On a game night in Los Angeles, 10-year-old Boomtown Brewery in the Arts District can host 500 fans just five minutes walking distance from the Dodger Stadium shuttle at Union Station.
With the Dodgers hosting its archrival San Francisco Giants over the weekend, one might expect the cavernous brew hall with giant projection screens to be packed with revelers.
But ever since Tuesday, the only long line was the stretch of unused parking meters that formed a perimeter around the brewery.
Now, instead of customers belting out their favorite songs at Friday karaoke, the establishment is shuttered while city officials prepare for a day of widespread protests against Trump administration policies Saturday.
The curfew covers most of Chinatown, Skid Row and the Fashion and Arts districts from the 5 Freeway to the 110 Freeway, and from the 10 Freeway to where the 110 and 5 freeways merge.
Along with area bars and restaurants, civic institutions and art organizations have also been affected. The Los Angeles Philharmonic’s Seoul Festival canceled its final performance on Tuesday and the Mark Taper Forum canceled productions of Hamlet on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Chris Dombos, left, and Sarah Carmean enjoy a beer and a bit of solitude at Boomtown Brewery in the Arts District on Wednesday. The brewery is located inside the curfew zone established by the city of Los Angeles.
Iconic Angels Flight, the over 100-year-old funicular cable car, is moving its final service from 10 p.m. to 8 p.m. until the curfew ends.
Inside Boomtown, marketing manager Nick Gingold was pleased to see a gathering of about 20 regulars who stopped by Wednesday at 6 p.m.
The brewery became aware of the curfew via social media and Mayor Bass’ televised announcement Tuesday, shortly after 4 p.m.
“I don’t think we actually received an official notice from the city, as far as I know,” Gingold said.
The mayor’s office did not respond to questions about whether it provided curfew notices.
The brewery amended its closing time to 7:30 p.m., meaning it shuttered two and a half hours early on Tuesday and Wednesday. That same early closing bell will cut the brewery operating time in half on Thursdays and leave only four and a half of the regularly-scheduled 11 hours for business on Fridays.
Gingold said the closure would sting Boomtown but didn’t want to speculate on revenue losses.
Boomtown is not alone in changing its hours.
Angel City Brewery, also located in the Arts District, has amended its normal 4 p.m. to midnight weeknight schedule. The brewery posted on Instagram that it was closing Wednesday and Thursday at 7 p.m. though it opened at 1 p.m. on Thursday.
Chinatown’s Melody Lounge went one step further, announcing on Instagram that it was temporarily closing its doors throughout the curfew’s duration.
“It’s been a rough few years for Los Angeles with the pandemic, the shutdown, film industry strikes and now this,” Gingold said. “Let me be clear, we support our Latino community throughout this time and stand with them.”
Boomtown posted on Instagram on Tuesday that the store promised to stay open “as long as it’s safe to do so” to serve as a meeting place for the community.
“We celebrate diversity and reject divisiveness. We celebrate immigrants and reject hate and we support our neighbors,” one post noted.
Chris Dombos, a special effects artist who lives in the Arts District, found his way into Boomtown, appreciative of the brewery’s solidarity.
“This is a time of rising fascism where a city like Los Angeles, built by immigrants, is under attack and needs allies,” said Dombos, 44, who has observed some of the protests.
Dombos, 44, described the curfew as a political stunt and called on the mayor’s office to investigate the “brutal tactics” by Los Angeles police officers. He said constant flyovers by authorities have been “terrorizing” the neighborhood.
Sarah Carmean, who enjoyed a light draft at Boomtown, lamented with service-industry employees missing tips or hours.
“These are the people who really lose out with the curfews,” she said. “They are dependent on that money to pay bills.”
Chef Genevieve Gergis, owner of acclaimed restaurants Bestia and Bavel in the Arts District, called the curfew “a broad and vague overreach” and criticized city leadership.
She said neither of her restaurants were anywhere near protests and she only heard of the curfew from television.
“The lack of guidance for small businesses and those who work in the area are being swept up in this blanket policy with no explanation or details,” she wrote in an email. “This sudden, unexplained action feels like it was enacted without any care or consideration.”
Mina Park, co-owner and chef at Baroo, the Los Angeles Times 2024 Restaurant of the Year, said she closed her modern Korean eatery on Wednesday in the wake of the curfew and was still trying to plan out what to do.
“We have a lot of cancellations and concerns because of the protests and the curfew,” she said. “It’s hard to run a business with this uncertainty.”
Park said she’ll likely have to throw out some fresh food, but also didn’t feel she could complain much.
“Having to close for a couple of days is nothing compared to what so many families are going through,” she said of the ICE raids. “It’s really hard to see what’s happening with the community.”
A warrant has been issued for the arrest of former NFL superstar Antonio Brown stemming from an altercation outside a celebrity kickboxing event last month in Miami.
Brown is charged with the first-degree felony of attempted second-degree murder with a firearm. A judge from the 11th Judicial Circuit in Miami-Dade County signed the warrant Wednesday.
The warrant, which has been viewed by The Times, states that once Brown is arrested, he will be held on a $10,000 bond before being released and under house arrest before a trial.
