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Ernest E. Debs Regional Park Reviews

Submitted by Emily on 08/27/2021

Emily 4 stars rating.

Overall Rating

A pleasant experience - even for solo hikers like myself!

Came here on a Tuesday and arrived at 11:37 am.

Set directions to "Ernest E. Debs Regional Park, 4235 Monterey Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90032" via Google maps which took me directly to the (FREE) open-gated entrance of the park. This led me up to a large parking lot area that has PLENTY of parking spots. Warning: LOTS of speed bumps upon entry--be prepared!

I live in West LA so by the time I arrived (a bit TMI but) I had to PEE! To be honest, I absolutely dread using public park bathrooms (unfortunately I am one of those people) but when your bladder is going to burst... you just gotta go. I am happy to report that the women's bathroom as of 8/24/21 - 2 stalls with toilet paper and 1 sink was pleasantly CLEAN! So if you're a bathroom shy person like me, don't worry about the restrooms here-- use it if you must! Hopefully it stays that way and we all do our part in keeping it clean (:

LOTS of picnic table seating area in the parking area for families, meeting up with friends, resting and relaxing. I even saw some BBQ areas too! I would say at least 10+ people were here when I arrived!

The Hike
Having this be my first time here, I decided to start my hike at the large "Ernest E. Debs Regional Park" sign. Right by this sign is a cement paved path that literally goes uphill. I would say in 0.4 miles it leads you to a pond area to your left. The pond had turtles in them, a few benches to sit on, and some people were fishing!

I wasn't sure where to go from the pond so I went back onto the cement trail that later branched into several paved dirt trails. I followed a couple in front of me in turning left which led me to the beautiful views of DTLA. From the parking lot to this DTLA view, it was ~0.6 miles according to my Apple Watch. Feeling as if this hike was far too short, I decided to continue exploring and chose a random dirt trail to continue walking. I ended up walking around in a loop and got ~2.5 miles in!

The reason I subtracted a star and ranked 4/5 is because unfortunately this park does not have any signs to direct you. The views are nice but I wish there was just some guidance. If it wasn't for my Apple Watch, I would have had no idea how many steps I took nor how far I walked. Regarding the Visitor Center--I have no idea where that was and did not happen to see it at all.

Overall, nice views! Love the spacious parking, the large picnic table seating area by the parking lot, and the availability of public restrooms. There was just not really any shade on the trail nor any signage or guidance on where to hike. I wouldn't mind returning, though! If you are in the area, I do recommend checking it out! I can only imagine the sunrise and sunset views being gorgeous!!

Do You Know Ernest E. Debs Regional Park? Write a Review

Abe Achkinazi 5 stars rating.

LA’s backyard. Nice neighborhood park with clean trails not too hard hills and killer views of Los Angeles skyline. If you go in the Spring tons of green, yellow wild black mustard. Not a lot of shade so bring water and sunblock.

Submitted by Abe Achkinazi on 04/10/2022

Lynne Tran- The Tran Team 5 stars rating.

Easy hike with a serene pond filled with turtles and fish at the top and a gorgeous view of DTLA, San Gabriel Valley and beyond…

Submitted by Lynne Tran- The Tran Team on 04/10/2022

Richard Nichols 5 stars rating.

Beautiful hiking areas with 360 view of the entire San Gabriel valley, mt Wilson, Mt baldy, downtown & lots more ! A shady pond is home to dozens of turtles , plus BBQ and picnic areas with ample parking. A hidden LA gem !

Submitted by Richard Nichols on 03/23/2022

Yü Wu 5 stars rating.

A sizable hillside park in Northwest LA with great views and multiple trails for a good hike or trail run. The hills are steeper than I expected but yeah the views at the top is definitely worth it.

There are multiple trailheads and access points to the park so you can enter the park from both Arroyo Seco and Huntington Dr. The best views and trails are in the north half of the park, which is steeper too. In the south half, there is a big picnic and recreational area with public restrooms onsite, by the parking lot in the middle of the park.

Submitted by Yü Wu on 03/03/2022

James Jordan 5 stars rating.

Great vies of the city as you make your way up. When you get to the top there are trails and sitting areas. You can see Mt Wilson and if you turn around the pacific ocean. At the top there is a added surprise of a little man made lake.

Submitted by James Jordan on 02/06/2022

Alma Jaber 5 stars rating.

My kids and I love to hike. I saw this place on a tik tok, and I thought it was a cool place for the kids to experience. There's a park and hiking trails all around. We hiked up to the lake where we saw a bunch of turtles and then hiked down to a swing. My kids and I enjoyed our day, and we will often be visiting.

Submitted by Alma Jaber on 01/18/2022

Claudia Diaz 5 stars rating.

Not a crowded area to hike. View points everywhere and a little pond at the top. Kid friendly hike.

Submitted by Claudia Diaz on 12/24/2021

Chris A 4 stars rating.

a little heaven in the city. it's not far from most of LA. lots og trails for different energy levels. cool view of down town and there's a little pond at the top. alot of traffic of in that area but lots of benches to chill on

Submitted by Chris A on 11/14/2021

khemarakseima Renee 5 stars rating.

It's like a surprise treasure which appears before your eyes when you get to the top of the hill. A small lake called Debs Lake that surrounded with tall trees and full with clear water and lots of turtle. It's a perfect spot for a picnic or relaxing. I definitely recommend this place if you want to get away from crowded and busy lifestyle but just don't want to drive too far

Submitted by Khemarakseima Renee on 08/19/2021