Runyon Canyon
Runyon Canyon is a park in the city of Los Angeles near the Santa Monica Mountains. It’s between 130 and 160 acres, and is a former residential property that was acquired by the city in 1984 and turned into a city park.
The property has an interesting history. The area was originally a campground used by some of the local native American tribes before, in 1867, George Caralambo was given the land by a major in the army, even though he didn’t own it himself, to build stables to house camels that had been purchased by the United States, and were handled and trained by Caralambo. Eventually, after changing his last name to Allen, he left, and a series of owners took over after that. Carman Runyon, for whom the part was named, was a coal magnate who used the property mainly for hunting.
Many of the owners of the property used to rent out parts of the property to celebrities who either were shooting movies or just wanted to get away for a little while. This has led many people to believe that many of these celebrities actually owned the property at some time. The last somewhat celebrity owner of this property was Jules Berman, known as the man who brought Kahlua to the United States.
Runyon Canyon is known for three things. The one with both the least and biggest impact is probably being a dog park, where, because there is no leash law, owners can bring their dogs and let them run wild, even though they do have to pick up after their dogs. Of all the acres of the park, around 90 acres are freely accessible to dogs and their owners.
The second thing it’s known for is for its walking and hiking trails. There are three ways to enter the Canyon, and depending on how one enters will determine whether they’re on a regular walking path or a steep walkway. Some paths lead to the canyon’s highest point, which offers a 360-degree view of the area.
And that’s the third thing it’s known for, the views and the wildlife.
Most people don’t think of Los Angeles and wildlife, but there is wildlife, including coyote, deer, owls, hawks, and as assortment of birds.
For the views, on clear days the Pacific Ocean and Catalina Island can be seen. Sunset Strip can also be seen as well as Wilshire Boulevard, Hollywood Boulevard, the Griffith Observatory, and the famous Hollywood sign.