Local residents will have an opportunity to put on their hiking boots and explore the trails in our “other backyard,” the Verdugo Mountains. The 11th Annual Verdugo Hills Community Hike will be held on Saturday, November 5.
There will be three separate hikes for participants to take. Each has increasing degrees of difficulty. The least challenging hike will be from the Starlight Bowl parking lot to the Stough Canyon Nature Center. It is .9 miles each way, with approximately a 500 ft. elevation gain.
The second hike is the “Edu-Hike.” It will leave the Nature Center at 9 a.m. and travel 1.5 miles each way, through the Old Youth Campground, to the Summit at Ridge Trail. The hike has approximately 1,000 ft. in elevation gain, and is considered challenging. Participants in this hike also need to park at the Starlight Bowl, and can take the optional shuttle to the Nature Center.
Considered very challenging, the third hike starts at Wildwood Canyon. It takes a 3.2 mile long route to the Summit at Ridge Trial, with a 1.500 ft. elevation gain. Participants should park in the large lot off of Harvard Road near the entrance to Wildwood Canyon.
Sponsored by the Burbank Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department, the hike will be held on Saturday, November 5. Check-in and start of hikes will be from 8 a.m. and 9:30 a.m., except for the Edu-Hike that begins at 9 a.m.
Registered hikers will receive a free meal served at the Summit at Ridge Trail, prepared by the members of Boy Scout Troop 201, and a Verdugo Hills Community Hike commemorative souvenir. Meals will be served until 11 a.m.
Pre-registration is available in person at the Nature Center, 2300 Walnut Ave., above DeBell Golf Course, or on-line at www.BurbankParks.com. Click on the “Location” menu and select “Stough Canyon Nature Center,” then click on “Verdugo Hills Community Hike.” The registration fee is $5 per hiker, through October 28. Hikers may also register on the morning of the event, beginning at 8 a.m. On-site registration at the event is $10 per person.
All hikers need to bring their own water. They should wear appropriate hiking or running shoes, hats, and sun screen. Further information can be found at www.VerdugoHillsHike.org, or by calling the Nature Center at (818) 238-5440.
