saturday in September since 1973.[36]
After 74 years in operation,[37] the Griffith Park Pony Rides closed on December 21, 2022.[38][39][40]
Hiking
Griffith Park is a popular hiking area. Orientation maps are located at the entrance to the parking lot near Griffith Observatory. A service road leads from the observatory to numerous hiking routs on and around Mount Lee; however, the immediate area where the Hollywood Sign is located is closed to the public since the area is home to the main communication tower for the City of Los Angeles. Hiking up to Wisdom tree on Cahuenga Peak from the South-western slopes of Mount Lee is accessible.[41] Visitors are expected to comply with safety requirements, and must be prepared and equipped adequately.
Trails leading to the Hollywood Sign can be accessed from several official Griffith Park entrances. These include the Mt. Hollywood Trail, which can be accessed from the Griffith Observatory parking lot off Vermont Canyon Road or from Vermont Canyon Road just past the Greek Theater, the Bronson Canyon / Brush Canyon Trail (3200 Canyon Drive, Los Angeles, CA),[42] and a number of trailheads that begin near the Griffith Park Visitors Center off Crystal Springs Drive in the Los Feliz section of Los Angeles (free trail maps are available at the Visitors Center).[43] A once-popular trailhead originating at the top of Beachwood Drive was closed by court order in April 2017.[44]
Mount Lee
Mount Lee's hiking trails and fire roads are part of Griffith Park; as such it's easy to get lost and be redirected. Maps of the trails and the land around the hills should be studied before attempting to hike the area for the first time.[45]
Wildlife
An adult
An urban ecologist monitors wildlife within the park.
Coyotes abound in Griffith Park and are generally active at night. Park visitors report frequent sightings during the day and have had their dogs attacked by coyotes.[54] Visitors are strongly discouraged from feeding Griffith Park coyotes including near "the base of Fern Canyon, where up to eight coyotes per day are present more or less continuously."[55]
The newly created habitat of a
Geology
Much of the exposed rock in Griffith Park is marine or non-marine
Climate
Climate data for Griffith Park, Los Angeles, California | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 91 (33) |
92 (33) |
92 (33) |
105 (41) |
109 (43) |
107 (42) |
113 (45) |
110 (43) |
112 (44) |
106 (41) |
100 (38) |
91 (33) |
113 (45) |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 68 (20) |
69 (21) |
70 (21) |
75 (24) |
76 (24) |
82 (28) |
87 (31) |
88 (31) |
86 (30) |
81 (27) |
74 (23) |
68 (20) |
77 (25) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 45 (7) |
48 (9) |
50 (10) |
53 (12) |
55 (13) |
59 (15) |
62 (17) |
63 (17) |
61 (16) |
56 (13) |
48 (9) |
44 (7) |
54 (12) |
Record low °F (°C) | 27 (−3) |
30 (−1) |
32 (0) |
37 (3) |
39 (4) |
39 (4) |
46 (8) |
46 (8) |
44 (7) |
40 (4) |
31 (−1) |
25 (−4) |
25 (−4) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.94 (100) |
4.46 (113) |
3.91 (99) |
1.01 (26) |
0.39 (9.9) |
0.09 (2.3) |
0.02 (0.51) |
0.17 (4.3) |
0.32 (8.1) |
0.59 (15) |
1.36 (35) |
2.21 (56) |
18.47 (469) |
Source: [59][60] |
In popular culture
With its wide variety of scenes and close proximity to
Some sites within the park that have appeared in media include:
- The Searchers (1956). The scene includes Ethan Edwards (John Wayne) cornering his niece Debbie (Natalie Wood) in one of the caves with the apparent intent of killing her. The craggy site of an old quarry, a tunnel in this canyon was also used as the entrance to the Batcave in the 1960s Batman television series, and in numerous other shows. The natural "cave" walls are preserved by the many layers of paint used to make them look like rock.[citation needed]
- The Griffith Observatory, which sits atop the southern slope of Mount Hollywood, was featured prominently in the classic Rebel Without a Cause (1955). A bronze bust of the film's star James Dean is on the grounds just outside the dome. Other movies filmed here include The Terminator (1984), Disney's The Rocketeer (1991), Stephen Sommer's film Van Helsing (2004), Yes Man (2008), and La La Land (2016). The area of the park around the Observatory also appears as a location in the role-playing video game Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines (2004), which is set in Los Angeles. Griffith Park and Griffith Observatory are significant in the Star Trek: Voyager episode "Future's End" (originally aired November 6, 1996). The crew are thrown into the past and Griffith Observatory discovers Voyager. The tunnel was also used in the 1960s spy television series Mission: Impossible.
