Wilacre Park

My first Unilocal review, yay!
I noticed a lot of people have beef with Fryman, and I don’t understand why.
If you want a harder hike with better views, you have a ton of other options, all close by!
I grew up fairly close to fryman, so I like it a little more than other people. Also, I like it for what it is. A good, not too difficult and not too long hike. There’s no amazing beach views, but it gets the job done of being close by and a decent exercise.
Sadly I don’t live near Fryman anymore, but I come here when I visit my parents all the time.
Also, since when is it called Wilacre Park? To me it was always «Fryman.»

I loved this park. The hiking was so easy. And it takes us through a beautiful opulent neighborhood around Studio City. I will def go back with my pup. :-)

Really nice trail tucked up and behind some great Studio City neighborhoods. Parking lot has a fast turnover, so don’t be thwarted.
My only qualm was even on a weekday the trail was heavily populated with a lot of loud chatty industry types.

I hike all over this city and this one is just A-​OK because it’s not the most scenic and the trails are so wide that it’s also not very challenging. We also call it just ‘Fryman’ or ‘Fryman Canyon’.
The good parts are that it’s so well monitored so you won’t find a lot of trash or neglect. It’s also very popular and last I was there (summer) they FINALLY got rid of their weird parking fee system which demands cash or ends in a steep ticket. They also close right on the hour and give another steep ticket if you’re not out. So, obviously I haven’t had great luck here either.
I’d go if I’m in a hurry because it’s close, but only in the winter or spring, because it’s mostly desert terrain with a lot of people. I prefer more green, less people.

Love hiking this place. 7yrs of routine and never get bored. Air feel very crisp and clean especially the day after rain. The whole course takes less than an hour. Good place to walk/​hike. Nice cardio ;)

So, I went to this trail just last Saturday with a friend, and I’ve got to say that it lived up to my expectations of a good trail in the San Fernando Valley. I’m going to preface this review by saying that I don’t normally find hikes challenging, so I didn’t prepare myself too much, except to wear shorts and running shoes I don’t mind getting dirty. Now, to delve into the minutia.
I didnt know for sure what to expect of the parking near the trailhead, but it was kind of what I expected for a weekend: crammed all the way around the block. My first clue was the string of cars parked along Laurel Canyon near Fryman Canyon as I was going south. Fortunately, with some finesse, I managed to find parking by the second loop around the parking lot. Otherwise, I might have had to wait 10 – 15 minutes. This was the biggest issue for me, as finding the location was quite easy, especially if one follows the other reviews here like I did.
The trail itself was awesome, especially since it winded upward with a whole bunch of switchbacks. There were enough people to make the trail feel alive, but not too crowded. In the future, I might go running there or maybe even take my dog. It’s got just the right vibe and space that you can really do anything without feeling out of place.
One of the coolest things for me was that this trail had an exit about 2 – 2.5 miles in at Coldwater Canyon & Mulholland, which allowed me to explore another trail I had heard about, but hadn’t tried yet: Franklin Canyon. If you haven’t checked that one out, I’d suggest researching that place and taking a friend (or even an active date) over there to mix things up.
Once I came back from my exploratory rendezvous (which took approximately 1.5 hours for the Bettie B. Dealing Trail and about 1 hour for the Franklin Canyon sidetrack), it was the early afternoon and the parking lot was empty.
Overall, it was an awesome, chill experience, and definitely worth doing again.

It’s so nice here. There are no city views, only valley. I must say though, it’s a nice change of pace. It is challenging. If you up your pace to a medium fast walk, you are going to breath, and sweat. I like it. Never too crowded, and ample parking, both on the street, and in a private lot. Bring water, or at least a bottle. It gets hot in the sun-​soaked valley!

I love this hiking trail, it’s build to take the whole family including (men’s best friend) it is conveniently located in the valley… They have two ways to be able to go the easy way or the hard way

I absolutely loooooove this hike! It’s super doable for all fitness types, trail is wide, so there’s no one to really slow you down, and it ends (or starts — up to you) in a residential area with some gorgeous homes.
Parking is free, I’ve never had a problem with the parking lot, people are always coming in and out!

Great little hike. It is about 3 miles and the first part is uphill. Very nice and quiet. Lots of dogs but thankfully not piles of poo. Parking is easy, only $ 3.

