If you’re anything like us, you’re feeling cooped up and ready for some socially distanced outings in nature to keep from going crazy. Here in Los Angeles some naturey areas (hiking trails, parks, beaches, etc) are starting to open up and as long as you follow the guidelines regarding distancing, wearing masks and parking, you can enjoy all kinds of kid-friendly spots while keeping your sanity intact. Here are a few of of the places that we’ve enjoyed visiting recently or are on our list to check out soon. You’ll notice we didn’t include any of the beaches, mostly because they seem to be very hit or miss in terms of crowds (although Christianne had good luck with Malibu over the holiday weekend and I’m hoping to make it back to Santa Clause Beach soon). You’ll still want to double check all of these spots before you set off on any adventures as policies and guidelines are changing a mile a minute and to make sure you and your family are comfortable.

Parks and Gardens:

Kenneth Hahn State Park: Christianne and I have both ventured here at different times and found it to be a great spot for an outdoor adventure. I went on a weekday during lunch time and Christianne was there on a weekend and while there were definitely a good number of people around, it is so large and spread out that it’s not hard to keep your distance. Take a walk around the lake, let your littles run across the bridges over the creek or bring a blanket and spread out on one of the many shady, green spaces.

Vasquez Rocks Natural Area: Located in the high desert just outside of Los Angeles, this park feels like you’re in a totally different state (or on a different planet even). 932 acres of rock formations, many of which you’ll recognize from TV shows like “Star Trek,” make for an amazing adventure for kids (and adults) of all ages. Here’s my big tip: park outside of the park (we parked right outside the front gate) and then follow the trail in. We spent over an hour climbing rocks, spotting lizard, chasing butterflies and exploring before we even made it to the main parking lot. And we didn’t pass a single person on our way. This one is a low stress and high entertainment value destination.

Rancho Sierra Vista: We ventured out here to the Newbury Park area a few weeks ago right after the trails reopened and it was a highlight of our quarantine so far. When we were there, the parking lots were closed so we parked a little ways out and then hiked in. Since cars weren’t allowed in you had free reign of the road which allowed for amble space for meandering with a toddler, biking, scooting, etc. We walked the mile-ish to the main parking area, explored one of the paths and then headed back but there were miles and miles of trails that we didn’t make it to.

Lake Balboa: Grab your scooter or bike and head to this Valley hot spot for a few hours of activity. The lake is full of swans and ducks to entertain the littlest of kiddos and when the trees are in bloom there’s a beautiful canopy of pink flowers for everyone to enjoy.

LA Brea Tar Pits: We visited the tar pits on a weekday afternoon and it wasn’t very crowded. There is construction going on at the LACMA so some access is limited but it’s an easy mid-city option for some serious outdoor time. Kids can run around the Lake Pit, explore the grounds, search for prehistoric animal statues and track fossil footprints.

LA River Bike Path : This east side bike path is the perfect way to explore both the scenic and industrial parts of the city. Bring a scooter for the kids and check out some of the food and coffee pick-up options around Frog Town.

Explore the LA “Slow Streets”: Have you heard about this new initiative? Neighborhoods are allowed to apply to temporarily barricade stretches of residential streets to allow for safer social distancing while walking/scooting/biking. Currently three neighborhoods have “slower streets” (West LA/Sawtelle, Marlowe Vista and PicFair Village) but more are expected to pop up soon.

Stoneview Nature Center: Located in the Blair Hills neighborhood in Culver City, this cute little park is a family favorite. The nature center opened up in 2017 so it’s still a bit of a hidden gem (see our full review here) and mostly frequented by people from the area. The actual nature center building is closed but you can stroll around the gardens and you don’t have to worry about little kids accidentally running into the road as it’s a self contained park. If you have older kids you can hop on the Park to Playa trail here which covers ten miles and will eventually reach all the way to the beach. There are other access points to the Park to Playa Trail including Ballona Creek Bike Path, the Culver City Park, Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook and Kenneth Hahn State Park.