Just before midnight on May 16, the warrant states, Miami police were dispatched to a location on NE 67th St. in the Little Haiti neighborhood in response to a report of gunshots being fired in the area.
Brown had already been detained by off-duty Florida Highway Patrol officers serving as security for the amateur boxing event held in the area. One of those officers stated that “several patrons from the event identified Mr. Brown as the shooter and informed him that Mr. Brown was armed,” the warrant states.
After being patted down and deemed to be unarmed at that point, Brown was released “due to the absence of identified victims at the time.”
A Miami police review of surveillance camera footage revealed that an altercation between Brown and another man took place before the shooting. The footage showed Brown striking the man with a closed fist, and a fight that involved additional individuals ensued, the warrant states.
Security broke up the fight, according to the warrant, but Brown “appears to retrieve a black firearm from the right hip area” of one of the security staff members and ran with the gun out of the parking area in the direction that the man he was fighting with had gone.
The warrant states that “cell phone video obtained from social media” shows Brown advancing toward the other man with the gun in hand and captures “two shots which occur as Mr. Brown is within several feet” of the other man, who can be seen “ducking after the first shot is heard.”
In a May 21 interview with a police detective, the alleged victim identified Brown in the surveillance video and said they had known each other since 2022, the warrant states. He also indicated he possibly had been grazed in the neck by one of the bullets, was in fear for his life during the incident and went to a hospital afterward to treat his injuries.
Brown appeared to address the alleged incident in a May 17 post on X.
“I was jumped by multiple individuals who tried to steal my jewelry and cause physical harm to me,” Brown wrote. “Contrary to some video circulating, Police temporarily detained me until they received my side of the story and then released me. I WENT HOME THAT NIGHT AND WAS NOT ARRESTED. I will be talking to my legal council and attorneys on pressing charges on the individuals that jumped me.”
Brown posted on X several times on Friday, with none of those posts mentioning the arrest warrant. One seemed to indicate he’s not in the U.S. at the moment — it features a video of a grinning Brown riding a bike with the hashtag #lovefromthemiddleeast.
A seven-time Pro Bowl receiver, Brown played nine of his 12 NFL seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers and won a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers following the 2020 season. He made a bizarre, shirtless exit from the field during a regular-season game Jan. 2, 2022, and has not played since.
He has a history of legal troubles. In 2019, Brown was sued by a former trainer who said he sexually assaulted her multiple times. Brown denied the allegations. The lawsuit was settled out of court in 2021.
In 2020, Brown pleaded no contest to burglary and battery charges connected to an altercation with a moving company. He was ordered to serve two years of probation and 100 hours of community service, attend an anger management program and undergo psychological and psychiatric evaluation.
Brown was suspended for eight games in 2020 for multiple violations of the NFL’s personal conduct policy.
Also, in October 2023, the former star wide receiver was arrested for failing to pay child support.
The enormousness of “California,” as a territory and an ideology, is hard for any mind to contain. It’s beautiful. It’s complicated and divided and challenged. Among one of a thousand ways to define the Golden State: culinary juggernaut.
Our spectrum of influence — from chefs, farmers, impresarios and dreamers who reimagined restaurant cooking into something synced with the seasons and personal identity, to the capitalists who gave birth to fast food — has shaped and kept reshaping how Americans eat over the last century.
Los Angeles alone is boggling enough in its magnitudes for a critic to eat and think through. I’ve wandered a lot in my career, though. As the world emerged from the grip of COVID-19, a professional curiosity surfaced: What was happening in the rest of the state? What had remained and what was changing?
About This Guide
Our journalists independently visited every spot recommended in this guide. We do not accept free meals or experiences. What should we check out next? Send ideas to [email protected].
Inquisitiveness evolved into a fevered question: What restaurants altogether tell the richest, broadest story of dining in California right now?
The riddle can never be perfectly solved, and yet: This is a guide full of delicious answers.
A year of driving up and down the California coast — steering inland and back, watching winter mountains bloom green and then fade to brown again by late spring — unfolded in a blur of taquerias, tasting menus, strip malls, remote highways, tostadas, dumplings, nigiri, falafel, pho, kebabs … .
Moments crystallized. The triangles of buttery, corn-filled pasta that trumpeted high summer in a rustic dining room on a hilly corner of San Francisco’s Financial District. The new owner who revived a 91-year-old diner in downtown Sacramento with a burger she calls “Southern Daddy” and her calling-card sweet potato pie. The glamour-soaked San Diego dining room, all golds and greens and chiaroscuro lighting, that set a cinematic mood for an evening of modern Vietnamese cuisine.
Attempting a statewide survey stemmed organically from the 101 Best Restaurants in Los Angeles project that The Times has published annually since 2013. I’ve written or co-written six of them now. “Best” is a word for headline catnip that I live with but don’t love. “Essential” has always been more of a guiding precept for me. I want readers — you — to know about places for their incredible food, but I trust these very human endeavors also speak to something larger about dining and life in Los Angeles.
Seven years in, L.A. feels like my home home. The San Francisco Chronicle employed me nearly 20 years ago; the Bay Area is a mainstay in my adult life. I’ve never been keen on the “L.A. versus S.F.” tribalism. Isn’t it kind of staggering that this wild state, slightly smaller than Morocco and currently the fourth-largest economy on the planet, has two uniquely different and world-class urban hubs?
