Dixie Canyon

Nestled up a quiet canyon in Sherman Oaks is a small [20 acre] city park called Dixie Canyon Park. The hike is a very short one [about a mile total] but it's very pleasant and almost all in the shade. If you get there at the right time [I was there around noon one day] you'll see no one.

Stairs at the beginning.

After a few yards the trail is overgrown - and green. It's green because there is a small creek from a natural spring that runs down the canyon.

The trail splits two ways near a small bridge. I went right. The trail loops back around to the bridge. This spot is near the top as the trail circles around. You can see the trail through the branches to the left and then right along the tree to the right.

  

This is the one section of the trail that has a view. There are side trails that are rather steep that go higher but they are not the main trail. Although apparently one leads to a fire road. But they are not well marked.

As noted, this trail has a lot of shade. This is on the way back down toward the bridge crossing.

The trail is steep in parts and has some tricky footing every so often. But it's not too tough since overall it's less than a mile loop. 

For this nice respite from city life we have Warren Beatty to thank; in 1986 he donated the land over to a Nature Conservancy to prevent it from being developed. The area was apparently also a mess years ago and has since been cleaned up. 

Short but sweet. 

Distance: 1 mile
Time: 20 minutes hiking