How to Spend 6 Hours in Los Angeles: Griffith Observatory and Fern Dell
Updated October 3, 2026
Six hours is the right amount for Griffith Park. Ride a small city bus up to the observatory, look out over the basin and the Hollywood Sign, then hike down through chaparral to the ferns and stream of Fern Dell.
Griffith Park covers more than 4,200 acres, and the city calls it one of the largest municipal parks with urban wilderness in the United States. Its observatory is free to enter and looks over the whole basin. A DASH bus climbs from Vermont/Sunset station to the front lawn, so you can save your legs for the walk down. Trails drop through dry chaparral into Fern Dell, a shaded canyon of ferns, sycamores and a small stream. A rustic cafe at the bottom serves coffee and pie. The observatory building is closed on Mondays and opens only at midday on other weekdays, so a weekend morning gives you the most time.
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The 6 hour plan, stop by stop
Stops and travel: 2 hr 39 min to 4 hr 14 min of 6 hours
Paid for by a bequest from Griffith J. Griffith, the art deco observatory opened in 1935, and admission has been free ever since. Its twelve inch Zeiss telescope has been looked through by more people than any other telescope on Earth, according to the observatory. Inside are a Foucault pendulum, a Tesla coil and exhibits on the planets. Outside, terraces look over the basin to the ocean and up to the Hollywood Sign. A bust of James Dean recalls the scenes from Rebel Without a Cause filmed here.
Tip: Planetarium shows in the domed theater are the one thing that costs money, and tickets are sold only at the observatory for that day's shows, so buy yours as soon as you arrive.
- Time here
- 1 hr 30 min to 2 hr 30 min
- Website
- griffithobservatory.org
NaviTime to head out from Griffith Observatory, Los Angeles for Fern Dell, Griffith Park. It's a 22 minute walk if you leave now. Here's the link
This shady canyon on Griffith Park's western edge was long a gathering place for the Tongva people. Today, more than 50 kinds of fern grow among tropical plants along its winding stream, according to the city parks department, and rustic stone bridges cross the water. The path follows the trickle beneath the trees, staying cool on hot days. It connects to trails that climb toward the observatory, making it an easy finish to the walk down.
Tip: Stay on the lower path beside the stream, where the ferns grow thickest and the small stone bridges give the closest views of the water.
- Time here
- 25 to 45 min
- Website
- laparks.org
NaviTime to head out from Fern Dell, Griffith Park for The Trails Cafe, Griffith Park. It's a 2 minute walk if you leave now. Here's the link
This tiny wooden cafe sits beside the trail at the bottom of Fern Dell, with picnic tables under the trees. It is a favorite of hikers for coffee, fresh pies, sandwiches and vegan treats, ordered from a window and eaten outdoors. Weekend mornings bring a line of runners and dog walkers. The cafe keeps daytime hours only, so check hours before you go if you are counting on lunch here. From the cafe, walk south on Fern Dell Drive and Western Avenue, about a kilometer and a half, to Hollywood/Western station on the B Line.
Tip: Pick a slice of the fruit pie and a coffee and take the picnic table nearest the stream, where the shade lingers longest in the afternoon.
- Time here
- 20 to 35 min
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