Descanso Gardens: I’m a huge fan of Descanso Gardens in La Canada just outside of LA and look forward to their holiday light show every year. I’m so happy some of the local gardens are opening up because they are fantastic options for a short trips out and have very strict policies about how many people are allowed to enter so you don’t need to worry about driving all the way there and then being overwhelmed by crowds. Tickets are released for purchase weekly on Tuesdays at 10:00am for non-members. Advanced tickets are required and they can be hard to come by, so try to book on Tuesday if you can.

LA Arboretum: Another great garden option in Arcadia that, like Descanso, requires advanced tickets which can be purchased online. They offer seven different entrance times each day they are open and tickets are currently available through June. If you visit the arboretum make sure to keep your eyes peeled for the peacocks wandering around the property!

South Coast Botanic Garden: For anyone wanting to explore in the OC, check out the Botanic Garden in Palos Verdes. Tickets are available online through June 30.

Farms:

Underwood Family Farms: We all know and love Underwood and lucky for us they are open again for produce picking. Keep in mind all play structures and rides are closed, but you can still make a fun day out of it. $5.00 admission (weekends included). Children UNDER 2 are free. Produce picked is an additional charge

Tanaka Farms: This Irvine farm has been around since 1940 and I personally can’t wait to visit! They are currently offering strawberry picking and drive-through produce pickup. You must register for strawberry picking before you go and only a few days are offered at a time so make sure to check back frequently.

Cherry Hill Farms: Located in Leona Valley around an hour outside of Los Angeles, this farm offers cherry picking ($6/pound) as well as honey and handmade soaps for purchase. They are cash only and provide updates regarding hours and specific driving directions on their facebook account.

Car adventures:

Mission Tiki Drive-In Movie Theater: For anyone missing out on seeing movies, this could be your perfect outing! Movies start around 8:20pm, often with a kid-friendly pic first followed by a second more “adult” movie. Fun fact: we took our daughter here to see “Baby Driver” when she was a teeny baby so we could enjoy a movie out.

Drive by the purple Jacaranda trees: Any Jacaranda tree fans out there? I personally love them and feel lucky to have a few on my block. Check out this map for the location of all Jacarandas in Los Angeles so you can make it a purple tree tunnel adventure.

Go for a scenic drive: Take a drive up the PCH and enjoy the ocean or drive across the city in record time just because you can! We love a good drive, especially if it lines up with nap time. Here’s a really great list of the top 7 scenic drives in Los Angeles from Time Out that we definitely plan to follow.

Explore LA Movie locations: I’m a huge movie buff and I love a good drive around the city, so this is the perfect activity for me. Check out this map for the most recognizable locations or go to IMDB and search for shooting locations from your favorite shows. As major “Buffy the Vampire” fans we’re planning on stopping by the high school in Torrance for a couple photos and an excuse to get out the house.

Explore LA Street Art: Recently we hit up the California Dreaming wall on La Cienega and had the entire spot to ourselves. Follow this map for all of the cool street art murals in LA and stage your own photoshoots.

Food Adventures

Pick up a baking/cookie kit: Follow this list from Time Out of all restaurants and bakeries offering take out baking and cookie kits. What better time to eat your feelings than now, you feel me?

Platform Park and Take Out: Platform is one of our favorite local spots, from playing in the little park to fast casual food at Loqui and long boozy lunched at Margot. So I’ve been loving their new pick-up system. You can either park and go in, stop by the park and grab take-out or you can place an order online and drive through the parking garage for pick up. They offer a lot of pop-ups so make sure to check out their website. I got pick-up donuts a few weeks ago and dropped them off for friends.

Car picnics and take out: Now that more restaurants are offering curbside pickup, find your favorite spot, grab some food and make an adventure of it. Eat in the car, take if to the park or just use it as an excuse to get out of the house for a bit and then bring it back.

If you have any other great recommendations please leave them in the comments!

Happy adventuring!

- Callie