- The Griffith Park Carousel, opened in 1929 was the carousel that inspired Disneyland. Walt sat on one of the benches around the Carousel, and while watching his kids dreamed up Disneyland. The Carousel is still open, and enriched with history.
- Films:
- D.W. Griffith (no relation to the eponym of Griffith Park) filmed the battle scenes for his epic The Birth of a Nation in the park in 1915, as Lillian Gish detailed in her memoirs, The Movies, Mr. Griffith, and Me.[citation needed]
- It was used for the road scenes in Sunset Boulevard (1950).
- The climactic scenes of War of the Colossal Beast (1958) were shot at Griffith Observatory.
- Flareup (1969), starring Raquel Welch. [citation needed]
- The Travel Town Museum's Griffith Park & Southern Railroad appears in the miniature train scene in The Parallax View (1974).
- The tunnel was used as the entrance to the NORAD complex in WarGames (1983).
- It was used as a location in the first two Back to the Future movies. In the first movie (released in 1985) it was used for Marty McFly's starting point when accelerating to 88 mph (142 km/h) in the film's climax, and in the second movie (released in 1989) it was used for the "River Road Tunnel" scene when Marty was trying to get the almanac back from Biff Tannen.
- The tunnel was also featured in a scene in Throw Momma from the Train (1987).
- The same tunnel was used as the entrance to Toontown in Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988).
- The park was also featured in the Robert Altman movie Short Cuts (1993).
- Roads within the park were used to stand in for Pacific coastal roads in The Majestic (2001).
- The area around the observatory is used extensively in La La Land(2016).
- Music:
- The park was the location for Adam Lambert's music video for his single, "If I Had You".
- Griffith Park was the location used in Ellie Goulding's music video "Guns and Horses".
- The silver Trans Am in the Simple Plan music video for Untitled (How Could This Happen to Me?) is seen driving out of the tunnel just before the head-on crash.
- Television: Full House
Gallery
-
Welcome sign at Griffith Park's northeast entrance
-
Griffith Park (south side) with the Downtown LA skyline in the background
-
Sunset at Griffith Park, with a view of west Los Angeles.
-
Toyon Canyon Landfill, with San Fernando Valley to the north
-
Pote Field, on Crystal Springs Drive
-
Light Festival, 2009
-
Golfers at Wilson & Harding Course in Griffith Park (2013)
-
Railroad Museum
-
View of Hollywood from Griffith Observatory, Dec. 2010
-
Hikers climb the summit of Bee Rock in Griffith Park, Los Angeles.
-
1934 map with Griffith Park Aerodrome
-
Lonesome Pine/Wisdom Tree on Burbank Peak
See also
- Hollywood Cricket Club
- Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments in Hollywood, Los Feliz and Griffith Park
- List of parks in Los Angeles
Similar large municipal parks elsewhere
- Republic of China)
- Royal National City Park, Stockholm, Sweden
- Stanley Park, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Notes
- ^ "P" for puma, another name for mountain lion, and "22" as he is the 22nd of his species which has been tracked by National Park Service rangers.
References
- ISBN 978-1-68051-267-0. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
- ^ Multiple sources:
- Hyperakt (March 10, 2018). "On the Grid: Griffith Park". On the Grid.