My favorite go-​to hike in the area!
4 stars for convenience — right down the street, and parking is free now! Usually not horribly overwhelmed and busy (relatively speaking), except for weekend mornings.
3.5 stars for overall ambience. Nice view of the Valley and distant mountaintops (you can see all the snow on the San Bernardinos in the winter), pleasantly shaded areas throughout (making it doable even in the middle of summer), and most of the dog owners actually keep their dogs on a leash and don’t let them run and bite people and crap all over the entire path like most LA dog owners (yes, I have issues, but legitimately so).
3 stars for the «hike» aspect of this. Not really crazy of a workout, and most of it is paved or very easy going; a bit of an incline but not too impressive. I usually have to wander around quite a bit on the side paths to make it more of a workout. Running shoes are just fine, no need for hiking or trail running shoes.
At the end of the trail in Iredell Lane, there is a path on the right leading uphill that is paved with woodchips. It is a another trail in and of itself with its own little surprise that I will leave you to find out.
Like someone else mentioned below, there is also another side trail leading up to the main trail from one of the cul-​de-​sacs down below. I haven’t explored that path yet, but it is on my to-​do list. You can also wander around the Tree People park to explore a little more too.
Also, during the day be prepared to see several LARGE rattlesnakes sunning themselves on the path. They are not at all scared of humans or dogs and they mean business.
There is a girl who does the path often who walks her several dogs and pet goat. Bonus points for goat sighting.

I love this hike. Not too long and relatively easy. The first part has a bit of an incline, but your body acclimates pretty quickly. About halfway through the walk there is a water fountain so you can refill your water bottle!
It’s a beautiful hike. Nice views of the valley, lots of spots of shade. Near the water fountain is a path up to a building which is the Tree People, a non-​profit environmental group. But hey — they have bathrooms up there! So if you need to go…
The hike is halfway uphill, then the rest is all downhill (literally). The end of the hike takes you through a neighborhood, so you’ll be walking on asphalt for a bit.
I really like it here. Last time I went, I didn’t see anything about $ 3 to park in the lot, but I might have just missed it.
What I DIDN’T miss was the LA Fitness people waiting in the lot to get people to sign up for their gym.

Better than Runyon. Yeah I said it. Fryman Canyon has slowly become one of my favorite hikes.
Parking — FREE in the lot or street. The lot isn’t that big so it fills up quickly.
Hike — the loop is 3 miles. I try to do it twice for a total of 6 miles. If you start the hike entering through the park, you’ll immediately be hit with a steep incline. The first .5 mile is like this. Hang in there, it’s the hardest part. After that it’s a gradual incline for another mile before the decline. The last mile (all downhill) of the hike is through a residential area. I’ve seen people start through the residential area and finish declining down the steep hill. Whatever your body prefers.
Beautiful views all around. WAY less crowded than Runyon. A lot less pretentious too. You see people who are actually there to workout not to be seen. Ironically I’ve had more celeb spottings here than at Runyon. Dogs are allowed but they need to remain on leash. I love this place so please stay away!

One of the best places for hiking in Los Angeles. You have plenty of parking around the park. If you are a person who loves being nature you will be in for a real treat. You have views from the San Fernando Valley on one side and views from the downtown to the Century City.
This place pet friendly with a lot people hiking or running with their dogs. You are surrounded in the heart of Studio City south of Ventura Blvd. This place is not as busy as running canyon. If you are tired of hiking at the same places you will enjoy the trails here. Hands down one of the nicest places to hike in LA.

When first trying to find this hike on Unilocal I confused this with Franklin Canyon. I’ve always know this hike as Fryman, it’s the nickname that most people call it. This hike it located on the corner of Laurel Canyon and Fryman.
I have been hiking here for over 15 years. I like it because it’s pretty easy going, has some nice scenery, it’s dog friendly and it’s never really deserted. Some days it gets lonely hiking all by myself and I enjoy seeing other people. There will never be a day here you won’t see people. I have hiked in over 100 degree weather or in the rain and there is always someone up there.
I feel like this hike is challenging, but mostly in the beginning where it starts off with a big hill. However it’s not the hardest hike and if you are an advanced hiker this will be a pretty easy hike. But hey, you could always run it for a real challenge.
Secondly, I like that it’s dog friendly. There are four different spots for dogs to get water. I like that because they know the pups get thirsty too.
Thirdly, I like the views, which are very pretty. There are views where you can see all over the valley. Also as I mentioned before this hike gets busy so I don’t get that bored. It gives me time to people and dog watch when I’m in the mood. I enjoy hiking with other people but I don’t get that opportunity all the time.
Also there aren’t too many trails to choose from compared to other hikes.
They have parking in the lot for free! That is a new thing, it used to be $ 4 to park in the lot. However on a weekends that lot will be full so you can also park on Laurel Canyon before Fryman. On busy days you might have to park in the neighborhood before the park. There is no parking up Fryman and you have to had a permit to park on those streets or you will get a ticket.
Dogs are welcome but unfortunately have to be on a leash. And the bathroom isn’t too clean last time I used it there. I would rather pee in a bush, so bring toilet paper if you have a weak bladder!

