The trails, the flora, the views, the howls of coyotes down the canyons at night, the twinkly lights of Downtown in the distance: L.A. may not have a grassy, centralized park, but Griffith’s 4,000 acres of hilly wilderness make for a stellar alternative. And even when the Griffith Observatory is closed (on Mondays), you can still drive or hike up to the grounds of the landmark art deco dome to take in the unparalleled views.

Griffith Park is over 5 times bigger than NY’s Central Park. With hikes, zoos, museums, beer (!), trains, ponies, golf, a carousel and lots more (all costing very little or nothing at all). Don't miss the first accessible playground on the west coast, Shane's Inspiration has set the bar for how much fun kiddos of all abilities can have when given the chance to play together.

It’s easy to forget that you’re in the middle of the city when visiting Griffith Park due to its calm surroundings. Situated in Los Feliz – a 10-minute drive from Hollywood – the park is the largest historic landmark in the city of Los Angeles & one of the largest municipal parks in North America covering 4,511 acres. Hike along the 53-mile (85km) network of trails, fire roads and bridle paths that feature rugged hills, but beware of the rattlesnakes and foxes as it’s a wilderness area.

One of the USA’s largest urban green spaces, Griffith Park is home to an expansive network of view-blessed hillside hiking trails. The Mount Hollywood trail rewards those willing to sweat with snapshots of the Hollywood sign. Don’t miss Griffith Observatory: its popular rooftop viewing platform gives you an impressive bird’s-eye view of LA, but you can also look skywards at the planetarium, using the free public telescopes to see the stars – a surefire way to put your stresses into perspective.

Five times the size of New York’s Central Park and home to the Griffith Observatory, Greek Theatre and Autry Museum, Los Angeles' communal backyard covers over 4300 acres of land, with over 50 miles of hiking trails. It's where you'll find the LA Zoo, quaint train museum Travel Town and the richly festooned, 1926-vintage Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round, frequented by Walt Disney and his young daughters and the reputed inspiration for his future Anaheim theme park.