Griffith Park e-bike tour: wild backside and LA River views

★★★★★★★★★★ 5.00 (10 reviews)

Free cancellation

1/18

Duration3h–3h 20m

GroupUp to 6

LanguagesEN · DE +2

Mobile ticketAccepted

Ride the hidden side of a 4,210-acre park without the main-road crowds

An electric bike tour of Griffith Park and the LA River starting from Atwater Village, led by a local guide who takes you past the Red Car Bridge, the abandoned zoo, Cathy's Corner and Bee Rock. The route covers remote terrain and historic stops—the 1926 carousel, the old zoo ruins, a 100-year-old avocado tree—and ends with sweeping views across the valley to the San Gabriel Mountains. Water and snacks are included; the ride takes about three hours.

3h–3h 20m

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Griffith Park and LA River by E-Bike

Meet guide at Atwater Village office
Get acquainted with e-bike and safety gear
Ride through quiet residential streets to LA River
Stop at Red Car Bridge and learn about LA River
Visit Griffith Park Ranger Station and Carousel
Cycle among ruins of abandoned zoo
Stop at Cathy's Corner and enjoy valley views
Visit The Notch and see mega vistas of LA
Explore Cedar Grove micro-forest
Ride further into Griffith Park natural areas
See significant geological outcrop and landmark
Leave park through residential streets with Spanish colonials
Return to LA River via La Kretz Crossing bridge
Visit special Rose Gum tree
Ride past equestrian stables to Love Lock Bridge
Return to Atwater Village and see largest avocado tree
End ride at starting point

The Experience

You start at a bike bungalow in Atwater Village, where your guide introduces you to your e-bike (they all have names) and fits you with safety gear. The motor handles the climbing, so you can focus on the route itself. From there, quiet residential streets lead to the LA River and the Red Car Bridge—a pedestrian and cyclist-only crossing named after the trolleys that ran over this same spot more than sixty years ago. Your guide explains how the river shaped early Los Angeles: without it, the city would never have existed.

Into Griffith Park, you pass the 1926 carousel with its 68 hand-carved wooden horses, then roll through the ruins of the old zoo that operated from 1912 to 1966. The abandoned cages and caves are now a hidden spot for hikers and Shakespeare in the Park performances. The route then climbs to Cathy's Corner, where Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone filmed their dance sequence for LA LA Land. From there, the views open up: the valley, Disney Animation Studios in Burbank, the San Gabriel Mountains, and on clear days, Catalina Island and the Pacific. You'll also stop at Cedar Grove, a small forest tucked into a Los Feliz hillside that draws Hollywood hikers for its unexpected wildlife and city views stretching from Glendale to Downtown.

The ride loops back toward the LA River via the La Kretz Crossing, a cable-stayed steel bridge linking the park to Atwater Village. Along the way, you pass a Rose Gum tree from Australia that the LA Times named one of ten beloved LA trees worth protecting. The final stop is a designated national champion: a 100-year-old avocado tree, the largest of its kind in the country, tucked into a quiet residential street. You roll back to the bungalow having covered remote terrain, old ruins, movie locations and unexpected natural landmarks without ever leaving the city.

What’s included

Use of an electric bike.
bottled water.
snacks.
safety gear.
a local guide fluent in English, Spanish, French or German (available by request).

Good to know

Moderate physical levelPublic transport nearby

Operated by E Bike Tours LA

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want to explore Griffith Park's remote side with a guide who knows the hidden stops—the old zoo, the avocado tree, the small forest—rather than the main attractions. The e-bike motor means you can ride for three hours without the climbing wearing you down, so the focus stays on the route and the views instead of the effort.