Bee Rock

The Formation

Bee Rock earned its name since, from certain angles, the sandstone outcrop looks exactly like an old-fashioned straw beehive with its pocked surface giving it a honeycomb texture. Some say the name comes from actual bee colonies that once nested in those cavities. Others point to a legend about zoo workers dumping spoiled soda syrup off the cliff, attracting swarms. Either way, the rock is the most prominent geological feature on Griffith Park’s eastern side, visible from miles away and impossible to miss once you’re on the trail.

The formation sits at 1,056 feet, made of Miocene conglomerate: a mix of cobbles, pebbles, and sand deposited by ancient fast-moving water. It sits between two fault lines (the Griffith Fault to the north and Hollywood Fault to the south), which explains some of the dramatic topography. At the summit, a tall chain-link fence wraps the perimeter to keep hikers safe from the steep drops on all sides. The fence has been there for decades and gets repaired regularly after adventurous souls cut through it.

Trail Options

You have choices. The shortest route climbs 525 feet in less than a mile, starting from the Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round parking lot. This direct approach is steep and can be overgrown in spots, but it gets you to the top fast. If you want a gentler climb, take the Bill Eckert Trail, which makes a more gradual ascent along a fire road before connecting to the summit trail. Combine these for a 2.6-mile loop with 600 feet of elevation gain.

Most hikers include the Old LA Zoo in their route, adding about two miles for a total of four miles round-trip. The zoo ruins are fascinating: concrete grottos, iron-barred cages, and hillside enclosures that once held bears, lions, monkeys, and elephants. WPA crews built many of these structures in the 1930s. Now they’re fitted with picnic tables and grills, creating one of the strangest lunch spots in Los Angeles.

The trails themselves are a mix of paved fire roads and narrow single-track sections. Some paths are unmarked, and “ghost trails” (unofficial routes created by wandering hikers) can be confusing. Friends of Griffith Park completed a trail restoration project in 2022 to address erosion and clarify the main routes, but downloading an offline map before you go is still smart.

The Views

From the top, you get unobstructed sight lines east to Glendale and the San Gabriel Mountains, south toward downtown LA, and north across Griffith Park to Burbank. On clear days, the view stretches for miles. On hazy days, you still see plenty. The surrounding landscape includes the Wilson-Harding Golf Course directly below, the current LA Zoo about two miles north, and various park landmarks like Mount Hollywood and Beacon Hill.

The chain-link fence at the summit does interrupt the view somewhat, but it’s a necessary safety measure given the sheer drops. Some sections of fence have been damaged or cut, and while this creates photo opportunities, the edges are genuinely dangerous. Stick to the fenced areas.

The Old Zoo Component

If you take the loop through the Old Zoo picnic area, you’ll walk through dozens of abandoned animal enclosures. The Griffith Park Zoo operated from 1912 to 1965, closing when the new Los Angeles Zoo opened two miles north. The old zoo started with just 15 animals and a $2,000 budget, built on the site of Griffith J. Griffith’s defunct ostrich farm.

Over the decades, the zoo grew to house thousands of animals despite constant problems: sewage leaking into the LA River, disease outbreaks, cramped conditions, and inadequate funding. By the 1950s, the facility was widely criticized as outdated and cruel by modern standards. The city passed an $8 million bond measure to build a replacement, and the old zoo closed for good in August 1966.

Today, the concrete grottos are empty except for picnic tables. You can walk through former bear dens, peer into cage structures, and follow trails that wind behind the enclosures. It’s eerie and fascinating, a reminder of how much our understanding of animal welfare has changed. The site also appears in numerous films and TV shows, adding a layer of Hollywood history to the experience.

Practical Notes

Wildlife is active here. Red-tailed hawks, California quail, scrub jays, and Nuttall’s woodpeckers are common. You might see coyotes, especially at dawn or dusk. Cliff swallows nest on Bee Rock itself. Rattlesnakes live in the area, so watch where you step, especially in warmer months.

The trail gets steep in sections, with loose dirt and rocks that can be slippery on the descent. Sturdy footwear helps. There’s little shade, so summer afternoons can be brutally hot. Late afternoon visits are ideal: the trail is shadier, the birds are more active, and the light on the San Gabriel Mountains is better.

Rock climbers have used Bee Rock since 1936, when Sierra Club members established the first routes. Today there are about nine climbing routes rated 5.10b to 5.12b on the formation’s south-southeast side. Climbing is prohibited February through June during falcon nesting season, but hiking to the summit remains open year-round (check current status with park rangers at 323-913-4688, as temporary closures can occur).