And there’s so much more of California to see and taste.
Too much, in fact, to fit into the usual framework. Yes, this is a list of 101 restaurants that serve many kinds of foods at every price tier. (I did leave off the three most famous tentpoles in California fine dining:Chez Panisse,Spago and the French Laundry. You know them. Go if they call to you.) Many of the entries put forth “extra helpings” — corresponding pillars of excellence that also deserve recognition. It’s the whole blessed state. There’s a lot to recommend.
These travels have likewise spurred fresh, deeper guides to popular destinations such asSan Francisco,San Diego and Palm Springs. More are coming.
No single person could filter through the infinite possibilities; gratitude goes to the many food-writing peers and some well-fed friends who gave me guidance at every major intersection.
I did not rank these restaurants. This isn’t about numerals or symbol ratings. It’s one glimpse into our cultures and diversities — into cuisines that uphold traditions, or disrupt with originality, or inhabit some fruitful middle ground. Any endeavor like this is an invitation to savor and to debate. I crisscrossed plenty of California. It still feels like a beginning.
Denis Bouanga had a goal and two assists, Eddie Segura scored his first goal since 2020 and LAFC extended its MLS unbeaten streak to nine games with a 3-1 win over Sporting Kansas City on Sunday night at BMO Stadium.
Bouanga converted from the penalty spot in the 59th to give LAFC (7-4-5), which had 56% possession and outshot Kansas City 21-5, a 2-1 lead.
Dejan Joveljic scored a goal for the fourth consecutive game when he ran onto a through ball played ahead by Manu García, and scored from near the penalty spot to make it 1-0 in the 39th minute.
The 25-year-old Joveljic, who scored 15 goals and had six assists last season, is tied for third in MLS with 10 goals this season, including five in the past four games.
Segura slipped a header — off a corner kick played into the center of the area by Bouanga — inside the back post in first-half stoppage time to make it 1-1 at halftime.
Olivier Giroud capped the scoring in the third minute of stoppage time, the 38-year-old’s second consecutive game with a goal.
John Pulskamp had four saves for Kansas City (4-9-4).
Yankees supporters are accustomed to Dodger Stadium being hostile ground, but being hit by a chunk of concrete falling from the stadium ceiling is beyond what fans steel themselves to encounter.
That is indeed what one Yankees fan says happened to him at Friday’s Dodgers-Yankees game.
Ricardo Aquino of Mexico City told the Athletic via a translator that a piece of the ceiling hit him in the back while he was seated in the top deck of the stadium during the third inning of the game. A photo showed the piece to be roughly the size of a baseball.
Aquino said he was in pain but applied an ice pack and soldiered on through the rest of the game, which the Dodgers ultimately won, 8-5, the news outlet reported.
A day later, a piece of concrete netting was installed in the area of the ceiling in the Section 10 reserve where the incident was reported, The Times confirmed.
“We had professionals and experts at Dodger Stadium this past weekend to examine the facility and ensure its safety,” Dodgers spokesperson Ally Salvage told The Times. “We will also be undertaking a longer-term review.”
Dodger Stadium, which opened in 1962, is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium west of the Mississippi and the third oldest in the nation, after Fenway Park in Boston and Wrigley Field in Chicago — both of which have also experienced issues with aging concrete.
In July 2004, there were three reports of chunks of concrete tumbling from the upper deck at Wrigley Field, prompting the Chicago Cubs to install protective netting and review stadium infrastructure, according to the Associated Press.
A major $100-million renovation project was completed at Dodger Stadium before the 2020 season. It included a new center field plaza with food and entertainment areas, more elevators and new bridges allowing fans to walk the entire perimeter of the stadium from any level inside the venue.
More renovations were completed in advance of this year’s season, this time focused on upgrading the clubhouse.
Flash floods triggered by heavy rains have devastated a central Nigerian state, killing at least 150 people and displacing thousands since Thursday, and rescue workers say the toll could rise.
Search and rescue operations are ongoing as roads have been damaged and homes destroyed while bodies are believed to have been swept down the Niger River.
Here is what to know about the floods and how prone Nigeria is to such events.
What areas in Nigeria are flooding?
Flash floods hit Mokwa, a market town located in Nigeria’s north-central Niger State. It followed intense rainfall that began about 3am (02:00 GMT) on Thursday, according to the Nigerian Red Cross Society.
Mokwa is a key meeting and transit point for traders from the south and food growers in the north. It is about 350km (217 miles) by road east of Nigeria’s capital, Abuja. Mokwa has an estimated population of 400,000 while Niger is the country’s fourth largest state by size, covering more area than Belgium or Switzerland.
How many people have died?
More than 150 people have been confirmed killed while rescue teams continue to recover bodies and search for missing people.
The actual death toll is likely higher as many victims are believed to have been swept down the Niger River, Al Jazeera’s Ahmed Idris said, reporting from Mokwa.
“The usual thing is when an official tells you 151 are dead or missing, you are likely to multiply that by two, three or four,” he said.