- "Best Family-Fun Activities At Griffith Park". June 28, 2017.
- "Griffith Observatory & Griffith Park Los Angeles". www.travelonline.com. Archived from the original on May 7, 2019. Retrieved November 30, 2017.
- ^ "Griffith Park's Vision Plan". Friends of Griffith Park. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
- ^ A Vision for Griffith Park (PDF) (Report). City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks. January 8, 2014.
- ^ "Griffith Park". Archived from the original on July 28, 2016. Retrieved December 2, 2010.
- ^ "The 150 Largest City Parks" (PDF). The Trust for Public Land.
- ^ Griffith Park Archived January 15, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Gift To Los Angeles: Capitalist G. J. Griffith Donates as a Christmas Present a Magnificent Park Site". Vol. 81, no. 17. Los Angeles Herald. December 17, 1896. p. 3. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
- ^ "Death Summons Noble Woman", Los Angeles Sunday Times, November 13, 1904
- ^ Morrison, Patt (May 3, 2022). "Griffith Park is named for a guy who shot his wife — and other true stories of L.A. parks". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 7, 2022.
- ^ "Extension of Guard Airfield at Griffith Park Held Illegal". The Los Angeles Times. November 10, 1939. p. 38. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
- ^ Los Angeles City Archives, Piper Tech, Minutes of Meeting of Board of Playground and Recreation Commissioners, Monday, December 18, 1944
- ^ Los Angeles City Ordinance 90638
- ^ Quitclaim deed, Sherman Company, City of Los Angeles 2049 (Sherman Library and Gardens)
- ^ Campa, Andrew J. (April 28, 2023). "Griffith Park's little-known history as a prison camp for Japanese, German, Italian immigrants". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
- ^ a b Masumoto, Marie. "Griffith Park" Densho Encyclopedia. Retrieved 13 Jun 2014.
- ISBN 0-446-67237-8.
- ^ "The Fire of '33" Archived December 2, 2019, at the Wayback Machine, Glendale News-Press, October 1–4, 1993. Accessed May 8, 2007.
- ^ A Holocaust Strikes the Hollywood Hills Archived August 12, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, Otto Firgens, Los Angeles City Fire Department
- ^ "Amir's Garden - Since 1971". Amirsgarden.org. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
- ^ "Amir's Garden- Visiting (1306) – Huell Howser Archives at Chapman University". October 16, 2005.
- ^ a b "City to repair fire damage in Griffith Park" Ashraf Khalil, Los Angeles Times May 11, 2007
- ^ "Fire Forces Griffith Park Evacuations" Archived May 10, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, KNBC.com, 11:27 pm PDT May 8, 2007
- ^ "Hugh Hefner Saves The Hollywood Sign". Beverly Hills Courier. Retrieved June 3, 2010.
- ^ It's Official: Griffith Park Grows by More than 100 Acres with Addition of Cahuenga Peak Archived May 10, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. LAist (June 18, 2010). Retrieved on August 25, 2013.
- ^ "Griffith Park". City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation & Parks. Archived from the original on July 22, 2016. Retrieved March 10, 2016.
- ^ Tremaine, Julie (October 14, 2020). "The story behind the California attraction that inspired Disneyland". SFGate. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
- ^ Lewis, Randy (July 21, 2014). "George Harrison Memorial Tree killed ... by beetles; replanting due". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ Lewis, Randy (February 20, 2015). "George Harrison tree -- killed by beetles -- to be replanted Feb. 25". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ Bob Pool (October 8, 2013). "Discontent brewing under the Hollywood sign". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 13, 2013.
- ^ Bob Pool (October 9, 2013). "Hollywood sign tourists, sightseers annoy local residents". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ Walker, Alissa (November 21, 2014). "Why People Keep Trying to Erase the Hollywood Sign From Google Maps". Gizmodo. Retrieved November 21, 2014.
