This morning I headed over to
Ernest E. Debs Regional Park for a
3.5 mile run with the pup. It was already hot at 7am, and I was reminded that
this run doesn't offer much in the way of shade. Nonetheless, it's one of my
favorite local trail runs.
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| A hiker along the trail at Debs Park. |
In a Nutshell
A great park for trail running with numerous
options to do different loops, adding to/shortening your run. Trails are a hilly mix of fire roads and singletrack. Views of the San Gabriel
Mountains and Downtown LA.
- Trail surface: packed dirt, tiny bit of pavement along the top ridge
- Bathrooms/water: at the main parking lot off of Monterey Road, the Debs Park Audubon Center (open Tues-Sat 9am to 5pm, fantastic facility
& programs), and Hermon Park off Via Marisol.
- Dogs: Must be leashed.
My Route
There are three main entrances to Debs Park,
but my favorite is from Hermon Park. From here, you get to do the main uphill
part of your run first. I parked at Hermon Park near the tennis courts and
crossed Via Marisol right next to the entrance to Hermon Park. Directly across
the street from the entrance is a dirt fire road. At first glance, it looks
like it’s gated off. But if you look closely, you’ll see a singletrack trail
heading off to the left that goes around the gate, dropping you onto the dirt
road.
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| Downtown LA |
From here, I headed up the hill and around three bends to a narrower unmarked
turn off on the left. After about 50 yards, the trail makes another left turn, narrowing further to singletrack and switchbacking uphill. This part is steep, but levels off as
it approaches the top. After a short level section, the trail rejoins the fire
road and I turned left, crossing over the paved access road and heading downhill on the dirt road. The fire road rounds another bend, ascending again
and I crested the hill with a great view of downtown LA opening up in front of
me.
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| Hidden Lake |
At the next intersection, I left the fire road once again and took the VERY
STEEP dirt trail off to the left. This part is really more hiking than running.
The trail does level out and descends slightly, rejoining the paved access road. I
turned right onto the pavement and continued until I reached the
hidden lake. This is one of the hidden treasures of Debs Park. I paused here a moment to enjoy the shade and the cooler air before taking
the unmarked singletrack trail just to the left of the lake. It’s pretty tricky
to spot it, but it’s just beyond the sign saying no swimming or boating
in the lake.
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| Views of San Gabriel Mountains |
I blasted down this part of the trail to the park-like area with benches, taking a left
toward the stairs and parking lot. I skirted the parking lot on the left,
staying under the shade of the pines until I reached the paved access road once
again. Turning left, I followed it for a few yards and then turned right onto a
side trail. From here, I headed roughly north along the singletrack. This is a
beautiful rolling section that eventually meets back up with the access road.
Instead of going back the same way I came, I stuck to the fire road and
descended back to Via Marisol.
If You Go
Debs Park offers an experience of what the basin looked like
before it became the megalopolis it is today. According to the Audubon Center at Debs Park: “
More than half of the park is covered in walnut-oak woodland, grassland,
and coastal sage scrub, a remnant of the native habitats that once rimmed the
Los Angeles Basin.” And nature lovers, keep your eyes peeled for birds. Audubon
has recorded over 140 species of birds at the park!
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