At least 3,018 people have been displaced, 265 houses destroyed and two bridges washed away in the floods, according to Ibrahim Audu Husseini, a spokesman for the Niger State Emergency Management Agency.
Of those injured, 121 were in hospital, and more than 100 people were missing, Gideon Adamu, head of the Red Cross in Niger State, told the AFP news agency on Saturday.
“We can’t give up the search as long as there are families crying out,” Adamu said.
Farida Auwalu, the lone survivor from a family of 16, lost seven children in the deluge. The bodies of four of Farida’s children have been found and buried.
“My hope is to see the remaining bodies and give them a decent burial and have closure,” she told Al Jazeera.
What caused the flooding in Nigeria?
Experts said the frequency and severity of floods in Nigeria have increased due to climate change, unregulated construction and poor drainage infrastructure.
Mokwa residents also believe the flooding was caused by “a bigger problem upstream, maybe a dam burst, but up to now, officials are not confirming that”, Idris said. Niger State has three major dams – Kainji, Jebba and Shiroro – while a fourth is under construction.
Despite flood risks being identified, there has been a lack of political will to implement the solutions for them, according to Ugonna Nkwunonwo, a flood risk analyst at the University of Nigeria. “The amount of rain you expect in a year could probably come in one or two months, and people are not prepared for that kind of rainfall,” he told Al Jazeera.
Many areas in the country lack proper drainage systems, and existing ones are often clogged with waste, causing water to accumulate on the streets during heavy rains. Additionally, rapid urban development without proper planning has led to the construction of buildings in flood-prone areas, reducing the land’s natural ability to absorb water. Deforestation for agriculture and development further reduces the land’s capacity to soak up rainfall, increasing the flow of water over the land.
Local leaders and residents are calling for state and federal authorities to intervene with long-term support and infrastructure to rebuild their communities and protect them from flooding.
“Warnings have been put out by authorities for people exposed or communities living along river banks to move to higher ground, especially when the rains start to peak, but every year, we continue to see more and more lives and property damaged because of rainfall,” Idris said.
How are authorities responding?
Emergency services – including the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, the Nigerian Red Cross and local volunteers – are engaged in search and rescue operations.
President Bola Tinubu has also ordered an emergency response, including the provision of aid and temporary shelter.
“Search-and-rescue operations are ongoing, and all relevant federal agencies have been mobilised to support the state government’s efforts,” Tinubu wrote in a social media post on Saturday.
However, damaged roads and bridges have complicated rescue and recovery efforts.
Some flood survivors are struggling to get basic aid. “No one brought any money or food to help the victims. As you can see, many don’t have a place to sleep,” Hassan Umar told Al Jazeera in Mokwa.
A key bridge that connects the northern and southwestern parts of the country collapsed, leaving motorists stranded and disrupting movement of vehicles across the region.
What was the most recent natural disaster in Nigeria?
In September, severe flooding in the northwestern city of Maiduguri in Borno State submerged two-thirds of the city, killed at least 30 people and displaced nearly half a million.
More than 200 inmates also escaped from a flood-damaged prison. The disaster was triggered by weeks of intense rainfall and the collapse of the Alau dam in northeastern Nigeria.
Across the country in 2024, flooding killed more than 1,200 people and displaced 1.2 million in at least 31 of 36 states, according to NEMA.
Which states in Nigeria are prone to flooding?
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency has warned of possible flash floods in 15 of Nigeria’s 36 states, including Niger, from Wednesday to Friday.
In the south, low-lying states like Bayelsa, Rivers and Delta in the Niger Delta region experience frequent flooding due to their coastal locations. In the north, Kogi, Benue and Borno states are also prone to floods because they are on major rivers.
The country’s rainy season typically begins in April to mid-May and lasts through October while August is the wettest month. Heavy rainfall during this period causes problems every year because it destroys infrastructure and is exacerbated by inadequate drainage.
Although flooding is common during Nigeria’s rainy season, now is not the peak of the rains, Idris said. “In some states, the rains have only been there for a month, and yet we’re seeing this.”
On long-haul flights, there is a tiny, and normally completely secret room that passengers are banned from entering, but one flight attendant has pulled back the curtain – literally
06:00, 24 May 2025Updated 10:22, 24 May 2025
On long haul aircraft the cabin crew have a rest area, but where is this secret space?(Image: Getty Images)
The next time you’re about to take a snooze on a long-haul flight, you are going to want to remember this secret area exists on the plane – as passengers are totally banned from entering it.
It isn’t just the passengers who need to get some rest while they fly across the world – the cabin crew also need to make sure they get some sleep as they work their seriously long shifts making sure all their customers are well watered, fed, and safely enjoying their trip.
But to the uninitiated, you might wonder where on earth the flight attendants manage to get any rest – as they are seemingly always working hard.
One air hostess revealed on her TikTok account that there is actually an entire secret area tucked away on long-haul flights for exactly this purpose, lifting the lid on the aviation industry’s best-kept secret.
In a viral TikTok video that has racked up over 1.3 million views, flight attendant Kaytee ( @gh.inthesky ) gives passengers a rare glimpse into the secret areas of the plane where cabin crew can catch some much-needed shut-eye. The clip shows Kaytee climbing into a compact, dimly lit space above the main cabin, entirely out of sight from passengers.
