Baxter's Not Bashful!
Go on an Urban Stairway Walk in Echo Park
Step up your cardio routine with a climb up the steepest stairway in LA. Baxter Stairs in Echo Park will have you huffing and puffing for 231 concrete steps, delivering a heart-pumping workout with gorgeous views of the city’s icons: a western panorama of Echo Park, Silver Lake and Los Feliz along with the Hollywood Sign and Griffith Observatory.
When you reach Park Drive at the top, cross the street to admire the downtown LA skyline.
Continue your urban hike by walking northeast on Park Drive to reach the Elysian Park Trail entrance. Make a right on this 2.3-mile, low-key loop, a quiet beauty despite the surrounding urban landscape. The trail meanders through a rugged woody area with glimpses of skyscrapers through the trees.
Once you reach Academy Road, make a sharp left onto Elysian Park Drive, a wider paved road that passes by the Chavez Ravine Arboretum, a serene grassy stretch covered in over 100 varieties of trees from around the world, some dating back to 1893. Make a left after Grace E. Simons Lodge to get back on the dirt path.
Be sure to stop by Marian Harlow Memorial Grove, a sanctuary of succulents and native plantings diligently tended by garden volunteers. When you finish the loop, retrace your steps to descend Baxter Stairs. Watch your step!
Brunch Bonus: Replenish at Lady Byrd Cafe (2100 Echo Park Ave.), offering a nice selection of eggy dishes, crisp salads, and fresh juices which you can enjoy in a rustic garden patio decorated with whimsical floating parasols.
Free street parking is available on Echo Park Ave. by the cafe. Walk up Baxter St. east three and a half blocks to find the staircase.
Story and photos by Yvonne Pasquini, @yvonne_pasquini
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