Griffith Park

Griffith Park was donated to the city of Los Angeles by a guy named Griffith J Griffith in 1896. I know, the name sounds like an evil cartoon billionaire. He had set it up as an ostrich farm before that because ostrich feathers were a money maker back then. It was called Rancho Los Feliz before Griffith J Griffith owned it and was supposedly haunted by the curse of Petranilla who was cut out of a will. Might still be cursed, who knows. If you see a white robed woman at night walking through the park – especially on a rainy night – that’s Petranilla. Ask her if she’s still haunting the park and let us know. By 1903 Griffith J Griffith was drinking 2 quarts of whiskey a day and, paranoid that his Catholic wife was conspiring with the Pope to poison him, shot her eye out. She lived and he got 2 years for “Alcoholic shooting.” That has nothing to do with trails, but pretty freaking interesting, right?

There are over 53 miles of trails throughout Griffith Park and it’s a wild, dusty mess. We here at A Run In The Park have created videos (and maps) of 20 different routes, covering all 53 miles, but sliced up into 2 to 19 mile sections. We think it’s awesome.