“This is where we sleep on long-haul flights,” she explains, showing off her allocated bunk. The bed is fully equipped with a thin mattress, bedding, and, of course, a safety belt to keep the crew secure in case of turbulence. Despite its confined dimensions, Kaytee describes the pod as surprisingly comfortable. “The turbulence actually rocks you to sleep, it’s like being in a cradle,” she says.
These hidden crew rest compartments are often compared to ‘coffin-like’ spaces due to their incredibly snug design but are a vital feature on long-haul aircraft.
They are typically located either above the main cabin, near the cockpit, or in compartments underneath the passenger seating area. Each bunk is also fitted with a privacy curtain, a pillow, and dim lighting to ensure the crew can get some well-deserved sleep during extended journeys.
Content cannot be displayed without consent
Reactions to Kaytee’s tour have been mixed, with some TikTok users fascinated by the behind-the-scenes look at airline operations. Others feel uneasy at the sight of such a compact space.
One commenter wrote: “What in the coffin is this?” while another jokingly added, “I’d need an escape plan before even getting in there!” Despite their claustrophobic appearance, these rest areas are essential for flight attendants who are working long shifts, which can often span 10 hours or more.
All airlines are required to provide designated sleeping quarters for crew members on long-haul flights to ensure they remain alert and refreshed throughout the journey.
Flight attendants are primarily responsible for passenger safety and comfort, so good sleep is vital!(Image: Getty Images)
For many passengers, the idea of crew members vanishing mid-flight has always been an unsolved mystery. But now, thanks to social media, we have an exclusive look into the secret world behind the curtain (literally and figuratively)!
HONOLULU — Environmentalists are challenging in court President Trump’s executive order that they say strips core protections from the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument and opens the area to harmful commercial fishing.
On the same day of last month’s proclamation allowing commercial fishing in the monument, Trump issued an order to boost the U.S. commercial fishing industry by peeling back regulations and opening up harvesting in previously protected areas.
The monument was created by President George W. Bush in 2009 and expanded by President Obama to nearly 500,000 square miles in the central Pacific Ocean.
A week after the April 17 proclamation, the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service sent a letter to fishing permit holders giving them a green light to fish commercially within the monument’s boundaries, even though a long-standing fishing ban remains on the books, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday in federal court in Honolulu.
The first longline fisher started fishing in the monument just three days after that letter, according to Earthjustice, which has been tracking vessel activity within the monument using Global Fishing Watch.
The Department of Justice declined to comment Friday.
The lawsuit noted that commercial longline fishing, an industrial method involving baited hooks from lines 60 miles or longer, will snag turtles, marine mammals or seabirds that are attracted to the bait or swim through the curtain of hooks.
“We will not stand by as the Trump administration unleashes highly destructive commercial fishing on some of the planet’s most pristine, biodiverse marine environments,” David Henkin, an Earthjustice attorney, said in a statement. “Piling lawlessness on top of lawlessness, the National Marine Fisheries Service chose to carry out President Trump’s illegal proclamation by issuing its own illegal directive, with no public input.”
Designating the area in the Pacific to the south and west of the Hawaiian Islands as a monument provided “needed protection to a wide variety of scientific and historical treasures in one of the most spectacular and unique ocean ecosystems on earth,” the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit added that allowing commercial fishing in the monument expansion harms the “cultural, spiritual, religious, subsistence, educational, recreational, and aesthetic interests” of a group of Native Hawaiian plaintiffs who are connected genealogically to the Indigenous people of the Pacific.
Johnston Atoll is the closest island in the monument to Hawaii, about 717 nautical miles west-southwest of the state.
When vacationing in Los Angeles, you can truly choose your own adventure.
Those in search of luxury can stay in a five-star hotel, sleeping on a plush bed, soaking in a deep bath tub and lounging on a balcony with sweeping mountain views. But, among the mountains that surround L.A., a different kind of luxury is within reach. There you can sleep above the clouds, swim in deep river pools and watch the sun set over the same mountains seen from those nearby hotel balconies. And often, it’s free.
L.A.’s proximity to public lands offers the unique opportunity to slip away for a weekend backpacking trip with ease. In the same day, you could savor breakfast tacos in Grand Central Market and fall asleep under the stars at your campsite. In fact, in under an hour’s drive, you can start a hike to one of around 20 backpacking sites in Angeles National Forest or the Santa Monica Mountains.
But it can be hard to know where to start. Backpacking, unlike camping, requires you to be entirely self-reliant. If you forget your toothbrush, there’s no 7-Eleven or camp store nearby to save you. It also means leaving behind certain luxuries, like a campground host to sell you firewood or the ability to pack every possible Trader Joe’s snack in your car. Everything you need must fit in your pack.
Not to worry, I’ve put together a comprehensive guide to becoming a competent — perhaps even expert — backpacker. It includes both a list of how to plan ahead to ensure you’re safe and ready, a curated list of backpacking sites near L.A. organized by the difficulty of the hike to reach them and how much “roughing it” each site requires.
