Comments (0) Best Middle-Earth in L.A. - 2011
Beaudry Loop
There's something mystical about Glendale. It's a landlocked otherworld whose invisible defense shield of dullness masks its hidden transcendence. The shield repels tourists, gentrifiers and all but the bravest and most intuitive of hipsters — which brings us to the Beaudry Loop hike. If you're sick of dodging doggie doo in Runyon, if you're weary of the mellow-harshing freeway views from the Atwater side of Griffith Park, if jogging the well-trodden sands around Silver Lake Reservoir no longer enlivens your heart, we invite you to venture to the northernmost tip of Glendale to tread the quiet majesty of Beaudry Loop. The beginning is unremarkable. Then you'll reach a crossroads — take the right fork. As you amble deeper and deeper into the mountain terrain, you'll notice you're surrounded by Topanga-esque canyon views, wildflowers cascading along the hillsides, majestic oaks providing verdant shade. You'll run into maybe one or two fellow hobbits adventurous enough to penetrate this far into the depths of the misty mountain. It's so serene, you may want to dig a hole in the mountainside and build a hobbit house of your own. 3110 Beaudry Terrace, Glendale.
—Caroline Ryder
