Beverly Gardens Park
From Love Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills is synonymous with world-renowned shopping, casual celebrity sightings and Michelin-starred chefs. Less well-known, but equally enjoyable, are the numerous opportunities to stretch your legs and soak in the fresh California sunshine. So lace up your shoes or strap on a helmet and leave the car behind. Whether you plan to walk, run or bike, Beverly Hills offers several unique ways to explore.
Walk from Beverly Cañon Gardens to Will Rogers Memorial Park
Ease yourself into the day and work off that decadent Bouchon brunch with a leisurely walk. Start at Beverly Cañon Gardens, a quaint public garden situated near celebrity chef Geoffrey Zakarian’s Georgie restaurant at Montage Beverly Hills. Stroll through this tranquil green space filled with landscaped hedges, cascading fountains and colonnaded walkways.
When you’re ready to explore farther afield, walk north to the “Flats.” Aptly named, the wide, flat, tree-lined streets of this residential neighborhood are perfect for walkers. Take time to admire the immaculately maintained properties in the neighborhood, which display a wide variety of architectural styles like low-slung Cape Cod homes, palatial French Provincial mansions, and mid-century modernist gems.
Finish your walk at Will Rogers Memorial Park where you’ll feel miles away from the big city. Then, cross the legendary Sunset Boulevard to relax and sip a cool refreshment while you stroll the beautiful grounds of The Beverly Hills Hotel.
Run at Beverly Gardens Park
The morning air is fresh and cool in Beverly Hills and it’s the ideal time to run. While the city offers beautiful green spaces, a jog through Beverly Gardens Park offers ample space and a chance to sightsee as well.
This iconic park stretches 22 blocks (1.9 miles) along North Santa Monica Boulevard, from Wilshire Boulevard to Doheny Drive. Pause your run for a photo at one of the city’s most famous sights, the 40-foot-long Beverly Hills sign. The recently-renovated park is also home to an impressive collection of public artworks, including Electric Fountain, a grand water feature that appeared in the movie Clueless and The Go-Go’s “Our Lips Are Sealed” music video, and Endless V, a beautiful multilingual sculpture by the internationally acclaimed Spanish Catalan artist Jaume Plensa.
Once you reach Doheny Fountain at the eastern end of the park, venture north and cool down on the wide, tree-lined streets in the surrounding neighborhood.
Bike with Beverly Hills Bike Share
Beverly Hills’ extensive bike share program allows locals and visitors alike to easily cruise around the city’s six square miles and explore the parks and neighborhoods for only $7 an hour. Use the Beverly Hills Bike Share website or download the app to find and reserve an available bike at one of the bike share stations located throughout the city.
Once you have found your bike and unlocked it with your PIN code, start pedaling. With two wheels at your disposal, you can easily visit all of the parks and neighborhoods on the walking and running itinerary. Make a loop through the shady Beverly Gardens Park to photograph the permanent art installations and the Beverly Hills Sign. Then cycle the forgiving streets of the Flats neighborhood and admire the luxurious rolling green lawns and beautiful mansions. If you’re up for more of a challenge, point your bicycle north and leave the flatlands for the hillier—but equally charming—streets north of Sunset Boulevard.
Bike Farther to Coldwater Canyon Park
The truly ambitious bikers can head off the beaten path to Coldwater Canyon Park, which is located at 1100 North Beverly Drive where Beverly Drive meets Coldwater Canyon Drive, a main route to go “over the hill” to the San Fernando Valley.
The park provides a beautiful, peaceful green space with picnic tables, a playground area, an arbor and benches. There is also a small stream that flows through the park where children and their pets can walk and splash in, a feature long loved and appreciated by local families and visitors alike.
Across the street, on the eastern side of Coldwater Canyon Drive and adjacent to the fire station, is a well maintained soft surface running track perfect for walkers or joggers, young and old.