I chose these spots, in part, because you don’t have to drive too far, they’re all first come, first served, the roads to reach them are paved and trails to reach each site are generally well-maintained. They’re also delightful hikes on their own, featuring wildflowers, native trees and loads of local birds and other critters. Each spot is isolated enough to make you feel like you’re outside the city without being so devoid of human life that it feels like you’re auditioning for the next season of “Naked and Afraid.”
Before diving in, though, let’s go over how to set yourself up for success when seeking sanctuary in our local mountains.
Unlike car camping, where you can pack every sweater, blanket and spoon you could imagine needing into your trunk, backpacking requires you to be selective. That is, unless you plan to carry 100 pounds of gear through the forest. What you will need to be self-sufficient will vary, and there are many great lists to guide you in what gear to bring, but I’ll run through the absolute necessities.
First, plan to bring enough calories to get you through your stay in the woods. It is generally recommended to pack between 1.5 to 2.5 pounds of food (2,500 to 4,500 calories) per day. (There’s a handy calculator here to determine your body weight, level of activity and amount of calories you’ll need.)
For the majority of the sites listed below, you will either need to bring your water or treat your water, for which there are several options. When it comes to the amount of water to bring, it will depend on the weather, your body’s preferences and the difficulty of the hike you’re taking to reach your campground. Some suggest one liter of water for every two hours you’ll hike, while others say it’s one liter of water for every five miles you’re traveling.
Campfires are not allowed on federal land in the Santa Monica Mountains. In Angeles National Forest, the fire danger level dictates when and what types of fire and fuel sources are allowed. As of this spring, the risk is “very high,” down from “extreme,” which means burning campfires in established fire pits and using most backpacking stoves is allowed. Before heading out, make sure you register for a California campfire permit, print it and have it on your person. It is required, regardless of wildfire risk.
Lastly, assume you won’t have cell service in Angeles National Forest or the Santa Monica Mountains, where the below campgrounds are located. You should fill out this form and share it with a friend, spouse or family member to ensure someone knows where you’re going. Also be sure to leave a copy on your vehicle’s window in case a rescue team needs to look for you. It’s important that you know where the closest fire or law enforcement station is to your campground — Angeles National Forest has a handful.
You should consider bringing a satellite communicator. Some newer model iPhones and Android devices can connect to satellites to send text messages. It’s best to test this while on a hike before planning to use it on a backpacking trip.
Getting there
Before heading out, check the weather and for road closures. Download your driving and hiking routes on your navigation apps. For example, Google Maps allows you to download a section of a map to use offline.
You should also bring a paper map. You can buy one at an outdoors outfitter or print one from a mapping site like CalTopo. I’ve downloaded a map from CalTopo and then printed it on waterproof paper at a FedEx office store. Having a physical map of the area will also allow you to see and navigate nearby trails, should you want to explore beyond your campsite.
(Marie Doazan for The Times)
For the seasoned car camper who’s backpacking-curious (beginner)
At each of these beginner-level backpacking sites, you will generally find water, either from a nearby stream or, in one spot, piped in. Their campsites feature picnic tables and have restrooms (including, in one case, flushing toilets!). The hikes to reach these two trail camps are short and, as a bonus, quite pleasant. You’ll likely spot wildflowers, including lupines and goldenrod, and you’ll be near trails to explore more, should you choose to venture out of your haven in the woods.
Cooper Canyon Trail Camp
The Cooper Canyon Trail Camp in Angeles National Forest.
(Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)
The Cooper Canyon Trail Camp is a backcountry group campground shaded by towering old pine trees. It has five sites and features vault toilets, campfire rings, klamath stoves and large picnic tables. And unlike most of the spots on this list, bear-proof boxes are available to store food and scented items.
There is no piped water. Campers can pack in water, or filter water from the seasonal stream that flows next to the campground. Just over a mile east of the campground, this stream meets up with Little Rock Creek, which flows about 17 miles from the San Gabriel Mountains to the Mojave Desert. Cold plunges are optional but highly encouraged.
The trail camp can be reached three main ways:
Starting at the Cloudburst Summit trailhead, taking the Pacific Crest Trail mostly downhill 2.5 miles northeast to the trail camp.
Starting at the Cloudburst Summit trailhead, taking the fire road 1.5 miles down to the trail camp.
Starting at the Burkhart trailhead from the day use parking lot on the eastern end of the Buckhorn Campground. You will hike 1.5 miles north on a downhill path and then turn west onto the Pacific Crest Trail (also a part of the Silver Moccasin Trail). You will travel one mile uphill, gaining about 540 feet in elevation, before reaching the trail camp. (This is the most challenging of the three routes.)
Because it sits along the Pacific Crest Trail, the campground is also used by thru-hikers, including those taking the entire trail from Mexico to Canada. Perhaps you’ll make a new friend!
While at the campground, you could take a side trip to Cooper Canyon falls, or continue exploring the Pacific Crest Trail. Or, simply hang up a hammock and sway to the sound of the stream, songbirds and the gentle swoosh of the wind through the trees. Cooper Canyon has long been a beloved place to spend nights outdoors.
