4 Eastside hiking spots to find peace and green space — because we need it right now

Living in a fast-paced city can wear you down — especially during a time of heightened tension for immigrant communities. That’s why this Labor Day weekend is a chance to slow down, reconnect and find joy in the simple act of being outside.

Nothing quiets the mind faster than a dirt trail, towering sycamores, and the earthy scent of sagebrush in the air. Just 10 minutes in nature can lower stress, ease anxiety and boost your mood and focus, studies show.

We mapped out some of our favorite Eastside green spaces to help you connect with Mother Earth. (Tip: Go in the early morning or evening to beat the heat!)

Ernest E. Debs Regional Park

This expansive Northeast L.A. gem offers 282 acres of urban wilderness, including hiking trails, stunning city views and a peaceful fish and turtle-filled pond known as Peanut Lake. Meditate on a bench along the pond or sit on the nearby “secret” wooden swing.

Accessible by foot from Rose Hill Park in El Sereno, Hermon Park in Hermon and Sycamore Grove Park in Highland Park, Debs is the Eastside’s version of Griffith Park. The parking lot off Monterey Road in El Sereno is surrounded by a large park with picnic tables and grills for weekend revelry and large mature trees are perfect for yoga, reading and dog walking. Don’t let your dog off leash as Debs is home to lots of coyotes and bobcats. A mountain lion even called it home once!

The Audubon Center at Debs Park, located off Griffin Avenue in Montecito Heights, restores habitat and hosts nature-based programming like gear swaps, outdoor movie nights and guided bird walks. Check out Theodore Payne’s newly opened Los Nogales Nursery next door for all your California native plant needs.

Elephant Hill Open Space

Nestled in northwest El Sereno is this rugged 110-acre open space with panoramic views extending from the San Gabriel Mountains to Catalina Island. The site, originally called “Ochuunga” (Place of the Wild Rose), holds cultural and spiritual significance for local Indigenous communities.

For over 20 years, the community-led Save Elephant Hill has opposed luxury developments, unauthorized off-roading and illegal dumping at what’s considered Northeast L.A.’s largest remaining open space. Once abundant with native black walnut trees, sagebrush, and toyon, the area now faces challenges due to fragmented land ownership and environmental neglect that community members say reflects long-standing patterns of environmental racism. After a lengthy land battle that birthed the Northeast Hillsides Zone Ordinance, the city secured 20 acres of the hillside and sold five to the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA) which recently started construction on a long awaited public trail expected to open in October.

Working alongside community groups Heroes of Elephant Hill, Coyotl + Macehualli and Chief Ya’anna Learning Village, Save Elephant Hill continues restoration efforts, educational walking tours, and immersive community art events through its native habitat project, Test Plot.

Ascot Hills Park

Home to the city’s largest micro forest, this Northeast L.A. gem opened in 2006 and features 93 acres of hiking trails, 360° city views, a shaded amphitheater, a newly restored natural stream and a native plant nursery. The impressive micro forest designed by Katherine Pakradouni features 850 native trees and plants grown entirely from locally-sourced seeds and was made possible by Grown in LA, North East Trees and Loyola Marymount University.

The micro forest isn’t the only draw. Steep hills provide a killer workout, shaded picnic benches offer a nice place to read and annual community events like the Earth Day Kite Festival and Ascot Hills 5K are a perfect place to gather with friends.

Flat Top Park

Located atop a hillside bordering Lincoln Heights and Montecito Heights, Flat Top is a popular destination for locals to watch sunsets and take in sweeping city views. 

Unusually flat and wide, the hilltop is featured on Tierra’s 1980 “City Nights” album cover and in the 1993 cult classic “Blood In, Blood Out.” Despite Spider’s dream of building a “righteous pad” on Flat Top, local activists have opposed proposed developments in a city where concerns over land use enforcement persist.

Like Elephant Hill, this hillside is fragmented by a mix of private landowners and nonprofits like North East Trees, which spearheads invasive species removal, native tree plantings and conservation efforts on portions of Flat Top. The longtime environmental justice organization recently secured the land as a protected park space, partnering with the Gabrieleno San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians, the original caretakers of the land who will once again use it for ceremonial purposes.

Editor’s note: This story was updated on Aug. 31, 2025, to reflect that Flat Top scenic view has become a public parkland.