- ^ "Renee Sintenis, Standing Bear, Los Angeles". Public Art in Los Angeles and Southern California. Archived from the original on September 23, 2022. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
- ^ François, Emmanuelle (March 2, 2018). "The woman behind the Bär". Exberliner. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
- ^ Sahagun, Louis (September 12, 2014). "Plans to add baseball fields to Griffith Park may draw legal challenge". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ "Big Field Expected for Bell-Jeff Invitational". Los Angeles Times. September 30, 1989. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
- ^ "Griffith Park Pony Rides Historical Marker". www.hmdb.org. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
- ^ Scauzillo, Steve (December 22, 2022). "End of era: Children take last pony rides as city closes Griffith Park favorite". Daily News. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
- ^ Scauzillo, Steve (January 8, 2023). "Historic structures at Griffith Park pony ride may hamper city's plans". Daily News. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
- ^ Historic-Cultural Monument Application for the Griffith Park (PDF) (Report). Cultural Heritage Commission. October 30, 2008. CASE NO.: CHC-2008-2724-HCM.
- ^ Lopez, Steve (November 10, 2022). "A hike to L.A.'s Wisdom Tree calms post-election nerves. And the view is perfect". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
- ^ "The Easy Hollywood Sign Hike (Directions & Parking)". HikingGuy.com. March 31, 2015. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
- ^ hollywoodsign.org
- ^ "Griffith Park groups lose legal battle over pathway to see Hollywood sign". Los Angeles Times. March 22, 2018. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
- ^ "Griffith Park Trail Map" (PDF). www.laparks.org. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
- National Geographic, December 2013.
- National Geographic
- ^ "LA's Mountain Lion Is A Solitary Cat With A Knack For Travel". NPR. April 19, 2015. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
- ^ Nijhuis, Michelle (April 20, 2015). "The Mountain Lions of Los Angeles". The New Yorker.
- ^ Hymon, Steve; Sciaudone, Christiana (April 29, 2004). "A Mountain Lion Far From Home". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 18, 2022.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
- ^ Kim, Dakota (March 2, 2023). "Go bird watching with an urban ecologist and learn about L.A.'s predators of the sky". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
- Southern Pacific rattlesnake[is] found in Griffith Park -- a place where humans, dogs and rattlesnakes share the trails.
- ^ Wolfe, Chris; Habeshian, Sareen (January 26, 2022). "Actor Travis Van Winkle warns hikers after his dog was attacked by coyotes at Griffith Park". KTLA. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
- ^ Carey, Matthew (June 18, 2017). "LA park rangers warn visitors: Stop feeding the coyotes!". Los Angeles Daily News. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
- ^ Wagner, Tara Lynn (October 25, 2021). "In the face of a huge climate crisis, can micro forests be the answer?". spectrumnews1.com. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
- S2CID 129401303. Retrieved August 18, 2018.
- ^ "Griffith Park, CA Monthly Weather". Retrieved February 23, 2021.
- ^ "Zipcode 90027". Retrieved March 24, 2021.
- ^ Rode, Erin (January 26, 2024). "There's a secret mystery forest in the middle of this big city park". SFGATE. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
- ^ "Top Film Locations for 2011". Los Angeles Times. December 15, 2011. Archived from the original on December 15, 2011.
External links
- Los Angeles Department of Recreation & Parks: Griffith Park
- Griffith Park History
- Los Angeles Fire Department Historical Archive The Griffith Park Fire
- Griffith Park Aerodrome
- Griffith Observatory
- Photograph of the Griffith Park Fire of May 2007
- Updated crime report from Griffith Park
- Unveiling of original statue "Spirit of the C. C. C" by John Palo-Kangas in Griffith Park on the day President Roosevelt, Los Angeles, 1935, Los Angeles Times Photographic Archive (Collection 1429). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.
- Image of Zoly Cubias and friend along Fern Dell stream in Griffith Park, Los Angeles, 1988. Los Angeles Times Photographic Archive (Collection 1429). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.