“If there is a moon, the nights are like a sparkling fairyland, and if no moon, one may see a million stars which those in the cities never know,” outdoorsman Will Thrall wrote of the area in 1936 in his Times column, “Your Hike Today.”
L.A. and its surrounding area have substantially more light pollution almost 90 years later, but the skies above Cooper Canyon Trail Camp will still delight any overnight visitor.
Musch Trail Camp
Musch Trail Camp is a small but charming campground in Topanga State Park that recently reopened after being spared by the Palisades fire.
The 82-acre Trippet Ranch, as it is known today, was originally called “Rancho Las Lomas Celestiales” by its owner Cora Larimore Trippet, a founding member of the Hollywood Bowl and once a national officer in the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union, according to her obituary and the Valley Relics Museum. She was married to judge Oscar A. Trippet.
The Musch Trail Camp is a small but charming site in Topanga State Park.
(Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)
The property’s name translates to “Ranch of Heavenly Hills,” which still rings true today. You’ll hike the moderate Musch Trail from the Trippet Ranch parking lot of Topanga State Park, feasting your eyes on those aforementioned hills. In spring, the area will be dotted with wild blooms of sticky monkey flower, canyon sunflower and golden yarrow.
Unlike every other site on this list, Musch Trail Camp has flush toilets, sinks and potable water. What a luxury! The only caveat is, per a park staffer I spoke with, maintenance staff turns the water on when they know campers are coming. Before heading out, please call the Angeles District of California State Parks at (818) 880-0363 to ask them to have the water turned on.
On top of having potable water, it’s only a mile hike to reach this site. You’ll park in the Trippet Ranch lot in Topanga State Park and pay the parking fee ($10 per night). The trailhead is in the northeast corner of the lot near the small pond. Enjoy the lush flora along the way. Upon arrival, drop your camping fee ($7 per night) in the iron ranger.
While at the campground, I felt a bit like Snow White as I sat quietly observing quail, hummingbirds and moles, and heard something crunching on a leafy meal (probably a deer). Though this little nook in Topanga State Park is likely safe from evil queens.
(Marie Doazan for The Times)
Our intermediate sites are a bit farther to reach than the beginner options, and in one case, requires you to bring your own water. They both have picnic tables and tall shade trees where you can rest with a book or journal. They also both have vault toilets and, when I visited, were even stocked with toilet paper. Both allowed me alone time with nature that’s rare to find on L.A.’s more heavily trafficked urban trails. The surrounding hillsides and old trees were excellent company in themselves, and made me feel at peace. I hope you find a similar serenity on your travels!
Valley Forge Trail Camp
The Valley Forge Trail Camp is a refreshing refuge of mighty pines next to the pristine West Fork of the San Gabriel River. It has six group campsites with picnic tables and campfire rings, and has four well-maintained vault toilets. At night, it offers clear views of the starry sky.
One of a handful of sites at the Valley Forge Trail Camp in Angeles National Forest.
(Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)
It has all those things. But it does not have piped water. Campers will need to either bring their own or treat the water in the river (when flowing).
To reach the campground, you have the choice of two routes:
Parking at the Red Box Picnic Area and taking the Gabrielino National Recreation Trail about 2.4 miles down. This moderate hike follows the West Fork of the San Gabriel River and features large oak trees and other gorgeous native foliage.
Parking at Red Box Picnic Area and taking the Rincon Red Box Road, a fire road, about 3.2 miles down. On the way back, you’ll gain about 1,200 feet in elevation.
And as a bonus, because both routes start near the Red Box Picnic Area, you can take one up and one down if you’d like a change of scenery on the way back.
The campsite’s name is a reference to the Valley Forge Lodge, which operated in the area in the early 1900s. It was advertised as “the camp with real old Western hospitality” and featured dinner dances, badminton and trout fishing. Its guest list included celebrities like actor Lon Chaney, “the man of a thousand faces,” who in the summer of 1927 was among those lucky enough to catch trout.
The sunset from the trail to reach the Valley Forge Trail Camp.
(Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)
Even though the lodge is gone, its description in a 1937 advertisement holds true: “Cool and delightfully wooden location” with bubbling streams. These days the trout are few, but you’ll fall asleep listening to the nearby frogs and toads serenading the night from their river homes.
Sulphur Springs Trail Camp
Sulphur Springs Trail Camp sits at 5,300 feet in Angeles National Forest and features about six tent-camping sites. Just off the Pacific Crest Trail, its campsites are shaded by tall pine trees, ideal for hanging a hammock. It has vault toilets but no potable water or bear boxes.
Although the South Fork of Little Rock Creek runs through the campground, the water was, to use a scientific term, kind of gross. Portions of the creek appeared clear, but other parts were full of algae and made me question whether even filtering would make the water safe to drink.
There’s a faucet on the eastern end of the campground where water from the creek is piped, but upon my arrival, the trough where the water came out was covered in thick green algae. A sign next to it reads “Water not tested, Boil for 5 minutes before use.” Although there might be water available in late winter and early spring, I would not expect there to be much come summer. And even then, I will still plan to bring my own water.
The sites at Sulphur Springs Trail Camp in Angeles National Forest feature picnic tables and fire pits, along with tall pine and other native trees.
(Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)
To reach the campground, you’ll park at Three Points and cross the street to access the trailhead. There was a large tree blocking my view of the trailhead when I visited in early April, but upon squinting at my map, I found it. I hope it’s cleared when you go!
Sulphur Springs Trail Camp
You’ll take the Pacific Crest Trail about 3.6 miles to reach the trail camp. There are several boulders in the first mile of the hike, including one area where you can scramble about just under half a mile in. Be mindful of rattlesnakes, as it looks like the perfect spot for them to nap.
The trail seems to transverse through an ecotone, a transitional zone between plant communities, switching between high desert and pine forest ecosystems. You’ll pass through patches of manzanita and yucca and then forested parts with Coulter pines, all the while with a view of the valley below.
When I left the trail camp late in the day, the golden sun blanketed the tree-lined mountainsides. I was reminded of just how many shades of green can be seen when one takes time to explore — to escape — into the forest. It was a five-star experience.
(Marie Doazan for The Times)
For those seeking self-sufficiency — and a break from noisy neighbors (advanced)
The campsites below are the farthest hikes on the list, but both of the hikes to reach them are spectacular. One provides tremendous ocean views while the other is a stunning paved path through the dense forest. As a bonus, you can bike to the second site if bikepacking is something you’re into.
The only amenity both offer is a picnic table. One site does have a single vault toilet.
That said, these two sites are a true escape, and you’ll likely see wildlife like mule deer and hear the howls of coyotes.
La Jolla Walk-In Campsite
The La Jolla Walk-In Campsite is a small campground in dense chaparral in Point Mugu State Park in the Santa Monica Mountains. It has three small sites featuring a picnic table with a metal box attached for food and scented items. There is a seasonal stream, but it’s often dry. Campers should plan to pack water in. There are no fires allowed and unfortunately dogs are not invited to join. It costs just $10 per night, a fee campers prepay at the La Jolla/Ray Miller parking area.
The campground is half a mile off the Backbone Trail in the Santa Monica Mountains, offering an overnight option for those wanting to tackle more of the iconic trail than can be accomplished in a day.
You can reach the campground by parking at the lot off Highway 1. Although it’s possible to leave your car outside the park for a day hike, parking isn’t allowed on the shoulder daily from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
The campsites at La Jolla Walk-In Campsite are rustic but provide privacy and clear views of the night sky.
(Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)
You’ll start at the Ray Miller Trailhead, named after California State Park’s first official campground host, and take the route, also known as the Backbone Trail, about 4.6 miles before turning west onto the La Jolla Valley Fire Road, which will take you the half mile to the trail camp.
The scenery along the way is stunning and diverse. For the first 2.5 miles of the hike, you’ll be rewarded with better and better ocean views as you gain elevation, including two miles in when you can see a gorgeous stretch of coast line.
You will transition from the Ray Miller Trail to the Overlook Fire Road — all still the Backbone Trail — about 2.6 miles in. At this point, you’ll mostly lose the ocean view but be greeted by a diversity of local plants, including wildflowers like spreading phlox, and varieties of poppies, lupines and paintbrushes.
La Jolla Walk-In Campsite
This trail camp is also reachable by starting at the Chumash Trail, but given that trail’s steepness, this reporter isn’t advising that as an option for backpackers. (Even if it is a shorter route to reach the campground.)
Glenn Camp Campground
The Glenn Camp Campground is a 10-site forested haven next to the West Fork of the San Gabriel River. It is open year round and features picnic tables, grills and fire pits.
There is no piped water. Campers will need to either bring their own or filter water from the nearby river.
The Glenn Camp Campground in the San Gabriel Mountains in Angeles National Forest.
(Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)
The restrooms are, unfortunately, closed until further notice. You’ll need to relieve yourself ideally 200 feet from the river, especially when you have to — hey, let’s just say it! — poop. You’ll want to bring a trowel, and have a plan for toilet paper. (This how-to video is worth watching before heading out) The best practice is to pack it out. If you plan to use natural elements for wiping, make sure you know what poison ivy and other unfriendly plants look like. Not something you want to explain to the doctor at urgent care!
A deer stands on the bank of the West Fork of the San Gabriel River near the Glenn Camp Campground.
(Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)
This campground was previously open only on the weekends because of nearby construction, but that restriction has ended.
To reach the campground, you can either hike or bike the seven-mile West Fork National Scenic Bikeway. You will gain just over 500 feet in elevation as you travel along this mostly paved path that runs parallel to the West Fork of the San Gabriel River. After a good rain, waterfalls run down the hillsides next to the path. Yes, it is as heavenly as it sounds.
The campground sits next to the river and is shaded by old-growth trees, including at least one you could climb into and read a book. Yeah, that’s freedom!
Remember
In a world where our phones can quickly provide us with anything we’re willing to pay a delivery fee for, backpacking can offer a necessary reset for our over-reliance on technology. Stepping away into the L.A. mountains, you’ll be greeted with a sound bath from crickets and birds as the smell of pine, sage and bay laurel fills your nostrils. It is an opportunity to be present with yourself and those around you, and worry yourself only with questions of whether someone should throw another log on the fire. Deep bathtub be damned, that sense of presence is the greatest luxury of all.