A small and manageable city hike from Studio City to Beverly Hills (towards Tree People in Coldwater Canyon).
I took a leisurely stroll through the trail and it took me two hours round trip. I imagine it would be much faster if you would speed walk or go trail running. The trail starts at an incline, but not difficult at all.
It’s free parking in the lot now, so that’s great that you no longer have to find parking in the residential area. A great alternative to Runyon Canyon since I imagine parking is easier here.
At around 7 am, I found myself alone on the trail. At around 9 am, it started getting crowded with many families taking their children on this popular hike. I recommend a hike as early as possible for a quieter and peaceful experience.
The views of the Valley are incredible during the hike and also the views from the Tree People managed area of the trail is amazing with all the greenery in view from the mountain.
It’s not a loop and the trail ends in a residential area where you’ll have to walk back through the same trail.

Wilacre Park aka «Fryman Canyon» is my go-​to spot for a nice brief hike with my dog. My biggest suggestion is arriving before 8AM if you want to avoid paying the small parking lot fee. The round about hike takes about 45 minutes and is perfect solo or in a group. What I love is this place isn’t super crowded and is very dog friendly. They have a few doggie bag dispensers and mid-​hike (near Tree People) there is a water bowl area.
The initial incline is the best, and perhaps I’m out of shape, but my calves and booty feel the burn. You will find people of all ages here, and at different fitness levels.

Fryman Canyon, Betty B. Dearing Trail, Wilacre Park, Dearing Mountain Trail Loop– this place goes by a number of different names; it’s the P. Diddy of hiking trails.
This is a short 3-​mile loop located in the Hollywood Hills. This location is named after the former land owner and silent film star Will Acres and I’m sure he would be thrilled with the mash-​up moniker.
I consider this a not-​quite-​a-​work-​out hike. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great place to jog or take a causal stroll, I’m just more interested in locations that have further distances and steeper elevation gains.
What I do like about this location is that it does have some nice shaded areas with some scenic vista points and benches. It also provides access to the TreePeoples’ Coldwater Canyon pavilion. They are a tree planting volunteer group. They have some interesting environmental-​type of stations on display.
The trail is 2.7 miles long. You can complete a 3 mile loop if you walk 0.7 miles down the residential streets. At the end of the trail you will encounter a cul-​de-​sac at the end of Iredell Lane. You can walk along the street in order to return to the trailhead.
I have read that there is another trail that starts where Iredell Ln dead-​ends. There’s apparently a path that forks off the street which heads southeast. On the path there is a trapeze swing and a small creek. It ends on Mulholland, right at an overlook point.
Leashed dogs are allowed on the trail. It unfortunately costs $ 3 to park and there are no bathrooms. There’s free parking and a bathroom at TreePeople’s pavilion, at the north fork of Coldwater & Mulholland.

This does not make the list for favorite hikes. I was a little bit disappointed. I don’t think it is worth doing unless you live you local.
Total from start to finish it was 4.25 miles, keeping in mind that this one does not loop around. A few others were running/​jogging and I think this is a good option for this hike because the incline didn’t seem too steep.
This might be a great one to take kids on especially because:
There is a cool little park half way through the hike. The park area is dedicated to teaching about water conservation etc. It has a couple cool posters with fun facts, I did not get a chance to read them.
There really is not much else to say about this one.

This is a great hike and a refreshing break from Runyon Canyon. The park is well cared for, has parking for $ 3.00 in a lot or on the surrounding streets (be sure to check signs!) and all dogs are kept on a leash.
The views aren’t as great as some other trails, but the ease of the hike after the initial uphill climb is great and it’s easy to get to from both the valley and mid-​city.