LA River Eco Tour: Uncover Hidden Hiking Trails

Uncover hidden hiking trails and explore the LA River on the unique LA River Eco Tour. Discover the history, ecology, and architecture of LA in a one-of-a-kind experience.

Duration: 3 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Los Angeles River - The LA River is more than a place to film a car chase for Grease of Terminator 2. This river has its own fascinating (and sometimes terrifying history.) This tour will take you through the LA River past, present, and future to help you better understand this vital waterway.
    The river is also a great place for bike riding,…
What's Included
  • Bottled water provided
Additional Information

The LA Rive Eco Tour and Hidden Stairs Adventure is designed for both visitors and inhabitants seeking to discover a hidden gem that remains unseen by the vast majority.
This exclusive trail will not be found in any conventional tour book or offered by any other tourism organization. It’s a unique journey that intertwines the story of the LA River,…

Location
Lewis MacAdams Riverfront Park (formerly Marsh Park)
Gleneden Street
We will meet in the covered building by the restrooms. There are NO RESTROOMS along the route. Please be sure to use the bathrooms at the meeting point.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(15 Ratings)
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Jocelyng547
Jan 25, 2025
Great way to explore LA on foot - This tour was a terrific way to learn about the LA River's relationship with the city. I grew up in LA, but it was so fun to visit neighborhoods that I’d just driven by as a teenager. Our guide, Chris, shared well-researched history and local lore. And he had photos of old LA that helped us see how much the city has changed. Chris’ clearly cares about the residents and how the city has developed. We ended our tour at Spoke where my friends and I enjoyed a delicious meal. I highly recommend getting off the beaten track with See LA in a Day. I’m already planning our next outing with them.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jeffsy3791mk
Dec 19, 2024
Great tour of the history and ecology of the LA River and adjacent communities - This was an informative and fascinating "off the beaten path" tour that included the history and inter-related ecology for the LA River and adjacent human communities (Silver Lake, Echo Park, Frogtown/Elysian Valley). We particularly enjoyed exploring the numerous secret stairways, and seeing the diversity of architectural styles of the homes. Our tour guide (Chris), was very knowledgeable and seemed to genuinely enjoy giving the tour. He had many stories related to the area to tell, and illustrated points about the history using his iPad as a visual aid. He has obviously spent a great time studying the history of LA, the Master Plan for the LA River Restoration, and must have committed hours of time reviewing community property mapping and historical documentation. In summary, my wife and I found it be a very worthwhile and enjoyable experience. I would highly recommend this tour! As an added bonus, Chris may bring along his dog, who has a wonderful disposition, and seemed to enjoy the tour as much as we did!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Erin_g
Oct 5, 2024
Best-in-class tour guide - Chris is a best-in-class tour guide and the sites and material covered in this tour were magnificent. Seriously.
Review provided by Viator
Brian_f
Sep 21, 2024
Had a great 3-hour... - Had a great 3-hour walking tour of Frogtown, Silver Lake and Echo Park section of Los Angeles. Chris was our guide and very knowledgeable in the areas he showed us. Lots of early LA development and the river history making it possible. Would definitely recommend this tour for a "hidden" perspective that's right out in the open!
Review provided by Viator
Bonnie_v
Jun 4, 2024
I would take the tour again. - Our guide, Chris, gave an excellent tour - combining history, humor and fun facts. My daughter, who lives there, learned so much more about her city.
Review provided by Viator
843marybethb
Mar 30, 2024
Off the traditional route - What a great tour. These were sights you would never see on a traditional tour. Chris was so knowledgeable. You can tell he has done tons of research including talking with the people in the neighborhoods we visited. He was very helpful with the LA experience and offered several suggestions for future visits.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
3inacanoe
Mar 27, 2024
Get "back-yard" view of LA with lots of history! - Chris was very knowledgeable and very animated in his descriptions of both the LA river as well as the secret staircases through the neighborhoods. We love hiking and greatly enjoyed it!! We saw a part of LA that we would have never seen with driving on the expressway. I would highly recommend it!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
M3424tcscotth
Jun 24, 2023
What a fun way to spend the afternoon! - Chris is just the best guide ever! He led us on the LA River and secret stair hike and we had a blast! Get ready to walk up some steep roads, learn some interesting info about LA history, and get some great panoramic views! There were a few times where we were saying "wow are we really in LA right now?" I forgot to take pictures except for this one. Anyway - thank you Chris - maybe we could do it again some time! We took the sunset blvd tour with him too, so maybe we'll just try to see them all!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kylelonious
May 23, 2023
Amazing Tour of a Hidden Gem - I went on this tour a few months ago and was blown away. I didn't know neighborhoods like this existed in LA! Chris was a great tour guide and I can't imagine any other tours providing the experience he did. Anyone looking for a one-of-a-kind trip through LA should take this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
551astridj
May 3, 2023
It‘s a real river! - Absolutely amazing! Chris is the best tour guide, knows everything about LA and knows how to tell it in an entertaining way. Very nice walk with a few stairs off the usual touristic path. I totally recommend it!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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